Re: Re-upping STC membership?

[John Hedtke <john -at- hedtke -dot- com>]

I'd like to put something in on this subject that is based on 
something I recently posted to a similar discussion on one of the STC 
listserves.  (If you've by any chance read this before, skip it.  :)  )

I've never understood the problem with raising the rates to 
$175.  I've paid for my own membership for the last 20 years and the 
additional cost of less than one latte a month is not something I can 
notice.  Moreover, as a result of the change in membership, we are 
now giving thousands of dollars more to the chapters; a chapter the 
size of Puget Sound, for example, will be getting roughly twice what 
they've been getting in chapter rebates (we're talking an add'l $10K 
here).  Even better, they'll be able to predict within a few dollars 
how much they're going to receive in a fiscal year and they'll be 
getting it months sooner than they ever did before.  I call that a 
win for the chapters.  That's one of the big reasons I voted for this 
increase.

Speaking from my own experience, I can point to $500K to $750K that I 
made as a direct result of my being involved with the STC over the 
years, money I would not have made if I hadn't been here.  Some of my 
oldest friends are people I met through the STC.  And becoming an 
Associate Fellow and then a Fellow didn't hurt, either.  All of this 
was because I paid for the STC out of my own pocket: dues, 
conferences, meals, airfare: EVERYTHING.  I thought it was worth it 
to do so even when I was making $28K/year and, given the financial 
and intangible returns on my investment, I was right.

I acknowledge that we all have to make choices of value and your 
mileage may vary.  If someone is getting nothing from their 
membership, if you just cannot see the value of paying the additional 
price of one-large-pizza-with-everything-per-year for your 
membership, then maybe the STC isn't the organization for you.  We 
will be sorry to see you go, but there's no point in trying to keep 
people who are just not getting the value of their membership.  It's 
not fair to them or to the STC.

I'm re-upping.  I like this group and it's my personal opinion that 
the rate of change and growth will accelerate as more and more is 
implemented.  We've seen things get a lot better in the last couple 
years and things are going to continue improving.

Yours truly,

John Hedtke
Author/Consultant/Contract Writer
www.hedtke.com <-- website
Region 7 Director, STC
541-685-5000 (office landline)
541-554-2189 (cell)
john -at- hedtke -dot- com (primary email)
johnhedtke -at- aol -dot- com (secondary email)



At 10:42 AM 11/12/2007, Cardimon, Craig wrote:
>Hello Folks,
>
>
>
>I just received my STC renewal notice. I am hesitant to ask my company
>to pay for this. It seems like an awful lot of money to me.
>
>
>
>How many of you fine folks are, or are not, renewing your STC
>membership?

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