I belong to several clubs and organization. Each one has fees and costs associated with membership. JuJitsu, for example: I pay insurance every year, buy my own uniforms, weapons, and pay a mat fee each night. Not to mention the grading fees.
There is one private club that has no fees, yet we reap serious benefits from the club. Sure, we buy all our cool tees, and we spend a lot of our own money on stuff we use in the club. However, we do not pay for our public liability insurance, or anything the club provides us at events. And this stuff costs LOADS. So.. how to help? We can pay a membership fee! And the one suggessted was less than any other club I belong to. It would basically pay for insurance and the member website.
And I am utterly disappointed and disgusted by the people who are claiming that this fee is too expensive (£2 per month), and even have hinted that the money is being pocketed by the club staff! This isn't a public organization, it is a voluntary private members club. Every time a member goes to a club event, they are covered by insurance. They find out about the events on the website, yet they think that they shouldn't have to help the club function, that their own personal time is plenty, and the staff should continue to foot the bill. Staff who invest more time and money than the members.
This attitude makes me sick. If the bills aren't paid, there is no club. The cires of "oh... people may not join now, or people may quit!" cry of some twisted concept of entitlement. Want to join a club, pay the fees. Simple. Can't afford them? Talk to the staff about it... they are there to help! Don't *want* to pay? Don't join!
People always want something for nothing. And even in a club set up to do chairty, people want others to pay. Is that giving back, or being greedy?
