Memo to: 	Unit 183 Membership
From:		Byron Taylor
Date:		8 September 2008
Subject:	New Entry Fee Rate

Effective 1 October 2008 entry fees will increase from $5.00 to $7.00 for regular games.  
Charity games and games with extraordinary ACBL fees will continue to be adjusted as they are in today’s environment.

“Why is this happening?” is the obvious question.  The answer is just as obvious.  
“We have been operating at a deficit for at least twelve consecutive months.  

Those of you who review our financial statements on a regular basis may think 
“Why are we increasing fees when we have plenty of money?”  
The answer to that potential question is a little more difficult to answer.
1.	We can’t operate at a deficit indefinitely.
2.	It would be foolhardy to squander the safety net left to us by those who came before us.
3.	We need to take a closer look at things we can do to bring revenue in line with costs.
a.	Raising fees is the least attractive and most immediately effective.
b.	Increasing table count would be helpful.
c.	Identifying and taking effective cost cutting measures will yield some benefit.

By now you may be thinking “How does this increase in fees affect the bottom line?”  
The unit is the beneficiary of the entire increase in revenue.  The directors are not getting a raise.  
Does this bother you?  It bothers me as they are just as adversely affected by inflation as the rest of us.
1.	How would you feel about increasing the fees to $7.50 or $8.00 so that our directors can get a raise?  
2.	Do you have any cost cutting suggestions?
3.	How do you feel about reducing the director’s burden of providing snacks?
4.	If we significantly reduced the snacks to “finger foods” would you still come to our games?

The other board members and I are looking forward to receiving, evaluating and implementing your suggestions.