Changing Membership rules
Our bike shop has never paid rent to the church that houses us, in our 12 years of existence. In an attempt to change that, we have just recently changed our membership scheme away from volunteer hours for membership to paid memberships. We're only charging $30/year (and they get a t-shirt). And we're getting lots of new members. But some of the guys who have been around for 3 or 4 years were previously told that they had membership for life due to their many volunteer hours. I don't want to discount what they've done for our shop in the past. But I am also attempting to change some of the culture of our shop, a culture that had become a bit of a boys' club where the old guys got to do exciting stuff like fix bikes and new members got to sort small parts. Any thoughts these free "members for life"? sylvia crumRevolutions Bicycle CoOpMemphis, TN
Volunteers should volunteer so many hours to provide for their yearly membership dues.
Times change On Oct 13, 2014 9:23 AM, "sylvia crum" yuleoolu@hotmail.com wrote:
Our bike shop has never paid rent to the church that houses us, in our 12 years of existence. In an attempt to change that, we have just recently changed our membership scheme away from volunteer hours for membership to paid memberships. We're only charging $30/year (and they get a t-shirt). And we're getting lots of new members. But some of the guys who have been around for 3 or 4 years were previously told that they had membership for life due to their many volunteer hours.
I don't want to discount what they've done for our shop in the past. But I am also attempting to change some of the culture of our shop, a culture that had become a bit of a boys' club where the old guys got to do exciting stuff like fix bikes and new members got to sort small parts.
Any thoughts these free "members for life"?
sylvia crum Revolutions Bicycle CoOp Memphis, TN
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Yewah, graduated work study.
Not sure about grandfathering into the new scheme.
If it's a coop, they have a say and a vote, but not sure paid staff/ exec Dir will agree.
I prefer the Linus model to the Gates model. ( WiFi while traveling example , forgot the name, find box, Ia fontella )
Where it gets tricky is that kids go to shop to learn to make money, to get a job, pass school/ honors/ etc.
Volunteers go to give back, get discounts ( wholesale ordering from catalogs help, imo )
But the struggle continues, ask Marx..
Bikes are kinda green, so ag may win 👷 🎅 🙈🙉🙊 🙀 🚲 🎂 🎁 🎄 🎭 🌍 🙌 💰 💸
typing impaired by device, so phlat.
NB: BigBro monitors all, dude[tte]....
BackusNaurForm forgotten.
Lied to re: Del msgs. MailHoardersAnon*
On Oct 13, 2014 9:41 AM, "Geoffrey Bercarich" <geoff.bercarich@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Volunteers should volunteer so many hours to provide for their yearly
> membership dues.
>
> Times change
> On Oct 13, 2014 9:23 AM, "sylvia crum" <yuleoolu@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Our bike shop has never paid rent to the church that houses us, in our 12
>> years of existence. In an attempt to change that, we have just recently
>> changed our membership scheme away from volunteer hours for membership to
>> paid memberships. We're only charging $30/year (and they get a t-shirt).
>> And we're getting lots of new members. But some of the guys who have been
>> around for 3 or 4 years were previously told that they had membership for
>> life due to their many volunteer hours.
>>
>> I don't want to discount what they've done for our shop in the past. But
>> I am also attempting to change some of the culture of our shop, a culture
>> that had become a bit of a boys' club where the old guys got to do exciting
>> stuff like fix bikes and new members got to sort small parts.
>>
>> Any thoughts these free "members for life"?
>>
>> sylvia crum
>> Revolutions Bicycle CoOp
>> Memphis, TN
>>
>> ____________________________________
>>
>> The ThinkTank mailing List
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>> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe
>> from this list</a>
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There are really only two things that people can contribute to an enterprise through their efforts: value and loyalty. Choosing to spend one's time over the years volunteering rather than... (loyalty), should be rewarded, as should current effort. Also, one should do their best to honor past agreements, but times change. How about crediting the loyalists a year and T-shirt for their past service, acknowledging that next year will be different?
On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 7:56 AM, DancesWithCars danceswithcars@gmail.com wrote:
Yewah, graduated work study.
Not sure about grandfathering into the new scheme.
If it's a coop, they have a say and a vote, but not sure paid staff/ exec Dir will agree.
I prefer the Linus model to the Gates model. ( WiFi while traveling example , forgot the name, find box, Ia fontella )
Where it gets tricky is that kids go to shop to learn to make money, to get a job, pass school/ honors/ etc.
Volunteers go to give back, get discounts ( wholesale ordering from catalogs help, imo )
But the struggle continues, ask Marx..
Bikes are kinda green, so ag may win 👷 🎅 🙈🙉🙊 🙀 🚲 🎂 🎁 🎄 🎭 🌍 🙌 💰 💸
typing impaired by device, so phlat. NB: BigBro monitors all, dude[tte].... BackusNaurForm forgotten. Lied to re: Del msgs. MailHoardersAnon* On Oct 13, 2014 9:41 AM, "Geoffrey Bercarich" <geoff.bercarich@gmail.com> wrote: > Volunteers should volunteer so many hours to provide for their yearly > membership dues. > > Times change > On Oct 13, 2014 9:23 AM, "sylvia crum" <yuleoolu@hotmail.com> wrote: > >> Our bike shop has never paid rent to the church that houses us, in our >> 12 years of existence. In an attempt to change that, we have just recently >> changed our membership scheme away from volunteer hours for membership to >> paid memberships. We're only charging $30/year (and they get a t-shirt). >> And we're getting lots of new members. But some of the guys who have been >> around for 3 or 4 years were previously told that they had membership for >> life due to their many volunteer hours. >> >> I don't want to discount what they've done for our shop in the past. But >> I am also attempting to change some of the culture of our shop, a culture >> that had become a bit of a boys' club where the old guys got to do exciting >> stuff like fix bikes and new members got to sort small parts. >> >> Any thoughts these free "members for life"? >> >> sylvia crum >> Revolutions Bicycle CoOp >> Memphis, TN >> >> ____________________________________ >> >> The ThinkTank mailing List >> <a href=" >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe >> from this list</a> >> >> >> > ____________________________________ > > The ThinkTank mailing List > <a href=" > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe > from this list</a> > > > ____________________________________ The ThinkTank mailing List <a href=" http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>
Wow, this is a tricky prickly matter and we've dealt with it here in other matters. We did what has been suggested, and it almost worked okay. There were a few of the old guard who pushed it and became problematic so it got a bit difficult as the "year credited for appreciation" came to a close. So here is what was done:
It got to a point where those that "claimed" to have been assured "lifetime" membership were asked to provide documentation of that claim. None could, it was claimed to have been verbal assurances after the fact. So they were told no documentation, no life time membership as there really was never any such offer that we could document or were aware of. There was nothing in the bylaws or otherwise either.
So the entire group was "grandfathered" into the new program/membership options: They all got one year of membership "free". For each 5 years they belonged (the organization were 12 and 17 years old) they could opt for either one additional year up to two full years of membership free or they could instead have a 50% discount on products (quantity purchases) or services (rentals and trips) for one additional year and a donation credited to the organization in their name based on their purchases and a donated portion of the discounts. Most opted for the discounts and donation luckily for us.
No matter what way you go, you won't please everyone all of the time.
Best of luck
-----Original Message----- From: Kevin Dwyer kevidwyer@gmail.com To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Mon, Oct 13, 2014 10:31 am Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Changing Membership rules
There are really only two things that people can contribute to an enterprise through their efforts: value and loyalty. Choosing to spend one's time over the years volunteering rather than... (loyalty), should be rewarded, as should current effort. Also, one should do their best to honor past agreements, but times change. How about crediting the loyalists a year and T-shirt for their past service, acknowledging that next year will be different?
On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 7:56 AM, DancesWithCars danceswithcars@gmail.com wrote:
Yewah, graduated work study. Not sure about grandfathering into the new scheme. If it's a coop, they have a say and a vote, but not sure paid staff/ exec Dir will agree. I prefer the Linus model to the Gates model. ( WiFi while traveling example , forgot the name, find box, Ia fontella ) Where it gets tricky is that kids go to shop to learn to make money, to get a job, pass school/ honors/ etc. Volunteers go to give back, get discounts ( wholesale ordering from catalogs help, imo ) But the struggle continues, ask Marx.. Bikes are kinda green, so ag may win
typing impaired by device, so phlat.
NB: BigBro monitors all, dude[tte]....
BackusNaurForm forgotten.
Lied to re: Del msgs. MailHoardersAnon*
On Oct 13, 2014 9:41 AM, "Geoffrey Bercarich" <geoff.bercarich@gmail.com> wrote:
Volunteers should volunteer so many hours to provide for their yearly membership dues.
Times change
On Oct 13, 2014 9:23 AM, "sylvia crum" <yuleoolu@hotmail.com> wrote:
Our bike shop has never paid rent to the church that houses us, in our 12 years of existence. In an attempt to change that, we have just recently changed our membership scheme away from volunteer hours for membership to paid memberships. We're only charging $30/year (and they get a t-shirt). And we're getting lots of new members. But some of the guys who have been around for 3 or 4 years were previously told that they had membership for life due to their many volunteer hours.
I don't want to discount what they've done for our shop in the past. But I am also attempting to change some of the culture of our shop, a culture that had become a bit of a boys' club where the old guys got to do exciting stuff like fix bikes and new members got to sort small parts.
Any thoughts these free "members for life"?
sylvia crum
Revolutions Bicycle CoOp
Memphis, TN
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Kevin Dwyer
The Bicycle Collective
Salt Lake City, Utah
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participants (5)
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DancesWithCars -
Geoffrey Bercarich -
Kevin Dwyer -
mfen651＠aol.com -
sylvia crum