Re: Entrance Fees

["James Purchase" <jpurch@interlog.com>]

Ya know, sometimes you just can't keep things under your thumb.... <g>

I know that I have asked that "new" items not be brought up until we have
finished with those already on the table, but the subject of Entrance Fees
has already been bandied about by several people and David Engle just made
some comments that I'd like to address immediately. As a preface to this,
please re-read Karen's recent posting about the nature of the AGA and my
last posting concerning several other Adjenda items.

The subject of Entrance Fees is tightly tied up with Adjenda Item C -
Endorsement/Backing.

A Web-based contest will have minimal costs associated with it, but there
might still be REAL COSTS. What we are now discussing has moved beyond being
just Web based to include submissions from non-Internet folks. There WILL be
associated costs, although I should think that they will still be
reasonable. But regardless of how little those costs are, they will be real,
and someone must foot the bill. My reasons for wanting AGA backing are not
for them to absorb the costs - go back over what I have written on this
subject and while you will see that I am a proponent of a no entry fee
policy in an ideal situation, I have stated that I can envision a small fee
of perhaps $5.00 per submission. I have also stated that I feel that if this
DOES become an AGA event then AGA members should have that fee waived, as a
"benefit of membership".

Now, onto what David has recently posted. I won't bother to quote him - his
post has just hit the system and should appear together with this one in the
digest and in your e-mail in-boxes shortly.

David, please don't take this as a flame, because it isn't - but why do you
think you should get a free ride? As I said above, there WILL be costs
associated with this contest. If the AGA does not pick up the entire tab or
even part of the tab, who do you think should? Me? Olga? Erik? Richard? I'm
absolutely flabbergasted that _anyone_ should think that they should be able
to get involved in something like this for nothing.

You intimations about the AGA I shall leave for Karen to address, as I hope
she does. Please re-read everything that Karen has posted concerning costs
and entrance fees - and she has mentioned them several times. From my
reading of what she has said, I get the distinct impression that she
strongly recommends that should we want AGA backing, we implement a small
entrace fee for non AGA enteries and no entry fee for AGA members.

I have stated repeatedly that I want this to me an AGA event - see my last
post.

We can agree to disagree, but as a dues paying member of the AGA, there is
no way I would sit still and allow non-members to "pick my pocket" and get a
free ride if they all have the attitude you display in your post. There
'ain't no free lunch on this bus.

Will this "entrance fee" discourage submissions? Some perhaps, but certainly
not the serious ones, and it is the serious ones we all really want to see.
As I said, I don't think that the entrance fee, if we go with one, has to be
very high - I suggested $5.00US per submission. We could, if we wanted to
cut deals, offer to register 3 for $10.00 (from the same person).

The alternative, if the group is ABSOLUTELY dead set against entrance fees,
yet still want to continue with the contest, would I suppose be to select
someone from the group, elect them as "Treasurer", and request that each and
every member of this committee send that person a certified check for say,
$50.00 US. The money would be held in trust by the "Treasurer" and doled out
to cover the costs of the contest as it moves along. Should the kitty be
exceeded, each member would be expected to forward another check. And of
course, at the end of the contest, an accounting would be made and any
balance remaining in the kitty could be refunded to the individual members.
In that way the general public would get their "free ride". Unfortunately
however, out indivdual costs would skyrocket.

Isn't it _nice_ being philanthropic? Gives one a really _good_ feeling
inside, doesn't it? Builds character.

The bottom line is, someone is going to have to pay. Now folks, before the
floodgates open on this, please READ everything that has been said about the
subject already. And REMEMBER THE ADJENDA!

James Purchase
Toronto