Membership fee debate - Thank You.

Gareth Wales · Post by **Gareth Wales** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:07 pm

I have a neice who is a QC who has specialised in public liability and this sort of thing. I note the LandRover case etc, but I also see a discenerning element. Anyway. Tom et al. is their a particularly salient point which I may have missed and which you'd like counsel's opinion.
Personally, I wouldn't joing any club that would havbe me as a member!

tom · Post by **tom** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:09 pm

Thank you Gareth. As we are all newcomers to this, it would, i think be useful if our current position were to be explained so that an opinion could be gained to find out what, if anything we are letting ourselves in for. I have no problem with a package of membership card and sticker. It may help members to secure insurance discounts, for example, were we to do so but I feel that the forum should be open and free for all. The formation of a limited company requires us to have a share capital of £100 which should be covered by subscription, say £1 share for each of the first 100 founding members. As for what you get, access to social events would be the primary benefit, followed by the knowledge that our website is funded so that it may remain in operation.
We will not become like the CCC, there is no need for that but it is difficult in an open forum to deny information to those who seek it so there are limits to the benefits we could offer. For what it is worth, I found that the £35 I spent last year on CCC membership brought me no benefit whatsoever.

Gareth Wales · Post by **Gareth Wales** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:31 pm

Thank you Tom: I'll pass it on, appropriately,
Gareth

Mr B · Post by **Mr B** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 4:49 pm

Marty wrote:Or alternativly we could avoid the issue of Liability etc by just keping it as it is? Or perhaps that is too simple?

I agree. This is only a bit of fun, strikes me as getting far too serious.........

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 6:28 pm

Is this a problem because of the size of the membership?

I had posted earlier about how many members we actually have. I know the figure reads 100 and something but I'd be suprised if it's realy more than 30-40. Many people sign on just to make a post about selling or buying something then are never heard of again.
This can be seen by the number of members with just one or two postings.

If we charge even a nominal membership fee, well soon see how many members there are.

I personally have no objection to a fee, as I certainly get my moneys worth out of this (so does AOL) but I would abide by the decision of the administrators in how they see it, because it's them who may have something to loose.

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 6:48 pm

I agree, if it ever stops being a bit of fun, then what's the point? Please, take the following in the spirit it is intended - it's purely my point of view and a suggestion that is fully open to debate:

As I see it: For the £5 (or more?) annual fee you get a Starter Pack, get listed on the BXClub BX Register, have access to the website's member pages, place a pic of your car on the Gallery section, can park on the club stand at shows, have access to the club's 'tool pool', get discount motor insurance (maybe!)... And that'd be about it. From the revenue, the website could be redesigned to differentiate between visitor and member's areas, advertising/sponsorship could be explored to raise additional funds, the Forum could be looked at again with the possible view of separating out For Sale/Wanted into a Classifieds section, (where members could advertise for free) and would help fund entry to any relevant classic car shows, providing publicity material. Maybe every now and then there could be fund-raising activites, like a raffle (very WI! Sorry!)... Or win a restored BX - £50 a ticket!

Mr B · Post by **Mr B** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:36 pm

£5 buys what? If people want to meet up, they bung a post on the forum, you turn up, talk shop and go home. It's just a bunch of blokes meeting up on a Sunday, just like people do to watch a footy match and go for a pint afterwards. Do they feel the need to pay a fiver for the privilege?
You want to be part of BXclub.co.uk, fine. Register then post, it's that easy. You want to show public support, get a car sticker from Marty.

There never has been an issue of funding to run the website, and when that day comes (if ever) it can be addressed at the time.

£5 would bring no benefit to me whatsoever.

This isn't something to be run as a business, its for FUN and should stay that way.

sleepy0905 · Post by **sleepy0905** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:42 pm

I agree i would pay a fiver if i have to but i agree it could get far to serious.
No offence or insult meant to anyone.

Terry Brooks · Post by **Terry Brooks** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:42 pm

Hi All,if y' dont mind me chipping me 4penn'orth in as a newby ...
One other advantage of being a member of a Club [ie ..charging membership fees instead of just being a member of an internet based forum] could be that by having our cars on a register it would give the impression that we care about our cars. Now this could be an advantage should anyone have an accident and the insurance company decides the car is a write off. With BX's getting older now a fair percentage of them are at the "banger" stage and insurance companies usually "write off" older cars,it may be that by having some-one keeping all our cars details on a database and having some form of official proof that we do not just regard our cars as cheap transport but are enthusiast's it could just make the difference in having the car written of repaired.
Any thoughts anyone?
Terry
'92 TZD

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 8:05 pm

With regard to Mr. B's valid comments, there is a question, I guess of perception. Football clubs have supporters clubs - some charge for the privilage. In my mind the fee is irrelevant really, it is how you want this gathering of enthusiasts to be a). Served by the club (and, yes I think they are very well served at the moment - the Forum does a terrific job) and b) Perceived by prospective members and supporters.

I will duck out of this debate for the time being.

I've said my bit.

Long live the BX

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 8:17 pm

I agree I think its ok to charge £5 for membership as good advice and info doesn't always come free.

That said, I submitted my car to the gallery ages ago, heard nothing and it never appeared. Bit miffed as I put a bit of effort in to help expand the site, but hey ho.

tom · Post by **tom** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 8:50 pm

The fun stops when you are served with a writ from the widow. In these times, it is necessary to protect ourselves from forseeable circumstances.
The club exists. We hold informal meetings. If anything goes wrong, the lawyers would look for people to blame. I don't like it either, but that's the way it is. The more people we have, the more chance we have of some idiot buggering it all up. Remember Andyspares?

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 9:08 pm

tom wrote:The formation of a limited company requires us to have a share capital of £100

Not wishing to nit-pick, but you can start a limited company with £2 share capital. Many companies are started like this... (including the one I part own)

Even if you use a 3rd-party company to set up this new limited company, you can do it for under £40.

The total running cost for a limited company (including account filing fees etc) is at least £100 per annum, so there will need to be at least 20 members sign up before break-even. Although I'm sure there are at least 20 people who would sign up almost instantly (myself included)

tom · Post by **tom** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 10:32 pm

To have fun is part of the remit, sure, but the purpose of the club is to preserve the BX and support its owners. To think otherwise is to have missed the point. For the record, we have 54 members with ten or more postings, some overseas. This since May 2005. Even allowing for a slowdown due to the accretion of a critical mass of the party faithful, that will be over 100 by the end of next year, I'll bet. There are 35000 cars out there.

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:26 pm

I consider myself to be a good member of the club, i'm ready to assist others where i can, and i will help as best with provision of parts and knowledge to help other members. I personally believe that i put a lot into the club (wait im not being big headed), and i do it because i get one hell of a lot out of the club! If nothing else i would have ditched the car by now, but i love it. I consider myself lucky to have a hell of a lot of friends in here who also put as much into the club, and keep me sane!

However i don't feel that there is a requirement to pay to be a member, im not sure that i can add any more to the club by adding money. BUT I do want to make provision to make sure that the club will still be here at some future time, and i would like to contribute to the financial provision made by the starters of this wonderful resource! I certainly dont expect anything more from the club by donating money to the continuing running of the club!

Its just one more way of me being able to show my appreciation and say thank you!