Another part of the Club Budget is OPERATIONS which includes the dues you pay to Rotary International and District 5300, and our “Obligations to RI and the District:” These include attendance by our president at the Rotary International Convention and District Conference, attendance by our President Elect at the “President Elect Training” (PETS) session, attendance by your Board at the District Assembly, etc.  It also includes the cost of our Rotary Office including rent plus salary and benefits of our part time secretary, Barbara.  Also included are the “Club Service” budget items including Membership Development, Programs and Marketing.

  1.  While we kept our number of members at the same level we had at the beginning of the year, we are one of only 4 clubs in the district that did not lose members this year.
  2.  Our Accounts Receivable has grown substantially.  Members are taking longer to pay, or, in a few cases, not paying at all. Traditionally, all of your expenses of membership have been added to your quarterly bill. This creates a problem in certain circumstances. A large percentage of our current Accounts Receivable at present are items purchased by members during the Pot of Gold Auction. In many cases the Club paid for items at the time they were sold, and we don’t collect until sometime in the future. I’m going to recommend that any purchase from the club including Auction Items be charged to the member’s credit card or he/she can write a check at the time of purchase.  This is common at Charity Auctions.

Here are a few  POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: Here are some things being explored by your Board

  1. Relocate the Rotary Office to less expensive space and ultimately create a “Virtual Office”
  2. Require Auction Items and, perhaps, Pot of Gold raffle tickets to be paid by check or charged to credit cards. (1/2 of the total Pot of Gold Revenue is paid out in cash at the event)
  3.  Charge a 1% service fee for each month dues are unpaid after 30 days. Require members who are more than 90 Days past due to go onto a “Cash” basis.
  4.  Increase the Quarterly Dues only after all other avenues have been explored.

Your Comments and suggestions are welcome

Thanks

Your soon to be Treasurer, Frank Hall