Longmont Amateur Radio Club - Colorado

Fiscal Responsibility and Legacy members 

5 June 2007

In general, LARC should spend no more than its income. However, LARC is in a peculiar situation of having several times that in the bank. This is owing to the hard work of past club members and a policy to have sufficient funds to cover an investment (in particular, the LARC Fest overhead: facility fees, insurance, food, prizes,…) should such funds being ventured, be nearly or totally lost. Recently however, due to administrative simplifications to LARC Fest, the required funds to cover the event have been reduced significantly – leaving a handsome “inheritance”. It is the disposition and disposal of this “inheritance” that I wish to discuss here.

The current club officers and board have no business spending those (“inherited”) funds if they do not benefit those who earned them (legacy members). But, due to events which precede me, many of these people are no longer participating in LARC. So, in my mind, those funds should be preserved until a majority of those past members return (understanding at the same time that this may be NEVER). What to do?

One option:

Ham Fest survey results indicate that the number one reason that people attend is social. One might conclude that surely this reason extends to club membership and meeting attendance. Such reasoning would naturally lead to finding ways to sponsor events where people can socialize – like dinners. Everyone needs to eat. Better yet if it’s “free”! Surely, that should get people out. Right?

Several years ago, LARC sponsored such an event (and several more were planned). However, when all the receipts were in, it was realized that the per capita expense was equal to the annual dues. In other words, when my wife and I attended the event, we spent our dues plus someone else’s. Unfortunately, under such a plan, the “inherited” funds would have been quickly “gobbled up” (quite literally), and still may not have reached or benefited those who earned them.

Fortunately, some people learned from this error and a significant portion of the “inheritance” was moved to Certificates of Deposit – making the money a little less accessible. In other words: Protecting LARC from LARC.

Another option:

Alternatively, LARC can provide a whole spectrum of interesting Ham radio activities and things for people to choose from, while naturally providing opportunities to meet other Hams and socialize. Actually, this IS the plan under which LARC has been operating during the current administration.

What is LARC doing ?

First; LARC has an obligation to make the club worth returning to.

Interesting meetings:

Great effort has been directed toward the quality and content of the General Meetings. An LCD computer projector was purchased so that most every media known to date (slides, VCR, DVD, software demos, etc.) can be used in presentations – a VERY wise investment. LARC now has a long list of presenters (and presentation plans out 6 months) of qualified speakers whose talents span the spectrum.

It should be noted that the funds used to purchase the LCD computer projector were rescued from those previously “budgeted” to be “gobbled up” in social events. Fortunately, those funds were not part of the “inheritance”.

Service Opportunities:

LARC continues to provide opportunities for those interested in improving their emergency communications skills when LARC provides event communications for the Turkey Trot and Triathlon. LARC honors these service commitments to the community because it’s a big part of who we are.

This extends to Emergency Preparedness like BCARES. LARC’s involvement has been light for the last several years. But, it has not been forgotten. It is our hope that LARC will provide interested representatives in the near future.

Projects:

LARC is in the process of building a portable emergency communications station called Shack-in-a-Box. The several phases of this project surely provide challenges for those wanting to gain experience, but may not have had the funds to do it on their own.

In addition, several other projects have been proposed that fall into the category of “enhancing the art”, which should be just plane fun.

Second; LARC is reaching out.

Getting Personal:

For the last year and one half, Dean Haney (W6RFM) has been using old rosters to call and invite those who have let their membership lapse. This has been tough work and the results mixed. Thanks Dean for your efforts.

Use Opportunities:

VE testing provides a great opportunity which can be better utilized. But, LARC can do a better job. Points to improve include:

· The LARC testing sessions must be held consistently and be well publicized.

· LARC must groom a pool of qualified VEs to support the regular test schedule.

· A flyer (or welcome package) must be developed and made available to test patrons.

“If you build it – they still may come.” Well, maybe,…

What if after all this work, those legacy members still don’t come back? Then, what should be done with those “inherited” funds?

Well, then the best thing to do is to invest the funds in club assets (as opposed to one time events that simply “gobble up” the funds – and only benefit a segment of the membership) which will be there for everyone’s benefit (like the completion of all 4 phases of Shack-in-a-Box). But, we have to be careful. We still don’t have a place to “call home” - to store things. Investments must be small and portable yet secure.

But, recent meetings have been encouraging. Little by little, we’re seeing more of our legacy members. Surely, THEY will let us know how to spend THEIR inheritance.

So, come on out and see what LARC is doing these days (check out our running list of past events right here on this web site). I’m sure you’ll like what you see.

Ray W9LQM (LARC President, 2005 – 2007)