IMBA: Possible new direction for the MMBA

[dirt]

I didn't say money grab in a bad way? Nor did I say it was the only reason. Obviously I'd like my chapter to have more money to help fund the trails better. I don't see it as a bad thing at all.

It's clearer where you're coming from now, but I think "money grab", given it's definition, caused some confusion.

mon·ey grab
• n. inf. an undignified or unprincipled acquisition of a large sum of money with little effort.

[pfox90]

Poor choice of words on my part.

[dirt]

Poor choice of words on my part.

No prob, it's all clear now.

[Roy]

I confused by all the mo boo jumbo!
How will the dues be divided up with in the new organization?
Will the local chapters receive more $/member $, or less?
Will the dues go up?
I am guessing that the dues are going up and the chapters will be returned a smaller $ amount/member.
If I am wrong, sell it out!

Roy

[jonw9]

I confused by all the mo boo jumbo!
How will the dues be divided up with in the new organization?
Will the local chapters receive more $/member $, or less?
Will the dues go up?
I am guessing that the dues are going up and the chapters will be returned a smaller $ amount/member.
If I am wrong, sell it out!

Roy

[WishIcouldcatchmybreath]

I have a serious question. So what happens if half of the MMBA chapters choose to become IMBA chapters, and the other half do not? That would pull a lot of revenue out from under the statewide board, but would not remove the responsibilities......worst case scenario? Depending on which chapters chose to remain, and which chose to go over to IMBA, the budget could be seriously decimated.

[c0nsumer]

I have a serious question. So what happens if half of the MMBA chapters choose to become IMBA chapters, and the other half do not? That would pull a lot of revenue out from under the statewide board, but would not remove the responsibilities......worst case scenario? Depending on which chapters chose to remain, and which chose to go over to IMBA, the budget could be seriously decimated.

Decimated means removing 10% (deci, etc.). So, it'd be a lot worse than that. I personally think the organization as a whole will collapse.

Myself, I see moving to an IMBA club as both the best choice for the organization and one of the only options for long term survival. It'd also help to have a national organization with more clout. After all, the non-profit powerhouses (NRA, AARP, etc) don't succeed because they are a bunch small groups working independently towards the same goal.

[G.Cook]

Personally I believe once we get past this transition stage , and the hand wringing is done with , I see a stronger MMBA with more focus and purpose ( clout ? ) not only in Michigan but in other Midwest states .
Will there be problems ? Well *beep* yeah . Whats new . But those are just opportunities to make us stronger , aren't they ?

[c0nsumer]

Personally I believe once we get past this transition stage , and the hand wringing is done with , I see a stronger MMBA with more focus and purpose ( clout ? ) not only in Michigan but in other Midwest states .
Will there be problems ? Well *beep* yeah . Whats new . But those are just opportunities to make us stronger , aren't they ?

That's how I see it, and the problems are not insurmountable. Funding is the biggest one, but the renewed MMBA would have so much less overhead that it could be funded by simply a donation from it's members, eg: Michigan chapters of IMBA and other organizations who join (LMB, Copper Harbor, etc.). Then there'd be no need for running all the silly day to day business that's involved in managing a small corporation since all of that (membership, account maintenance, etc) would be abstracted away to IMBA. The MMBA would then just be left focusing on State-level advocacy. Isn't that what the MMBA's supposed to be about, after all?

[dirt]

I have a serious question. So what happens if half of the MMBA chapters choose to become IMBA chapters, and the other half do not? That would pull a lot of revenue out from under the statewide board, but would not remove the responsibilities......worst case scenario? Depending on which chapters chose to remain, and which chose to go over to IMBA, the budget could be seriously decimated.

That's one of the sticky points. To be honest, there is no firm answer at this point. One one hand, I'd like to see the decision be unanimous by all of the chapters. All for one, and one for all. Really, it's the right way for it to happen. But, if there was one or two chapter holdouts, should they be able to prevent the other chapters from going forward? In the state that org is in now, that may force us down a path that would NOT be the best option for the organizations future.

Honestly, I don't know if IMBA would accept individual chapters, knowing that it would be splitting the organization. They have every right to deny a chapter application, and they may, if it's not unanimous. Couple that with the fact that technically, the chapters don't have any assest currently (as all assest are legally under the states 501(c)3 status), and that the members technically belong to the MMBA, I don't know if a chapter would technically have any assest or members, if they were to try to go by themselves.

I've mulled this question around in my head, as one of the 'what if' scenarios. I'm not sure if it's a possible scenario, but I think anything other then all chapters going would be a mistake for everyone.

With July 2011 being the planned transition date at this point, that would mean that the chapters would have to seriously be moving forward with the process by late March/early April, knowing it's a 3 month process. I think at the state level, by end of March, each chapter has to clearly state if they are for or against the IMBA Chapter program, and make it clearly known to the other chapters if they are NO going to move forward and apply. If so other chapters don't waste volunteers time and efforts in the application process, only to find out a some point further down the road from IMBA some chapter(s) have not applied nor communicated with IMBA, and that puts brakes on the other chapters applications.

[dirt]

I have a serious question. So what happens if half of the MMBA chapters choose to become IMBA chapters, and the other half do not? That would pull a lot of revenue out from under the statewide board, but would not remove the responsibilities......worst case scenario? Depending on which chapters chose to remain, and which chose to go over to IMBA, the budget could be seriously decimated.

..and btw, good question, glad someone brought that up.

[G.Cook]

If a chapter decides to go alone wouldn't they conceivably run into the same constraints that the MMBA is presently up against ? I don't see the benefit in taking that route ?

[pfox90]

There really isn't a benefit. The evident future would show the chapter possibly collapsing without finding another solution. But if that solution was so easy to find I would think that action would have been taken before contemplation of joining with the IMBA.

[c0nsumer]

If a chapter decides to go alone wouldn't they conceivably run into the same constraints that the MMBA is presently up against ? I don't see the benefit in taking that route ?

There really isn't a benefit. The evident future would show the chapter possibly collapsing without finding another solution. But if that solution was so easy to find I would think that action would have been taken before contemplation of joining with the IMBA.

Exactly.

[nate.phelps]

I confused by all the mo boo jumbo!
How will the dues be divided up with in the new organization?
Will the local chapters receive more $/member $, or less?
Will the dues go up?
I am guessing that the dues are going up and the chapters will be returned a smaller $ amount/member.
If I am wrong, sell it out!

Roy

The dues for single and family stay the same and are divided 60/40.

So in summary, the dues stay the same and money back to the chapter increases, almost double.