Now, I imagine that headline strikes fear in the hearts of many of our members – BUT, we haven’t had a dues increase since CRANE started in 1974!!!!! If you google the value of 15 dollars in to days economy, it would be the equivalent of $94 dollars! But, your CRANE Board is very cognizant of its’ members and would never make that increase, just something to help put this into perspective.
Per the by-laws and the standing rules of CRANE, the Board has the right to make an assessment of the dues yearly, and this year, the Board decided to increase the dues to $35.00.
I did a random sample of other state registry organizations, and $35.00 is equal to or lower than all the organizations I surveyed. So, still an incredible bargain when it comes to the high level of education available through your membership.
The discussion of the dues increase was discussed at the annual business meeting at this year’s conference. Members had a chance to voice their concerns, but at the end of the discussion, the general consensus in the room was the dues increase was a necessary one.
We are also looking into having a management company work with us, as the high quality of our conference increases every year. This should also increase the number of members agreeing to serve on the board of CRANE, if they felt that the tasks required of the Board Position would be supported by a team of management professionals. In the next newsletter, I will be submitting giving the rationale in detail for this proposal. The possibility of working with a management company was also a factor in the Board’s decision to increase the dues.
Any questions, please feel free to contact anyone on the board.