Our cards will go from $18 to $20 starting with any new leagues that begin on March 15th 2010 or later. I went to the meeting where the increase was voted on and was one of maybe 6 people there that was not a director. I had been a director for many years but had left the board due to other actviities. When I left we had a surplus then two years later if it were not for the state tournament host fee we would have been bankrupt. Hard to believe and trinket awards are a small part of that cost. Here is what I can tell you on costs.
Rental on office, utilities, mailing of awards and information to secretaries, local awards, office secretary salary and office manager salary. I know many local associations have their office at someones home, but in a large association that would take a huge home. Since the Dallas BA does all of the center certifications that equipment must have a home and the supplies for that operation also is an added cost. The WBA locally is not involved in that aspect in any way. The BA also does the lane condition inspections which again is a cost for the equipment and tapes, but the directors do the inspections may get mileage for this function, can't swear to that but they should. Once upon a time the directors were treated to two dinners per year for their efforts, this year they had to pay for their own. There is also the cost for the championship awards banquet/election dinner. Then there is the printing of the average books and we have a nice book which up until last year had all of the Dallas bowlers in one book. The women and youth pulled out after the bowlers voted down the merger and now they have a paper covered book. Ours has not lost anything in quality so far.
One thing in Dallas getting in financial difficulties in recent years can also be accredited to the lose of membership combined with the increase in costs. We have not given the empoyees a raise in some time that I am aware of, but who has gotten a raise lately.
