Analysis of 2009-10 Dues

This evening, President Gary Stewart announced via e-mail the dues structure for Board 23 members for the 2009-10 season. The membership categories and dues are as follows:

Active Officiating and Provisional: $125
Dual Member: $68
Active Non-Officiating: $50

You should download the PDF of the 2009-10 membership form at http://www.iaabo23.org/ and complete the form and submit payment prior to Feb. 9 to avoid late submission fees.

Dues for each category were raised $10 over those of previous years by a unanimous vote of the Executive Committee, after a healthy discussion, at a meeting Jan. 24. Anytime a leadership body asks for more money from a membership body, a certain amount of hesitation usually follows. That's natural and appropriate -- it's your money, you should be hesitant to part with it.

I'll try to offer some perspective that will hopefully allay any concerns you may have and assure you that we acted in the best interests of Board 23 and its members. I am a dittohead that believes less government is more and am skeptical of any governmental body that grows so big -- operationally or financially -- it no longer represents those it was entrusted to. It's a given that membership dues cover required registration fees for organizations like IAABO and the MPSSAA, the latter of which is likely to increase by at least $4 per official for 2009-10. That is a cost to members that must be factored into the dues structure.

What's not always a given but no less important is what else membership dues cover. In the past, they may have covered certain operating expenses and the banquet. But over the years, Board 23 has undertaken more initiatives to better members' experience, to improve the quality of officiating we provide to our clients and to further the game of basketball in our area -- all of which fall in line with the mission of IAABO and of Board 23. Some of those initiatives your membership dues fund include: Internet-based assigning software, the evaluation program, the applicant training program, the three-person training program, a Web site, getting three-person crews on selected games in Anne Arundel County, supplemental insurance for members, a donation to a scholarship fund in the Baltimore County Public Schools, a preseason scrimmage day and (hopefully) an annual holiday tournament, and the costs of a year-end banquet to help us celebrate another great season.

I approached Saturday's meeting skeptical of a dues hike, but the more we discussed all of the positive initiatives we as a board are involved in, the more I felt that an increase in dues would be appropriate. Dean Layman mentioned it had been several years since Board 23 raised its dues. I can't remember when. So after a good discussion, we voted unanimously to increase dues by $10 per category.

You should also be aware that we also agreed to look very closely at the budget for 2009-10 to trim unnecessary expenses, to present to members a general idea of what initiatives membership dues help fund, and to continue to examine options for alternate sources of revenue.

The Executive Committee is very cognizant of the fact that your membership dues play a key role in the operational success of Board 23 and in the ever-improving role Board 23 plays in the local and state basketball communities. We have much to be proud of and much to look forward to. Thanks for being a member, and please don't hesitate to contact me or anyone on the EC with questions or comments.

-PK