The Committee met on April 13 to consider the feedback from the Membership Forum held in March.
The key directions to come out of the forum were:
- Membership categories to be rationalised
- Membership fees to be levied more fairly across all people who use club facilities
- Membership fee to be minimised to encourage new members even if they don't own a boat
- Membership fee to reflect a fair price for access and use of general club facilities and the right to vote on club matters
- Boat registration fees to reflect a fair price for use of club facilities related to boating activities. For power boaters and trailerable yacht owners this is tractors, launch infrastructure, yard space for trailers. For dinghy sailors this is rescue boats and race management equipment
- Storage fees to reflect a fair price for use of the finite space we have in the yard
Principles that have been embraced in the proposed new structure are:
- Abolish couple and partner membership categories - all users of club facilities to be recognised as members, although family membership should be retained
- Membership fee does not distinguish between fishermen, social members, yachties - we are all members
- Memberships owning multiple boats should only pay a registration their principle boat
- Reduce or abolish the joining fee to encourage new members
- All participants in sail training courses offered will need to join the club as members or paid guests (unless they are members of other Western Port yacht clubs)
- Access keys to be provided only as required by members at an additional cost to membership.
The fee ranges being considered are as follows:
Membership Fees:
- Ordinary Member $100 - $150
- Senior Member (65+) 70% of ordinary member fee
- Youth Member (18 – 24) 70% of ordinary member fee
- Junior Member (7 - 17) 50% of ordinary member fee (no vote)
- Family Membership 200 - 350% of ordinary member fee (couple in legally recognized relationship + dependents under the age of 25 – couple each have a vote)
Boat Registration: (only one registration fee payable per membership regardless of number of boats – fee payable is for highest cost boat registered)
- Power Boat $200 - $275
- Trailerable Yacht $200 - $275
- Off the Beach Yacht $100 - $175
- Sail Board / Kite Board $25 - $75
- Tender $25 - $75
Storage Fees:
- Trailerable Yacht $250 - $350
- Catamaran Yacht $200 - $325
- Off the Beach Yacht $200 - $300
- Optimist Dinghy $125 - $225
Rejoining fee (resigned member returning) up to $150
Key fee $50 - $100 (50% refund if returned no later than 1 month after resignation)
Next steps
The Treasurer and Membership Secretary are completing impact analysis and will shortly make a recommendation on exact fees for each categroy for season 2014-15. This will be presented at the AGM for discussion and the committee will finalise shortly after the AGM based on feedback received. In the meantime feedback on the new structure is most welcome, please contact any member of the commiittee.
Last Modified on 18/04/2014 08:10