Hi All,
By now I'm guessing you've all seen the new dues for the 2008 year. Yep, international increased their dues by 15%, then added the chapter and SIG dues on top of that for $25 and $10 respectively. They've eliminated the limited membership for next year, but created a couple of packages that will save you a little money. I've heard many of you say that at those prices you just can't afford to remain a member. I'd love to hear more thoughts from Montana members. I can assure you that your concerns about the jump in cost represent the concerns of many members beyond STC Montana. Have questions about the new process? Let me know.
Thanks,
Lori
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4 comments:
It does seem somewhat unfair for little chapters like us. I think I've convinced my company to pay for my membership, but I still wish there was some provision for the little guys.
There has been quite a bit of chatter about the dues hike from the members of the Academic List Serve, who feel somewhat left out of STC in general. It sounds like many of them do not plan to renew their membership. I agree with their comments that I haven't seen a pay hike of 15% in 23 years of working at the same company.
On the other hand, I have found that the more you participate in STC, the more you get out of your membership. I haven't met a lot of members face to face, but through phone conversations, SIG list serves, Webinars, and e-mail, I have benefitted in many ways. But the greatest benefit has been serving as an officer in STC Montana and getting to know the members at our local level. You can't put a price tag on that. I can honestly say that I have made lifelong friends through STC Montana.
Now that Janie has characteristically staked out both sides of the discussion, I will characteristically add that if Janie's in, count me in too.
Now that my teenagers tell me I'm middle-aged, maintaining all of you wonderful people as lifelong friends doesn't seem like so much of a long-term commitment.
The connections - for me - are the most valuable benefit of the membership. As you know, I'm off in another solar system when it comes to technical comm. I always debate when it comes time to renew my membership, but the MT chapter has proven to be a good investment for me. Since I'm an independent contractor, I appreciate knowing there are other people out there like me, who are trying to bring clarity and usability to the world.
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