Debby Cole wrote:
Gary, I note that
this proposition doesn't address prices. Does the committee plan that
there be a separate charge for each type of membership desired? Or if
one pays the full price for print membership, can one get the electronic
version at no extra charge? Since the two may be different, it might be well
to allow for a combined subscription.
Debby; Presently the AIS
charges $10 for the Iris Register whether you are a member or not. Current
forms of memberships do not cover their expenses with their membership fees,
primarily because the printing of the bulletin takes almost all those fees. If
we gave away these additional services; the bulletin digitally and Iris
register to all members we would destroy one more revenue stream. By creating
an e-membership we are able to offer a lower cost membership to those who are
willing to have their bulletin digitally and not in print. This low cost
membership may attract web-surfers who would not commit to a $25 print
membership but would try a $15 membership. If we look at Daves Garden we see
they have 500,000 non-paying members. Before it became so commercial they had
8,000 paid subscribers. Since they became more commercial being bought by a
corporation they have lost about 2,000 of those subscribers. Those that I have
talked with purchased their subscriptions because they felt the service to the
horticultural community was needed and there subscription was a form of
micro-philanthropy. One could call this the public television or public radio
model. If we do this well we can expect that this type of micro-philanthropy
will help us with e-memberships.
The Iris Encyclopedia is a
noble project that many support. If it is made clear that it is always free,
but one can support its work by taking out an e-membership, I have believe we
could gain many new members. I believe it has potential for increasing the
membership of all Iris groups that have been helping. But a key to that
working, is that an e-membership be an uncomplicated choice. It should be a
simple decision for the web surfer. I would like to be an e-member, YES or NO.
If they would like to have it continue they should have the choice of its
automatic renewal. But it should not have single verses dual, Three year
verses one year, or life, or student verses adult, and combination verses non
combination. One of the reasons people do not do things is because they are
presented with too many choices. The e-membership is low enough that it is not
a hardship for those that would want bothprint and e and really utilize
these services. But many members who do not feel the need to help the
organization and may use the electronic services rarely and have no
interest in them. We live in a new age and I would suggest that the new
reality is that many people who are not members now would prefer this type of
option. Members who desire both types of service can have both but the cost
should not change so we do not create another form of membership (combined)
that costs less and does not pay for its expense.
----- Original
Message -----
From: "Debby Cole" <dcthree@juno.com>
To:
aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 10:17:29 PM GMT -05:00
US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Proposed bylaws amendment
notice - electronic members hip
Gery, I note that this proposition
doesn't address prices. Does the committee plan that there be a separate
charge for each type of membership desired? Or if one pays the full
price for print membership, can one get the electronic version at no extra
charge? Since the two may be different, it might be well to allow for a
combined subscription.
Debby Cole
---------- Original Message
----------
From: gary white <in2iris@yahoo.com>
To:
aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Subject: [AISdiscuss] Proposed bylaws amendment
notice - electronic membership
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:27:54 -0700
(PDT)
|
The Strategic
Planning committee is proposing a change to the AIS Bylaws for addition
of an electronic membership class to Article III, Section 2 of the
bylaws. The proposed
amendment of the bylaws change is to add class f as follows:
(f) electronic membership, which
shall include the Bulletin available electronically, and other
electronic services as they become available. Electronic membership shall
include full membership privileges in the AIS, but does not duplicate
privileges for those choosing to have both electronic membership and
another class of membership.
Gary
White,
Chairman
Strategic Planning
Committee |