by Beneficial Dictator » Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:09 pm
Yes I would quite like to know also, but we are stuck with it unless we were to unaffiliate as a club & that is not going to happen unless the majority of the club membership want it. Start a petition now! Call an E.G.M. No please don't.
All I can give as answer is that as I understand it ( & I don't really nor am I desperately interested ) the way British Athletics is funded is changing & it is having severe growing pains - again my personal opinion. Though we will now pay more money out as individuals we get a bit more money back as a club. I personally still consider our sport to be pretty cheap.
As an aside for the Fell Runners under the new system the FRA will get more money especially for national & international competition. This of course will not affect the very great majority of us one bit.
Back to the club membership fees & proposed increase I was hopefull it was clear there is no increase in money the club takes ( though I am hopeful we will get more of the levy back ).
The decision has been taken by the club committee that we wish to stay affiliated therefore we will pay the levy for all club members ( who are not social members, or officials or coaches only ) over the age of 11 yrs.
If anyone truely objects to the levy then I suggest you join the club as a social member only, then you will not pay it. Then you would have to run any track & field or road races as an Unattached runner. You then may have to pay the extra £2 unattached runner entry fee at that event. This of course does not currently apply to fell races ( or at least I have never done a fell race that has charged extra for unaffiliated runners).
This post was written in haste & has not been carefully crafted, it is my personal opinion. I appreciate the original post has been in written to be slightly provocative & of course I have risen to take the bait.
This levy increase issue was raised at the AGM by Phil Cheek & a similar membership option suggestion was highlighted to him.
I would personally rather fight for change from within an organisation rather than be a lone voice on the outside.
Craig Harwood.