Advertising events under new membership scheme

[HOCOLITE]

A point of note organisers want to be sure the fees are clear. Other half was browsing BOF fixtures looking forward for events next year. On one date he found one 1 hour away out of region and one 2 hours away in region and saw £7.00 for one in region and £3.00 for one outside (both same type and level of event).He shouted a few expletives then found the lower rate for BOF members in small print. Needless to say it was still more for the event within our region than the one closer but outside the region. Looks likeclub loyalties might be tested

[roadrunner]

I agree - and I think one thing we should standardise on is whether BOF members get a discount, or non-members pay a surcharge. Looking at the fixtures list, those (very few!) events that make any mention of this tend to have a non-member surcharge, whereas the BOF updates talk of a discount for members. Personally, while I think the former is better (after all, most people entering will be members), I think consistency is the most important thing.

[Red Adder]

I strongly believe that we should advertise the full price of entry, with a note that BOF members are eligble for a discount. As a non-member I'd be peeved to see something advertised at £ 5 and then told that there was a surcharge and had to pay £7. I don't think I would be back. However, if I enjoyed the experience and was told I could in future could pay less if I joined in I would be far more inclined to return, and become a member. Its also surely a lot easier and confrontational for helpers on registration to ask everone for the full fee and then apply discount when someone proffers their discout card.

As an aside I can see several events for next year advertising the 3 1 differential still.

[roadrunner]

Of course, you can do the whole thing in a balanced way, without mentioning surcharges or discounts, as in a lot of road races:

Entry fee: BOF members £5, non-members £7

It gets hard with the new system, though, because BOF Local members from another region pay the non-member rate.

[HOCOLITE]

:

Entry fee: BOF members £5, non-members £7
If displayed like this its clear but it certainly wasn't in the ones hubby was looking at.
It gets hard with the new system, though, because BOF Local members from another region pay the non-member rate.

We should obviously be pushing full membership to those living on regional borders then but for those in the middle they can stay local members until they are bitten by the bug

[johnloguk]

It's madness, we should all be BOF members, no sub-divisions, no multiple choice options, no long queues and fights at registration while people get maps out to show where they live, no "regional borders", just BOF and non-BOF. Show your card to get the cheaper rate, no card pays more.

But then we all supposedly voted for this complicated "let's satisfy everyone" solution, and now we're going to have something far more complicated than we had before. Like I said its madness, but I also said ages ago that I would abide by whatever was voted on so I'd better shut up before another very long thread get's started

[roadrunner]

We should obviously be pushing full membership to those living on regional borders then but for those in the middle they can stay local members until they are bitten by the bug

This is an interesting point in my area, in that a neighbouring club (SN) is in two regions, so it isn't clear which events their local BOF members can get the discount at, and conversely which region's local BOF members get discounts at their events!

BOF have been informed about this (they apparently were unaware that there are clubs that are in two regions), I'm still waiting for the answer.

[RJ]

Actually it seems sensible to use the level of event as the criteria. C4s, or District events should give the reduced fee to any BOF member regardless of full/local. Folk aren't going to travel all that far for a District event, so regional boundaries would seem to be an unfair way of deciding an entry fee. If you just happen to be on holiday in the far end of the country from where you live it seems unfair to be penalised for attending the local colour coded event!

With the C3, or regional event, entry should be for full BOF members and then an allowance for those BOF local members within that region. The fee structure should encourage the full membership level for competition at C3 and above.

[awk]

It's madness, we should all be BOF members.....But then we all supposedly voted for this complicated "let's satisfy everyone" solution

More than one now ex-employee of BOF strongly advised Federation officials to take a completely different approach to that presented to the membership. Amongst other things, given what a difference the new scheme is going to make to the 'public' cost of orienteering, I'm anything but convinced of its long term benefits.

BOF have been informed about this (they apparently were unaware that there are clubs that are in two regions), I'm still waiting for the answer.

I can't understand why BOF should be unaware; it was one of the issues discussed in BOF committees even the earliest days of this debate (some 5 years or so ago) - I was there. There was no satisfactory solution then mind you, at least within the framework of this proposal.

[Oldman]

Actually it seems sensible to use the level of event as the criteria. C4s, or District events should give the reduced fee to any BOF member regardless of full/local. Folk aren't going to travel all that far for a District event, so regional boundaries would seem to be an unfair way of deciding an entry fee. If you just happen to be on holiday in the far end of the country from where you live it seems unfair to be penalised for attending the local colour coded event!

With the C3, or regional event, entry should be for full BOF members and then an allowance for those BOF local members within that region. The fee structure should encourage the full membership level for competition at C3 and above.

RJ, for once I disagree with you. The membership democratically voted for the new system (albeit only a few exercising their right to vote, but the voting was overwhelmingly for the proposal), so it should be implemented properly by all Clubs.

Allowing local members the discount outside their region dilutes the benefits for National members, resulting in far fewer of them, with consequent financial problems.

Leave well alone and let it run for year, then we can see what should next be done.

[Simon E]

The membership democratically voted for the new system (albeit only a few exercising their right to vote, but the voting was overwhelmingly for the proposal), so it should be implemented properly by all Clubs.

The membership voted for a concept, with crossed fingers that something could be made to work. The AGM minutes on the BOF web site state that "There was then a discussion about the administrative implications of this proposal, it was stated that people were voting on the principle of the proposal."

This had to be the case since so little of the real detail was resolved at that point. I sent a long list of questions to BOF before the AGM, which included the cross-Association clubs problem that they now claim to be unaware of. (You can tell I'm not in a good mood: I've slipped into calling BOF "they".)

Allowing local members the discount outside their region dilutes the benefits for National members, resulting in far fewer of them, with consequent financial problems.

That may or may not be true, but it does seem a much more rational distinction between levels of membership and would be an awful lot easier to implement (and to explain to people). You'll find I proposed it on nopesport in April as a solution to the postcode lottery problem. Too late now unfortunately.

[Gross]

just BOF and non-BOF. Show your card to get the cheaper rate, no card pays more.

And those members of overseas Federations??? Where do they fit in???

[Godders]

just BOF and non-BOF. Show your card to get the cheaper rate, no card pays more.

And those members of overseas Federations??? Where do they fit in???

This is a local sport for local people

[johnloguk]

Personally I think that if someone is a member of a foreign federation they should pay the lower rate. I have no problem with that, they have paid their dues to our wonderful sport in their own countries. People who don't pay those dues should pay extra, then they have an incentive to join their national federation and put something back into the sport. I just baulk at all this national/local BOF member, even local club only membership is now an option again, people are arguing over borders of regions, it could all have been avoided.

I'm also a member of the Campaign for Real Ale but I didn't have the option of just joining my local branch. I joined the national organisation, it is the only option, and no one moans about it. I get into beer festivals cheaper than non-members, you just show your card, no arguments about what level of membership I hold or whether I am from outside the region. Why do orienteers have to complicate everything?

[Mark T]

This is my first post so be gentle with me! I did say I would never say anything controversial on Nopesport but I feel so strongly about this I had to say something. I have been orienteering for 30 years now and enjoy it as much today as I did when I first started, however what BOF are doing with the 2007 membership scheme is a joke. I for one will not be joining such a crazy scheme, it’s complete and utter madness. Who on earth is going to pay £7 for a run at a colour coded event when the maps cost less than 50p to produce? I have run at events this year on a five colour pre printed map using SI punching and paid £1, now that is value for money. I have also been to events such as WCH badge event and refused to pay the £9 entry fee, £10 EOD!! These clubs are just making huge profits and should be named and shamed. Is this the way to attract new members to the sport? I seriously doubt it. Whoever the six people are that voted for this pathetic scheme should be thrown out of BOF! I agree with jonlogUK we all should be BOF members but first of all BOF need to get a grip. How about a standard fee across all clubs of say £3/£1 colour coded and £5/£2 badge/National for BOF members then add the £2 on top if you really must. Still don’t think it will make people join more like put them off forever. I also have to agree with Mrs H in CompassSport in her letter about event fees, the O world is going mad!

If you’re wondering how much the British and JK will be this year just add £1 to last years entry fee, that seems to be the norm, so £14 for BOC and £13 for JK. (Let’s see if I am right?) Come on BOF prove me wrong, make me want to join BOF rather than loose another family to orienteering.

Clubs charging £5 + for a colour coded who should be named and shamed include WCH, OD (includes emit hire), DVO, POTOC, LEI, WIM, CHIG and BOK.

Clubs charging £4 (slightly more acceptable fees) include SROC, CLARO, SOS, GRAMP, MAROC, SYO, SBOC, NOC, HALO, INVOC, DEE, NATO and TAY.

Two clubs NOR £3 and NN £3.50 are the cheapest in the country, well done to both lets see if other clubs can follow there lead. These figures are based on the current fixtures list up to December.