Mail*Link(r) SMTP RE>That stupid surcharge
Tadhg writes:
<snip>
Unfortunately, I don't have the authority to do that--so I'm looking
for alternatives. While it's too late for this event, I wonder what
you would think of some alternative approaches:
1) Make event donation only--no surcharge is collected;
2) Make event donation and dinner fee--again, no surcharge;
3) Put a bucket out for non-member fees--they pay into bucket;
4) Establish a "typical Atlantian ratio" and write a check;
5) Just keep doing it the same old way--pay through the nose.
Greetings, all! Here in our little village of Anatevka (Caer Galen, actually),
we have done several of the above. We have had a couple of donation-only
events, which did very well -- just let people know in advance approximately
what it cost per person to throw the event. Mostly you break even that way,
which I think is the point of event fees, anyway. (You wanna raise money?
Ask for donations. Have a raffle (excuse me, karmic re-distribution of goods).
But don't overcharge your friends for food/Don's Johns.) Give folks credit.
Most people are willing to donate the right amount; peer/societal/etc.
pressure/
guilt is a wonderful thing -- collective behaviour and all that. Some will
even donate more, some less. But it usually works out in the end to break
even. (I have always liked Cariadocs model for events, anyway.)
Note, however, that NONE of these events were kingdom-level; they were
cosy <100 people type gatherings.
For Crown Tournament that we hosted here, the shire voted to front the money
for the newcomers -- we counted up how many non-members we had, and payed it
#004#out of our pockets. This worked very well, and is what we have decided to
do until the rule is revoked so that our newcomers will not be made to feel
unwelcome. (Non-members who aren't newcomers generally ante up for themselves
so as not to freeload.) After all, a group without newcomers is dead in the
water...why discourage them at the beginning? Why not have an oldtimer's tax
instead? Or a smoker's tax? Or a drinker's tax? Or... or... or...oh, what
other groups can we think of to oppress? (sorry, I'm getting carried away...
breathe, Wynn, breathe!)
I would say 1, 2 and 3 before 4 or 5.
branwynn