Proposed new membership fees

[youngladdie]

[quote="ScottI strongly suspect that the people who can answer this are doing better things with their time than reading Nopesport. Perhaps try emailing them and asking?[/quote]


I have emailed them, and will let you know their reply...

[youngladdie]

They wanted to know why i wanted the information, and who I was!

[Spookster]

They wanted to know why i wanted the information, and who I was!

And when you told them who you were, then what did they say?

[Adrian]

I thought the latest Focus was pretty good. The previous one had been good too - far too good in fact, seemingly in unneeded competition with Compass Sport. But the new one is back to more of an in-house feel.

There is still the question of expense. A lot of what's in Focus could be presented to the membership much more cheaply on the Web, so I think some of the energy that goes into the mag should be transferred webwards.

[Adrian]

I'm not sure that "raising the bar" and the Whole Sports Plan are compatible. Reading the recommendations on how to get newcomers into the sport (you know - don't introduce them to proper orienteering too soon etc) I actually wondered if I was reading about a different sport to orienteering - especially with the accompanying picture of people lying on the floor of a sports hall. where is the adventure, challenge and excitement that keeps most people orienteering - and yes I have plenty actual proof that is what newcomers want - for themselves - and their children - the antidote to cotton wool culture - which we have in perfectly formed spade fulls - the recipe to produce free range kids. I'm not sure that people who need to meet the same group of coaches at the same place for 35 weeks are going to be able to cope with the rigours of orienteering. How am i meant to buy into the vision and give my time to support it when it is almost the anti-thesis of what I believe and know to work - the only bit I can put my hand on my heart and say i support is the concept of satellite clubs - and i know a bit about that too!

This is interesting, Lynden. I did the new level 1 coaching course before Xmas and we were clearly educated in the various steps young children should undertake on their way into orienteering. After Xmas, when a primary head wrote to me about opportunities to take her school's children orienteering, I found myself suddenly wearing two hats. The old one "these are the events, come to any of them, let us know and we can advise and/or coach the kids" and the new one "before they come out into the wood it's a good idea if they do some school-based activities, followed by some school-based races, in order that they blah-de-blah..."

I thought at the time I ought to have a chat with Hilary about my new split personality.

[Mrs H]

Yes but the worrying thing is - I don't think this approach is meant to be confined to children. It seems very close to the version of orienteering which is delivered as part of the school curriculum (which my children assure me is an embarrassment and to which their friends askin scorn and disbelief:"Is this really what you spend your spare time doing?") which i doubt has ever encouraged anyone to take up the sport - as opposed to the "Proper orienteering" which school club orienteering and school outdoors trips deliver - which will have had some successes over the years.

Given that MH says at the start - if you've been doing the same old things for years with out any results then try something else - it seems very strange that BOF should be suggesting we extend this uninspiring and unsuccessful philosophy out of the schools and into the general community.

[Nottinghamshire outlaw]

Ask the 35+ people (alomost all 'new' to orienteering) who go to the weekly Buxton satellite club or the 50 who attend the SROC weekly sessions (including some new people) what they like about what is going on - it must be good if they keep coming!

Orienteering as we know it (turn up, run, go home again) isn't dead and no-one is suggesting that the 'forest' version (great terrain, map challenges etc) should or will be killed off but the weekly 'activity' club with its sociable atmosphere (including the cafe) seems to be working better at bringing in more new participants and perhaps also rejuvenating some clubs.

[youngladdie]

This is the information received from the British Orienteering Office regarding the production costs of 'Focus':

I have worked out the price for the last four editions (Summer 2008 - Spring 2009)

The prices below include design, printing, envelopes and postage costs. Obviously the cost varies depending on the page count, quantity and the weight of the mailing.

Summer 2008

Total per family unit = £1.43

Total per National Member (based on 8700) = £0.87

Autumn 2008

Total per family unit = £1.54

Total per National Member (based on 8700) = £0.94

Winter 2008/9

Total per family unit = £1.52

Total per National Member (based on 8700) = £0.91

Spring 2009

Total per family unit = £1.39

Total per National Member (based on 8700) = £0.76

Total Cost for One Year

Total per family unit = £5.88 per year
Total per National Member (based on 8700) = £3.48 per year

[LostAgain]

How do you arrive at a calculation which gives a different cost for a family Unit Vs a National member?

We as a family only receive 1 copy. Therefore the production costs should be the same as a national member?

The cost of the magazine should be the same whomever it is sent to, unless you incur extra postage (Foreign addresses).

[EddieH]

I don't understand the "per family unit" bit.

IF I can understand it the cost is 9700 times £3.48 which is over £30,000 per year.

I am no economist, but to me that seems a lot of money for what it is likely to achieve, when the same information could be imparted far cheaper.

[roadrunner]

How do you arrive at a calculation which gives a different cost for a family Unit Vs a National member?

We as a family only receive 1 copy. Therefore the production costs should be the same as a national member?

The cost of the magazine should be the same whomever it is sent to, unless you incur extra postage (Foreign addresses).

Surely what they're saying is:

Production cost = x
No. of family units = y
So production cost/family unit = x/y

No. of national members = z
So production cost/national member = x/z

I agree the latter isn't very useful, since national members don't pay separately (nor get separate issues of Focus) if they're in the same family unit.