COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR
INCREASE IN NHPA DUES
Please note that the NHPA dues for the year 2009 is now $17.00. This is a $5.00 increase over the 2008 dues of $12.00. The last increase in NHPA dues was in 1992. As we all know inflation over the last 17 years has created a need for more income to the NHPA just to pay for the normal operations of the Association.
FSHPA INC.’S NEED FOR ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL FUNDS
As we all know the cost of living has risen over the last several years. The FSHPA Inc. has been able to operate under this situation of rising cost for several years without increasing membership dues. However, the loss of “Game Related Items” income, the increase in the Statisticians and Editor’s allowance and normal inflation has created a situation in which the Association must seek additional funds to continue operations now and into the future. The Association has enough funds to operate under the current income and expense conditions for a year or two before the situation becomes desperate. The current budgeted deficit for the 2008-09 fiscal years is approximately $2,500.00. The Association can not continue to operate at this deficit level for more than three or four years. Therefore, it is necessary that something be done about this operational deficit, starting with the fiscal year 2009-10.
There is two options, perhaps more, to correct this operational deficit in future years. The first option is to simply raise membership dues by $6.00 or $7.00 per year. With the current membership of 380 and assuming we can maintain or improve this membership the increase in dues would just about cover the operational deficit of $2,500.00 for next year and presumable in future years.
The second option would be to increase the tournament fees from $1.00 per entry to $2.00 per entry. Again, assuming the number of tournament entries remain approximately the same in coming years this increase would cover the projected operational deficits for a number of years into the future.
I would prefer the second of the two options. Those that participate in more than six or seven tournaments a year would pay a higher amount towards the deficit whereas those that participate in only sanctioned league play would pay nothing towards the deficit. But this option would allow for those snow birds that pay very little towards the operations of the Association to pay a little more through their tournament participation.
Of course the third option would be simply a combination of
the first two options. In any case this
is a serious situation and one that must be addressed by the membership at the
Club Officers/Executive Council meeting in April of next year at