National/Wing Membership Dues Calculations?

[RADIOMAN015]

Looking at:
http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/membership_dues.cfm There seems to be a wide disparity in dues paid in various wings, regions.

CA wing seems to be the highest for new and renewing members.

Does anyone know what the methodology is that determines what the membership dues will be each year

Should everyone be paying the same amount nationwide
RM

[ßτε]

Each Region and each Wing determine the additional dues it needs and lets NHQ know the amount. If there is a change, NHQ is notified and the new dues are updated annually on Oct 1 each year.

[Eclipse]

Should everyone be paying the same amount nationwide?

No.

[a2capt]

Each Region, Wing, Group, and Unit - can attach amounts to members annual dues, likewise members have the option of paying extra at the same time and designating those funds' destination.

You really should get out more. There's a lot more than the seemed sheltered life you have at Westover.

[SarDragon]

The baseline amount is $35. Look at each region's amount - subtract $35, and that's the amount added on by the region. Subtract the region amount from the state amount, and you have the state add-on.

[ZigZag911]

I've often wondered why the dues aren't the same nationwide; most national organizations are run that way.

[jimmydeanno]

I think it's bad policy to allow each wing/region to determine their own dues.  What is CAWG doing that NHWG isn't?  What do those members get from their dues (that are about three times more) that other members aren't?  If we are all running the same program, shouldn't the price be the same? 

[Eclipse]

If we are all running the same program, shouldn't the price be the same?

Each wing may be using the same curriculum, but there's plenty of evidence just from this forum that they aren't all running the same "program".

NHWG's scale and scope are not the same as CAWG, for starters, and unlike individual activities, the per-person "cost" of these programs
are not necessarily linear.

[SarDragon]

I think it's bad policy to allow each wing/region to determine their own dues.  What is CAWG doing that NHWG isn't?  What do those members get from their dues (that are about three times more) that other members aren't?  If we are all running the same program, shouldn't the price be the same?

My group in CAWG, Group 7, comprising LA, Orange, and San Diego counties, has an area, and CAP population, greater than all of NH.  There are six more in the wing.

The cost of living is higher here. The cost of doing wing business business is higher.

Is our program better? Maybe. We have a huge, kick-ass encampment every year (300+ attending). We have a glider program. We have a top five ES program. All of this bears a financial burden.

YMMV.

[FW]

Last time I worried about such things, National dues were $35, Region dues were $8 and, Wing dues varied for each state.  Also, some groups and squadrons had dues to deal with. 
The National Board decides/approves dues at all levels from Wing up.  Each wing is different.  Some get funding from their respective states; some get other forms of "in kind" services.  Then, some get nothing except what they get from donations and dues.  Some wings have deeper involvment with their state EMA's and/or National Guard which, thru MOU's, get reimbursements. The variables are considerable. 

Of course, on top of this, members must pay for many other "priviiliges" of membership...  Welcome to CAP...

[jimmydeanno]

I think it's bad policy to allow each wing/region to determine their own dues.  What is CAWG doing that NHWG isn't?  What do those members get from their dues (that are about three times more) that other members aren't?  If we are all running the same program, shouldn't the price be the same?

My group in CAWG, Group 7, comprising LA, Orange, and San Diego counties, has an area, and CAP population, greater than all of NH.  There are six more in the wing.

The cost of living is higher here. The cost of doing wing business business is higher.

Is our program better? Maybe. We have a huge, kick-ass encampment every year (300+ attending). We have a glider program. We have a top five ES program. All of this bears a financial burden.

YMMV.

Doesn't that just mean that the increased membership that you have from that area would compensate for the difference through their dues, just like NH does?  Just because you have more membership doesn't mean that the cost per person goes up.  That's like saying that a concert with 300 seats should sell tickets at $10 and one with 30K seats should be $300.

Aren't activities like encampment self-supporting (i.e. attendees paying the costs of running it?)  Don't the pilots pay the hourly rate on the plane for unfunded missions?  It just seems a bit off base to me that other wings can run just as successful a program at half the cost.

I just think it looks bad for our organization that some can be members for $26/year and others have to pay $79.  So, if California wants to build some super-awesome wing headquarters building out of marble, does that give them the right to charge their members $1000/year?

[a2capt]

^^^

vvv

Each wing is different.  Some get funding from their respective states; some get other forms of "in kind" services.  Then, some get nothing except what they get from donations and dues.  Some wings have deeper involvment with their state EMA's and/or National Guard which, thru MOU's, get reimbursements. The variables are considerable.

Not much we can do about this .. but some of you do get funding from the state, others do not.

[SARDOC]

If we are all running the same program, shouldn't the price be the same?

Some Wings get money from different sources.  For Example my Wing gets funding from the state legislature to help us with ES training.  So the program is not exactly the same in every state.  Some wings may not get as much money for ES funding and need to supplement with membership dues.  Just one of many different possible examples.

[RiverAux]

Wings with strong state support may not need as high as dues to carry out their activities as Wings that get nothing or have their state funds restricted towards certain programs. 

Keep in mind that squadron dues aren't even in those amounts and they can be proportionally very high. 

[JeffDG]

Should everyone be paying the same amount nationwide
RM

No.

I will never understand this idea that everything has to be the same regardless of where you are in the country.  This is a wide and diverse country, and different areas have different requirements and levels of support.  That's a reality that no amount of wishing everyone were the same can change.

Sometimes things are just more local, because circumstances are local not national.