I agree with Phil Phillips that one of the major strengths of the MCG is its informality. For members to be able to organise free meetings - often with very high quality speakers and content - without the attendant drain of bureaucracy is an advantage that I would be sad to lose.
However, there is no doubt that this advantage puts pressure on the MCG Chair and the meeting organisers. During my time as Chair, the usual 'sticking point' in terms of organising meetings was the cost of copying and distributing newsletters. Other costs that have to be found include tea and coffee which (like photocopying and postage) was always much larger than I optimistically imagined.
In most cases, the host organisation very generously paid these and on several occasions commercial suppliers sponsored refreshments in return for table space to show their stuff during one of the breaks. Occasionally, though, the group has had to to charge a fairly small (£10-ish?) charge at the meeting to cover these costs. No-one ever complained, but . . . ??
There are possible advantages to charging:
1. Charging for meetings might avoid the perennial problem of people registering for meetings on the basis that they might be able to make it - and then being unable to come on the day. As space is often limited, this can be frustrating when someone else has had to be turned away due to lack of space.
2. A membership charge should encourage members to notify the group promptly if they change address or wish to be removed from the mailing list.
Set against both of these, though, is the significant cost in time and postage to collect charges. The group has previously taken the view that the income would be far outweighed by the administrative effort. In an ideal world, that effort would be shared between successive organisers of meetings, ie between members, without the need for further bureaucracy.
Perhaps the decision comes down to future organisers of meetings: how easy is it for them/you/us to absorb administrative costs? And how would a membership fee affect members: would anyone leave as a result?
The other issue is whether charging a fee will provide additional services. Or, more brutally, can the group continue to hold meetings and a newsletter without charging? Could the newsletter go on the web instead? Personally, I think it would be a shame if the newsletter was an 'optional extra' for some members.
Fiona Marshall
Fiona Marshall
Content Manager
COMPASS Project
British Museum
Tel. 0171-323 8901
Fax 0171-323 8730
>>> Sue Gordon <[log in to unmask]> 01/10 10:23 am >>>
Dear MCG members
Now you have had a chance to recover from the New Year celebrations
and got over the disappointment of not being called in to work on 1st Jan
to fix the Millennium Bug, it's time to think about the future of the
Museums
Computer Group.
The basic question is: Should the MCG charge a membership fee?
What do you think?
Sue Gordon
MCG Chair
[log in to unmask]
Visit the MCG web pages http://mcg.virtualave.net/
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