Yachting Queensland contacted us this afternoon requesting that we post the below..

18 September 2008

All YQ Member Clubs and Class Associations

PROPOSAL FOR THE FUTURE COLLECTION OF YACHTING QUEENSLAND MEMBERSHIP FEES

1. During the past five years Yachting Queensland (YQ) has reviewed and revised the manner in which affiliation and captation fees have been imposed and collected from Members. The State organisation has attempted to find a method which provides a fair and equitable level on all Members which does not have an adverse financial impact on the conduct of a Member’s method of operation.

Continue reading the letter here >>

Click here to view the Membership Proposal

interesting...

The problem is you are NEVER going to find a system that makes everyone happy!

It just isn't possible!

The biggest thing I'm worred about is that I will pay $175 to YQ, but the membership fee at my yacht club won't come down bya similar amount

I also worry about how YQ expects clubs to ensure that everyone who races in club racing events are all members? Say there are 10 or more yachts out on a Saturday race, how do you check that every single crew member has joined YQ? If they can't control that, then it's hard to justify paying $175 when you know that there are plenty of people out there with you sailing for free!


That's my 2 cents worth!

i've been thinking about this.

and its fucking ridiculous.

why can't it just stay how it is?

does yq just want more money???

Obviously "Bear" has not read the proposal in detail. My reading of the proposal is that finally those in charge of sailing in QLD are bringing the sport back to the sailors and the grass roots members. If "Bear" thginks that is rediculous then the future of the sport will go downhill. Also I am very surprised that Live Sail Die have allowed such language to be used on its public forum.

It would be interesting to compare the new proposal with the current fees. From memory the affiliation fees currently are not $175. The proposed fees on top of club fees would be an increase??

i think the current fees for YQ membership is $55 or thereabouts for racing membership for an adult (correct me if i'm wrong). Reading the new benefits in annex A, is it worth the extra $120?? But as Melissa said, the clubs would need to drop the old YQ fee off at the same time, which is a given i guess.

Do you need to purchase 3rd party cover from an insurance company as well as the liability cover(s) included in the new fee beakdown???

I bristled at this statement:


Our constitution has, for many years, had the objectives as being for the advancement of sailing and boating, and this hasn't changed. We are a club where now we have no real social members (since we have no social facilities, or even facilities per-se) and we have members whose participation with the club is via non-sailing but boating related activities.

As I understand from our last GM, the banding fees this year are higher than last year, yet we apparently have less members (go figure). The Club did not want to impose passing on banding fees to non sailing members (and never has passed on or imposed YQ fees to these members) so this meant a VERY small number were looking to be charged a substantial fee, for little to no perceived benefit apart from possibly the insurance benefits. Anyway we haven't resolved just what we are doing this year.

To me, this proposal is, as a user-pays system, probably about as fair as it can be for all. The amount being charged is also pretty reasonable and on par (or cheaper) compared to other sports.

If YQ was to disappear tomorrow... would anybody notice... or care

Skiffie - same story at our club.

I have a few thoughts but need to do some more research. But, basically YQ are heading in the right direction, but the numbers do not add up. Members are contrubuting towards $700,00 worth of expenses at $175 per member. That equates to 4000 members statewide. I think there are a lot more members in Qld than that. That does not take into account the affiliation fees the Clubs and CAssoc's are levied.

I thought the opposite - 4000 members statewide sounds too high. There are a lot more sailing club members than that, but how many of them actually race enough to fork out the $175? The twice a year crew members would probably walk away rather than pay up. RQ must be by far the biggest club in the state, but I'd be surprised if we had more than 400 or so regular racers. I'm sure they've done their sums though.

For what it's worth, I think the overall idea is good. As long as YQ have a good answer to the people asking "what's in it for me?", it should work. I think getting people to pay up in the first year based on promises of benefits is one thing - delivering those benefits so people will be happy to renew will be a much bigger challenge.

The proposal suggests things like free seminars, cheap courses, coaching, etc - all well and good as long as there are plenty of good seminars and courses on offer. At the moment, most of these events put on by YQ are aimed at race officials. With the new focus on sailors, what types of courses will they run? How widely spread will the 'free' coaching be? Mostly for youth in Olympic pathway classes, or for all comers?

Another question - would individual membership of YQ mean that you don't have to be a member of a club to race? NORs generally say that you have to be a member of an affiliated club to enter, but would YQ membership replace that?

I thought the report lead us to beleive that you would have to be both a member of an affiliated Class Assoc or Club AND a member of YQ.

As the "...peak body for all forms of boating, including power and sail, in Queensland", does YQ take membership fees from power boaters?

Ncik,



Good question......

I just did my course for my Queensland Recreational Boating license coz the engine in my little 25foot sailing yacht is above 6 HP. In a class of 12 I was the only one interested in sailing, and the teacher tried hard but it was clear the course is geared around power boaters and he was having to think hard to come up with relevant examples for me.

My point being that we as sailors are probably well outnumbered by the "stink boaters" which from a business point of view might be good for YQ if they do charge the power guys, but from our point if view do we want the peak "Yachting" body's position swamped by that of power boaters?

Well at the moment that organisation seems to be dominated by sailors so why aren't power boaters complaining? Because YQ doesn't really represent power boaters in practice, probably through lack of interest by power boaters more than anything...(except for that strange ad for megayacht crew work on the right side of the front page of the YQ website)

The questions to ask are:

1 - Is YQ representing us boaters/sailors.
2 - Is the compulsory fee value for money.

My answers:
1 - I don't know. Although there seems to be some discontent amongst the sailors and clubs which would indicate that YQ isn't representing boaters/sailors.
2 - $40 for the insurance with the silver card would be value for money if it is accessible. I hope that it is accessible if I need it one-day. I have had no need for the other benefits of the silver card.

That's one of the questions I have as well. I feel that if it is just going to be for the olympic classes/feeder classes this needs to be clarified on the final proposal, otherwise it is pretty misleading.

I'm not sure if I like this proposal idea or not, I haven't thought about it enough yet. However, I do think that it sounds like they are making sailing more expensive which may force people to leave and make it more of an exclusive sport.

The coaching question could be far better dealt with by offering clubs with major youth training initiatives and those willing to co-operate to set them up as joint ventures with discount rates. Having to pay for unaccessible training through YQ which will in all likelihood be limited to the tens of sailors, is a poor incentive.

My club pays its YQ annual subs (at its assigned banding level) from race fees and sponsor revenue - it's pretty much a break-even situation. This is a true user pays example. The members generally live with this as a fact of life even though they all struggle with the question of what they get from being a member.

Will they cheerfully cough up $175 for the listed benefits of being in YQ on top of club membership fees and everything else? I have my doubts.

It would do YQ no harm to stop suggesting that people don't understand the "benefits" they get from membership. It's annoying and a tad insulting. They should give people credit where it's due and recognise that just because some may have no interest in "elite" squads, for example, doesn't mean they don't understand the concept and purpose.

A national body for yachting (whether it's for racers only or for all sailors) has a place in the world but it has to represent all facets of the sport/pastime at a cost to members that represents good value.

I agree with Pop - keep the discussion clean and calm.

Argus

The discussion has been done, most clubs have gone public EXCEPT the big two: Southport and RQ who have been deafening in their silence. As a member of SYC I have heard nothing, no meetings of members, no referendum, no discussion. I don't know what is happening at RQ, but since, in my opinion RQ and YQ are almost indistinguishable these days, I can only guess. Make sure your Club sends their delegate to the meeting on the 29th, or organise a proxy now..

You have GOT to be kidding me. Clearly you don't know RQ as well as you think you do.

Just like everyone else, RQ will be at the meeting to work hard for the members for a fair outcome that isn't going to cost a fortune. RQ has banded together with other clubs on this one.

haha, read the following thread and you may change your mind...

http://livesaildie.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=171

hee hee, I remember well that thread. I was the Sailing Manager at SYC when we too were disaffiliated for a brief period for much the same dissent. Oh the shame of it all....

I am pleased to see the comments from RQ in their submission, but am a little surprised at the support for banding rather than capitation? For that matter, I had never even heard of a National banding plan? Anyhoo, its on the right track for now.

I still think the RQ-centric approach of YQ is unbalanced. My previous opinion stands.