Please read: All about the Brass Bell, all in one place!

[Bill Basler]

All, first, I will say you have all been very patient. Second, this is long overdue to all of our members, new and old. And third, it appears that we are in the midst of some challenges right now.

I do not want to recap all that has been posted on other posts. If you want to get to know exactly where we are at as a club and with delivery of our beloved magazine, the Brass Bell, you must do a bit of reading. I have pulled together the topic posts that I found in doing a bit of searching.

http://www.chris-craft.org/discussion/v ... php?t=5976

http://www.chris-craft.org/discussion/v ... php?t=6847

http://www.chris-craft.org/discussion/v ... php?t=6503

http://www.chris-craft.org/discussion/v ... l&start=30

http://www.chris-craft.org/discussion/v ... php?t=6702

Now that you have read about our challenges, here is, what I believe, the short story.

We are in a chicken-egg scenario right now with this club. Late Brass Bell delivery affects membership renewals and late membership renewals affect our ability to push the next Brass Bell delivery ahead.

At this time, we are 317 members down this quarter. At $35.00 per membership this translates to a loss of revenue of $11,095.00

I have literally talked to hundreds of our members in the past 90 days. I have been working to understand this recent decline in membership. Here are the emails (in part) that I received as a response to one of the renewal mailings that we sent to our past due members:

I have enjoyed many issues of the Antique Boat Club magazine. As I have aged, two problems have come up. One is that I can no longer get around well enough to "play" with my Chris-Crafts. Two is that my eyesight has deteriorated so much that I can no longer see well enough to read the magazine. I hate that both things have happened (Old age is no fun!). I must relinquish my subscription.
Thank you for of your help and for being responsible for the issues thus far. I wish you well in future endeavors.

+++

I don't plan to renew. I am very pleased with your publication- it is first class. But, I'm getting too much stuff and have decided to discontinue most of my subscriptions.
Best wishes to you.

+++

I sold my antique chris craft on august third so I will no longer subscibe. It was my pleasure to have been a member. Thankyou.

+++

Hi Bill, Sad to say, due to health reasons I have given up my boating hobby. Too much effort (i.e. blood pressure) needed to load and unload the trailer damn it!! Sold the Gar Wood Speedster to a nice guy who will use it. Anyway, you can remove me from your email list and let my subscription expire (I think it has already). Many thanks for your leadership and support of the hobby over the years.


Strangely, no one that I have talked to has mentioned the late Brass Bells as a reason for not renewing. Given that, I would also be naive to think that it has no bearing on our membership.

At this time, our membership management system is tied directly back to Brass Bell delivery. What this means, is that as Brass Bell delivery gets later, our renewal mailings get later, and our income gets postponed. I do not think this is a bad thing, actually. It makes me, or whomever else is running this club accountable for keeping things on track. The flaw in this method, however, (as has been pointed out by others) is that other club expenses continue even if Brass Bells cease to mail. This is the pickle we are in right now.

So, what is the solution? Well, I made an executive decision to pull the Spring 2011 Brass Bell from the printer when I saw that it was not looking up to our standards. That issue (as has been mentioned before) has been moved to a different printer.

We are now moving ahead as quickly as possible in putting the Summer 2011 issue together. This issue will go off to the printer ASAP, and we will mail Spring and Summer issues in one mailing.

This may not be the answer all of you were looking for, but it is an answer nonetheless. My hope is that we will save enough on postage using this method, that we can offset, at least some of the net loss that we are experiencing with the membership being down.

For upcoming quarters, I predict that we may have to increase dues in order to keep pace with our rising costs. We have heard feedback from many of you about this and we are always eager to hear more...so let us have it.

As for advertisers? I will be working with each and every advertisers that we have to make sure we are treating everyone fairly. I will do this by calling each and discussing options.

We will also try to make it up to each and every one of our members. We have some ideas there as well.

Now, I need to go now, and continue to work on the Summer Brass Bell so we can put this issue behind us.

[Al Benton]

Bill,

Thanks much for addressing these issues and for providing all the links to topics that include member concerns.

I think it's going to be an extra treat to get 2 Brass Bells at once. That's going to be fun. Thanks Again,

[Ken Miller]

Bill,

First off, thanks to you and the others for all that is done on behalf of the CCABC. As you and I have discussed before, there is much that goes on behind the scenes of which many of the members are unaware. Your personal sacrifice (valuable time and other resources) for the quarterly publication, as well as the on-line forum, is remarkable.

I realize there are many members on fixed incomes, but I would vote now and at any time in the future to raise membership dues. Frankly, just considering the quality of the quartlerly publication (content, aesthetics, et. all) the $35 annual membership is ridiculously low. Try to find another hobby publication (that would be a feat of its own as in my opinion there are none) and you'd be even further challenged to subscribe for $35. Add to that the Boat Buzz priviledges and we all are remarkably fortunate to be members. I say raise the dues to allow the club to purchase its own proper equipment, server, etc., as well as to mail a first class publication by First Class mail. If there are folks beyond borders which directly affect the cost of mailing the quarterly publication, can't they supplement their membership dues to cover the extra cost?

In consideration of the issues with mailing the Bell, it's a first class magazine worthy of First Class postage to members who can expect it to be delivered promptly after mailing. When it comes to the issues with the club, one person can hardly be expected to provide server space for the enjoyment of hundreds (thousands?).


Ken Miller.

[jfrprops]

Bill and all friends:

I read Bill's post and I can identify with half of the resaons given for non renewal of membership.
No one can fault Bill for ANYTHING....I don't see how he does it, anymore than I can understand how Matt Smith finds the time/energy to post a new story everyday on Woodyboater. I praise the efforts of these my friends in the hobby/lifestyle. Things are changing and times are hard...Maybe, just maybe, the NET is to magazines what 4.57 gas is to cruising..that is, it leaves but a hardcore few to carry on. Sign of the age...nothing more.

To me, as stated by a few others, the Boat Buzz and other CONTACT elements of the club far out weigh any magazine, great though it be. One fellow notes he was just going to stop getting so much "stuff". I get that.
I have complete collection of Brass Bells, WoodenBoat, Classic Boating, etc etc...great to look back through, which I NEVER have time to do. Need to unload them and go boating and Buzzing.

John in Va.

[Don Vogt]

Bill thanks for what you are able to do with all the challenges that go with tasks you have taken on.[/u]

[mcisaac inc]

The aging population of classic boating owners and supporters is a well known problem. Even in other clubs , ie the Lions Club , most of our members are in their 70's and 80's and they just can't do all the duties required any more.Sadly, We have been losing members every year do deaths, The younger generation just is not interested in joining. The WWC of ACBS has been trying to get the younger generation involved for years with moderate success. It is not just clubs though, hunting and fishing licenses are down 25% in Michigan as well. Think of that lost revenue. I'm just glad both my children love boating and fishing , and I pray that marina gas is not 10.00 dollars a gallon when they get old enough to own a wood boat, or they might have to buy kayaks or something.....crazy times we live in............markmcisaacinc.com ps. Bill I am patiently waiting for the Nunnelly article......

[mfine]

I would be happy to pay higher annual dues to keep the club and the web resources healthy. I would not like to pay more to support high quality printing. The Bell is a great looking publication, but when I do get them, they generally sit in a pile of mail. I would much rather read the content online.

If the club needs more money to operate, I would raise dues and I would make the hard copy version of the Bell an option, with an extra fee to cover printing and mailing expense. Even if there were no extra fee, I would click on a go paperless option like I have with most of my bills. No sense in the club spending money to print and mail me a magazine when a link to a PDF will work just as well.

[parroteyes]

While I know nothing about the finances, advertisers must be important and, I assume, they only pay for published mags.

I would have no problem with side bar ads on Boat Buzz.

Actually they might be useful to me in finding suppliers and other sites of interest.

[Al Benton]

John, the preview of the new Boat Buzz format that Bill showed us the other day has a sidebar that will include Corporate Sponsor ads. It will be good incentive for companies to buy-in to sponsorship with their ad that's viewed continuously all day, every day by anyone that views Boat Buzz (members and many visitors). It sure sounds like very effective advertising to me.

As for variable membership rates to cover various ways we receive the Brass Bell, I would like to hear Bill's views on it. One rate to include only a digital version, another to receive it via USPS Periodicals and another to have it via USPS First Class. How about one more to get it FedEx Overnight.

A digital version should have some cost impact, takes time to convert the files and server space to store them and make them safely accessible. If it's very popular it would also reflect an additional cost on the printed version; as printed quantity goes down, the cost per copy goes up.

[parroteyes]

The "Brass Bell" may be THE example of what I meant when I suggested that the folks who run an organization have a hard time understanding the marginal participants, both the marginal ones who do participate and the marginal ones who don't quite participate.

I like the Brass Bell. It is actually lovely, beautiful, all sorts of pleasant descriptors. It is unlike anything else I buy -- first class -- A1 etc. etc.

It is NOT why I am a member. It comes, it wows me. It is the icing, not the cake.

I am aware that there are how to articles and educational articles. I look at them, even read some, but then they fall into that class of something I saw somewhere.

From following this thread it seems the CCABC leadership views the Brass Bell as THE major club product, and it may well be the one thing that sets the club apart from all others. But, at least for me, it is hard to see it that way.

I am only trying to be helpful here, not be judgmental.

So here is another unsolicited suggestion:

You folks who are familiar with the Bell and all the things that have been in it, take every opportunity to include a link to the archived Brass Bell articles when you respond to the various discussions.

For me that would be a "gee whiz - that Brass Bell is more than just a pretty face" realization. It would help get the rest of us to appreciate the Bell in the way you guys do.

Hey, if you guys are tired of my "blah, blah, blah" just tell me to shut up -- my wife does it all the time!

[jfrprops]

shut up Parroteyes? No way, I am with you about 90%!!!
Good comments.
I don't care if Brass Bell goes all cyber or whatever, and that coming from a guy that likely has one of the largest collecions of print boating mags around. (which I find little time to consult...and do current reading).
But to go some cyber and some print...nah...economies of scale must come into play and just make print more expense yet.
Bill and the leadership will sort it out..and have my entire support in WHATEVER they do.
John in Va.

[Bill Basler]

I am watching here on the sidelines reading every word. If I can offer one interesting and maybe very obvious observation, it is that nearly every email and phone call that I receive says, "Keep the Bell in print—don't take that from me!" To the contrary, here on Boat Buzz, I hear a willingness to drift away from print, and go electronic.

Now, here's why we're listening. If we quit printing and mailing the Brass Bell, we save well over $65,000 a year. If we quit printing, we deliver issues immediately when they are complete, and we can "ship" worldwide for negligible cost. The cost for producing a Brass Bell in PDF and storing it on our server? This is really not an issue. All I see is time savings and monetary savings all the way around.

I really have no vested interest in keeping the publication in print....other than I want to do what is most important to as many of our members as possible. Aside from us here on Boat Buzz, my guess is that the majority would still like the printed magazine.

Now, here's the rub. In my opinion, as a long time designer and producer of this stuff (about 29 years experience in all types of publishing), this an all or nothing transition. Over the past 6 years, our growth has helped offset the rising cost of printing the Brass Bell. As others have mentioned, as print quantity has increased the cost per copy goes down. About six years ago, we printed about 2,500 copies. Last quarter, we printed about 4,000.

Now, with the recent apparent loss of 300 members, we will not be printing 4,000 in this run. About 3,700 is about right. This decrease in quantity will drive the cost of each copy back up slightly.

If we introduce an electronic version of the Bell, and members respond favorably by saying, "I like it, please don't send me a printed copy," this will significantly decrease the print number, driving the cost per issue to a very high level.

I am not opposed...just really skeptical. And to support this "either-or" strategy we would need to totally revamp our entire web-based signup and renewal system....more time and developer expense.

If we go all the way, we save a batch of money. If we stick our toe in, and offer "member choice" we create a realllllyyyy complicated system.

[Al Benton]

Here's my view. I enjoy the printed version and it's my preference. I would be disappointed if the Brass Bell was only available on-line. It would be harder to share an interesting article with friends if I had to borrow their computer, log on, download and fumble through a PDF file to show it to them. Truth is, I wouldn't do it. Not even the article that I authored in the Spring issue. I've only shown it to my wife and no one else, waiting for the printed version before I start bragging about being published.

I don't like reading magazines on a flat screen. I don't like reading novels that way either. Boat Buzz is different, it's the way it works, there's no other choice, so I must live with it or not participate. And all of you know that I use and abuse the heck out of it.

So my bottom line is this. I would be disappointed if the Brass Bell was only available on-line. I think it would diminish its true value to a mere novelty compared to my previous brags of it being a World Class Publication. I probably wouldn't quit if it went cyber but would see and feel far less value in membership in the CCABC as a result.

[mfine]

If we quit printing and mailing the Brass Bell, we save well over $65,000 a year.

Last quarter, we printed about 4,000.

So if I do the math correctly "well over" half of my dues are going to printing and mailing a product I place little value on. I would guess much of the other under 40 members and more importantly, younger potential members would feel the same way. It is nice, but certainly not why I joined and not why I renew, and quite frankly print magazines have not been on my radar for many years. If the club and the hobby want to attract the younger generations, I am pretty sure a print magazine is not going to help. Even if the club gets back on a path of membership growth and you have more members to subsidize the cost, I can not see demand for a printed magazine going up.

If we stick our toe in, and offer "member choice" we create a realllllyyyy complicated system.

I am not sure why it has to be so complex. It can't be that hard to pull our names from the mailing list. I would think saving $16+ per member who opts out per year would be worth it. Perhaps having two different dues levels would be more complex and maybe not worth it day one, but I am willing to give you my $16+ and ask for nothing in return. Sure, some of the money you save may have to go to increased per issue printing costs, but the total cost of sending the Bell would have to go down. That said, I really have a hard time seeing the complexity. You already have two tiers where dues are $35 for the US and $50 for those outside the US. It can't be that hard to make it $35 for those who don't want a printed Bell and $50 for those that do. You could even swallow the international shipping costs and not need a third tier.

Printing costs aren't likely to get cheaper and mailing costs are definitely not going down. At some point (soon?) I think you are going to be forced to do something. Pulling the Bell away from the many members who value it will probably have a catastrophic affect on membership levels. Personally, I would think you have to go with a toe in approach and either make the Bell optional or make it an extra $15-$20 per year.

If we quit printing, we deliver issues immediately when they are complete

Another huge benefit. If I HAD joined or renewed to get the Bell I would have been pissed off. I believe it took more than 6 months to get my first issue, and I am well into my second year and I don't think I have all my issues from the first year yet. If I viewed the Bell as being worth half of my membership dues I would certainly feel like I was ripped off.

From a business perspective, it makes no sense to focus your spending and marketing around a product you can't deliver when promised. If the Bell is going to remain a major club product worthy of 50% of our dues, it needs to be delivered on time, every time, no question. If you can't do that you NEED to raise the price or reduce the cost until you can.

[Ken Miller]

It sounds like the Brass Bell has no value to you in any format offered. If it were available to you online, would you view it that way? Are there issues now available online which you have not received by snail mail and yet have taken the time to download and view?

Ken Miller

[Don Vogt]

One way to find out preferences re print/ vs. Electronic would be to poll the members and see what they think.

[jfrprops]

This is a tough one my friends. Thoughtful comments, All.
Bill's points are all excellent and enlightening.
Al takes a strong pro print position.
Mfine takes the "state of the art" approach and expresses it with force and logic.
The raised question of how does the Bell contribute to membership expansion or retention is a hard one to quantify???
Membership and participation are, in my opinion, key to our prospering in the brave new world of media.
??? I defer to the leadership.
John in Va.

[Ken Miller]

.....Mfine takes the "state of the art" approach.....
John in Va.

What I read from his response was that he did not care for the Bell in printed format. I did not hear him embrace the prospect of the Bell in electronic format. Maybe it was implied, but is there an altogether separate category (in addition to yours listed above) of "those not interested in the Bell at all"?

Ken Miller

[Oberon01]

I think Matt makes some very good points. Personally, I believe that a printed magazine is not yet an anachronism, but the tipping point where it becomes one is approaching. It will have to start to migrate to more cost effective, timely and targetted delivery. I think the BB is a first-rate publication and I enjoy it - when I finally get it. I am not however, waiting at my mailbox every day in anticipation. It is a nice "bonus" to me, but not really integral to my membership decision. I know others likely feel very differently.

I don't know much about publishing magazines, but I think it might be overly ambitions for a small club like this to have as an important, almost over-arching objective the publishing of such a high quality piece. Does it have to be that great? The ACBS publishes The Rudder, which does not have the production value of the BB, but that is probably deliberate, and financially sustainable for that organization. I think the quality of the Brass Bell, if it is to be continued, should be more closely aligned with the capabilities and expectations of the membership. I doubt many folks would complain if a magazine with lesser production values was produced, but was in fact delivered on a timely basis, with similar content.

I don't care if the membership dues are $16, $35 or the $50 that I pay as a Canadian. I care that the club exists, that it provides a forum for enthusiasts and that the archive is built, expended and maintained. After that comes the Brass Bell. I pay my dues to support the more "holistic" functions fo the club - the archive, the fellowship and the forum for discusssion that it fosters among hobbyists and members. I truly hope this gets sorted out and the club resumes a sustainable operating stance, and I suggest the leadership have some choices to make.

[parroteyes]

OK, I get it.
Over the years it has become harder and costlier to get the printed Bell out.
It is the premier product of the club -- really, really -- great!
But it does not come on time and if late you delay billing dues?

I say, cut the printed Bell loose from its current schedule.

Chose either two issues per year or "occasional" issues.
Change to a level of printed Bells that we can afford and maintain its Cadillac quality (Cadillac is the Rolls Royce of fine cars you know).

In either choice, enhance the web presence by posting to the on line Bell articles as soon as they are ready (pre-pub). The on line version of yet to be printed Bell content could (should?) be just a little less flashy than the print version - sort of a teaser approach - but still of a quality that we can be proud of - and with complete text. Perhaps the font for the pre-pub postings could be Courier, something noticeably inferior to the published version, but still completely useful. Pictures for the pre-pub would be fewer, perhaps only one or two per article. Include lots of side bar advertizing in the pre-pub postings, that too will make the final version preferable.

When the Bell is published, pull the pre-pub articles off the site and post the PDF of the magazine.

I see fewer, fatter, first class Bells coming in the mail.

I see quicker access to the content via the pre-pub articles.

I see the Bell promoting the site by telling readers about the pre-pub availability of articles.

I see the site promoting the Bell by previewing what is coming.

I see hordes of grateful club members in my yard cheering for this idea.

Well, maybe not all of that.

We ought to have a really cool name for the part of the site that has the pre-pub Brass Bell articles. What is a bell before its a bell?

A Baby Bell, a Bellette, a Prebell, the Brass Chime?

Other ideas - anyone?

[RRGadow]

Heres my 2 cents....I myself look forward to getting the Brass Bell in the mail, it also sets the Chris Craft club apart from other clubs. In my opinion you should go up on the dues....even if they double I would imagine members would still stick around...hell, in this hobby thats a price of 2 cans of varnish....and it would also help in getting the other changes done.

Long live the printed Brass Bell!

[Oberon01]

RRGadow - I have hesitated to bring up the relative cost of dues, but I agree with you. For a person who can afford to own any kind of boat, a $35 annual due is a trifling amount of money. About 8 gallons of boat gas perhaps?

I don't think the cost of membership, within reason of course, is a big deal to most members. It is about a value proposition, because no one likes to burn money in any quantity, though they will spend it if they get something back. If the club can meet the expectations that they themselves set, I think members will be pleased and renew accordingly, even with a realistic increase in dues.

[Al Benton]

There seems to be a general consensus regarding an increase in dues from many regular Boat Buzz participants both on this thread and on some of the others. I'm not sure that it may be viewed the same by the entire membership without a way to hear from the generally silent majority.

There hasn't been an increase in almost 6 years and some of those silent members may be wondering why not. Others, and maybe quite a few, may feel that it wouldn't be fair to increase dues until the Brass Bell delivery sequence is caught up. If so, they might have a legitimate argument.

If the Brass Bell were to be delivered regularly on-line, how accessible would it be? I would presume that recent issues would be accessible by members only and not accessible by visitors until they are archived, generally a few months to a year later.

The idea of tidbits, teasers and previews of Brass Bell content that's accessible on the web may be another effective tool in attracting visitors to join (to get the rest of the story).

Does having a World Class Publication add to the value of membership in CCABC? I think most of the membership nearly 6 years ago thought so because most of them paid a 40% increase in dues to make it possible and stay with the CCABC. Has that changed over the 6 year period? Have the demographics of our members changed so much that the high quality publication is no longer the important asset (or value) that it was just 6 years ago? Actually, not until today has anyone complained about the printed Brass Bell being a huge waste of money. That's surprising.

[parroteyes]

Actually most of the members is not the point. All of the paying members value membership at $35/year or more (or they would not pay). Most of those value it a lot more and would pay a lot more. Most of the paying members would accept less and still find the remaining value to them exceeds the cost.

It may be that the hobby is slowly fading and the membership will decline with it or something else like the decline in print media is going on -- who knows. The only sure thing is that we are getting older.

I really don't think the leadership is likely to make a big mistake or discover a magic bullet.

Hey, its a club! Only a few are willing to make the effort to make it go. So, if you are one of those, do what makes you satisfied that your effort is rewarding. We are here for you and will accept what ever happens.

[Ken Miller]

It would seem to me that a poll of the members is the only way to find what holds the most value to the majority of people. It's a shame that it cannot be as simple as the recent survey online conducted by Hagerty. But, alas, that would neglect the members who are connected by a tenuous thread that runs through their mailbox.....

Among so many members there are so many opinions, such a diverse idea of what the club means to each. For instance:

1. I do not belong to the ACBS, nor do I go to boat shows.

2. I do belong to the CCABC, which does not sponsor shows. But tell me we are going somewhere on Saturday afternoon and I go to my closet and pull out one of my trusty CCABC shirts (even wore one to the recent ACBS symposium at the Antique Boat Center in Ohio).

3. I read this forum multiple times a day and find that by doing so I am exposed to exponentially more information (on all subject matter) than if I went to a boat show and spoke with every once in attendance.

4. I do not wait by the box for the mailman to deliver the latest copy of the Bell, but I do enjoy it when it comes and usually sit down and read it through within a week of its arrival. I, too, subscribe to the earlier comment that we have not reached the point where the Bell is an anachronism. That being said, I have also perused the couple of issues which have been made available online, even though I could have gone into my office and picked one up and read it that way.

I realize the diverse age range of the membership, which seems to create a technology gap as well. In that light I am amazed by the older members who still participate in this forum and share their wealth of information and opinions. Being rather conventional or traditional myself, I am probably of the same mindset as many of them on any particular subject.

The Bell is a prize. I think we need to do whatever is necessary to maintain and perpetuate such a rare treasure. When it comes to asking the members to step up and vote with their wallets, count me in.

Ken Miller

[mfine]

I do read some of the articles in the online PDF's when published and I read more when I find them in the archive when searching for various things. The articles are valuable, it is the physical delivery method that adds nothing for me.

[Al Benton]

This thread has produced some thoughts and feelings about the club from about 8 of our members. Although it's not enough for the team to evaluate exactly which direction the future may go for us, it's a good start and has yielded some interesting ideas to throw in the mix.

The largest single expense seems to be the Brass Bell in its World Class printed and delivered format. It also seems to be one that many of us feel is an important benefit. Other thoughts were to reduce the quality, and/or choose between hard copy and on-line only versions.

All of us feel that our on-line presence is the life-line of the club. We have learned that it also is a very expensive benefit to provide and maintain. I think we would all agree that it should keep progressing with even more bells & whistles.

The only thing that we all seem to agree on is that an increase in membership dues would be acceptable. We have variations on what those dues should provide for the membership but the idea of paying more for what ever is provided is OK (well, not quite "what-ever", it's got to be good).

An increase in dues would help for future considerations but is the club still in need of an immediate boost? If present cash flow is preventing the team from printing the Spring 2011 Brass Bell, how will they manage printing it and the Summer 2011 issue? Granted, combining them into one mailing will save on cost but if they can't print 1, how will they print 2 of them? Advance billing an additional quarter? Bill said that it's already advanced one full quarter. I'm curious if this method may be digging a deep hole in the near future that may come back to haunt us later. Is there an immediate concern or not?

[mfine]

Al,

Forget two, we are already at the end of October so it is getting to be time for a Fall 2011 issue as well. The club is not far from being in the hole for printing and mailing three issues now. I have no insight on the financials, but if they don't have the money for one, I think it is safe to assume three is a bigger problem.

If a world class Bell is a big deal for the vast majority of members, it would seem to me the hole is pretty deep already and we have not stopped digging. I guess members have been patient to date, but you can only push so far before you have to pay the piper.

[Oberon01]

I agree Matt - first rule is stop digging. I would rather see a definitive action plan established before more of the appraently limited funds are expended. I am sure folks would not mind a longer delay if it was used for constructive decision making, with a sustainable operating plan being the near term objective. Perhaps these funds should be conserved for deployment in a turn-around plan of sorts, once a workable plan is conceived? We don't need a magazine if the club can't pay the light bill, so to speak.

From what I see, the current situation is not even remotely financially sustainable, though I have no knowledge beyond what I read here. That is just the way it looks to me. I hope I am wrong, but the financial treadmill is steepening with each issue that is not produced. I think the magazine should be suspended until a plan is worked out. Why not at this point?

[jfrprops]

eight of us frequent posters does not a representative sample make...as Al points out.

Those eight read the buzz almost daily I would bet, but you can read the Bell but a few times...there has been a shift, what sort I don't pretend to know.

I just know the website is my main and prefered spot for club input, output, and community.

John in Va.