At 10:12 PM 11/1/97 -0500, you wrote:
>In a message dated 97-11-01 18:35:08 EST, larryp@wam.umd.edu writes:
>
><< I have read the TAC stuff for a long time and now its come's out, and
> very clearly.
>
> > STOA is in competition with other Sunbeam clubs for a limited number of
>members, nationally and internationally. This is our program and one of our
>products to attract membership.
> > Tom Hall
>
> So much for keeping the Tiger's on the road, sharing info, and all the
> other good stuff of clubs.
>
> Tom, I know you have been a big contributor to the Tiger marque, with
> tech info, and more that I do not even know, but come on!
>
> This is so much, Boy, I do not want to be negative, But come on! I
> know of some of your contributions from reading past articles, and
> Wally Swift, who speaks highly of your contribution. BUT!
>
> While this may be emotional for the contributors of STOA, it look very
> bad and self centered.
>
> With this attitude, I can not see the benifit of joining your club.
>
> Larry
>
> PS I have only have a Tiger since 1978, and have only posted or
> written 6 tech articles. I am not a major tech contriburtor as you
> are, and very much appreciate your volentary contribution.
> >>
>
>This is no different from CAT selling their repro parts to members only.
>Cat sells parts to boost membership.
>STOA does TAC for the same reason, I think equally beneficial to the marque.
>
>Bruce McGuire
>
>
I'm sure all the clubs do things to attract membership. The essential
difference here is that C.A.T. does wholesale their parts to any
Tiger parts reseller, so people don't actually have to join C.A.T.
to obtain the parts.
Actually, I'm not sure what the big deal is about having a lot of
members. As I look at the C.A.T. income & expenses, we've always
spent the bulk of the income on Tiger Tales. Our membership dues
are $25, and each issue of Tiger Tales costs a little more than
one dollar to print, and $0.55 to mail. Add it up, include one
or two color issues and the annual roster issue and I don't think
that we make very much on each member. On the other hand, we
haven't raised the membership dues since 1983!
If we were to organize Tiger members from scratch, I'd prefer to
see more of a loose confederation, with most information, articles,
and calendar of events published on a home page. Local groups
could then get together for local activities. This way the clubs
wouldn't have to go through all the hard work of producing monthly
magazines, and we could just get together and have fun as we choose.
What a concept! Probably never happen, since all the clubs have
too much intellectual and emotional investment in creating what
currently exists. And of course, I have to realize that the vast
majority of Tiger owners still aren't electrically connected.
Bob Norton
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