Hello all,
I planned to tone down and shorten this, but time is fleeting, so I'll post it now, and present you with a shorter version tomorrow.

I strongly support the proposed constitutional amendment which will restore the chapter dues-paying rules to what they always were. Please vote "Yes" and mail in the ballot, which just came in the Jan-Feb-March club magazine.

The proposed amendment requires (1) new chapter members to join the national within a year of joining a chapter; and (2) current chapter members who are not national members to join the national within a year of the passage of the amendment. (Last year the current Board changed the rules so individual chapter members need not ever be national members.)

Everyone in this debate believes the national (CCGTCC) is worthy, should grow and prosper, and that all chip collectors SHOULD join it. They also agree that INITIALLY individuals may join just a chapter, not the national. The bone of contention is whether chapter members MUST eventually join the national. I am sure that everyone in this debate has the good of the hobby and club at heart. I feel that some judgments become clouded along the way.

I feel new chapter members should be REQUIRED to join the national within one year for two general reasons: (1) One reason has to do with morality and propriety -- that through their affiliation with a CCGTCC CHAPTER, chapter members now can attach themselves to the prestige, recognition, clout, respect and benefits (progress and popularity of the hobby; many club benefits, too) of the CCGTCC without paying dues to the national (CCGTCC). I know of no organization in the world that permits individual chapter members not to be national dues-paying members (note, I am not speaking of member clubs, but of chapters); and (2) The other reason has to do with money, and that will be the theme of the remainder of this post.

Many of my thoughts are contained in these two web pages that I prepared long ago just before the proposed amendment was finalized:
http://www.antiquegamblingchips.com/amend.htm
http://www.antiquegamblingchips.com/goodrecp.htm

The national will grow, I hope, whatever the fate of the amendment, but it will grow MUCH faster if the amendment passes. Whether they realize it or not, the optional-to-join-national side is short-sighted and self-absorbed in recruiting cut-rate chapter dues-payers (about $5 per annum) who never have to join the national ($20 per annum). The national, which is primarily a a public spiritedness-hobby promotion service organization that did more than any person or thing to develop the present network of collectors, dealers and conventions and is the source of most chapter memberships, will, in effect, see its membership siphoned off by fun, in person sell and trade, cut-rate dues chip clubs (chapters). By not requiring eventual national membership of its chapter members, the chapters will hurt the national when it should be helping.

I have explained how this will happen in the links above, but I will try to be brief here and summarize my contention. Currently, the only immediate tangible benefit of national membership ($20 dues) is the four quarterly newsletters, which some collectors do not care about and which can be read by borrowing the chapter's copy or a friend's copy. (I was surprised to learn that [for understandable reasons] anyone can rent a room at the convention hotel for the same special club rates national members get.)

In the old days, CCGTCC membership and newsletters were a "sine qua non" (essential passport) to chip collecting. Now it is more like a very worthy public service organization, sort of a CHARITY, what with eBay, online bulletin boards and magazines, monthly chapter meetings, etc. Now, back to the chapters. It would "kill" most dealer-collector chapter officials to see one potential buyer or seller of chips walk away because of the requirement that he has to join the national ($20) within a year. Out of 100 new, serious collectors walking through the chapter doors, it is hard to envisage more than one or two dropping out of the chapter because he has to pay a mere $20 per annum beginning a year later. Yet that is the mentality of opponents of the must-join-national-within-a-year amendment, so intent are they with their empire-building, their attempt to enlarge their treasury and membership at the expense of the national. NOW FOR THE END OF THE STORY: new chapter members and old chapter members will begin to look at voluntary national dues ($20) as charity that they don't need -- many newbies never join the national; old timers see this and fail to renew -- a downward spiral!

Some opponents of the amendment say it is not about money or $20. $20 can be looked at in a number of ways. There was recently a terrible earthquake in India -- 30,000 killed, 55,000 injured, $billions lost, thousands homeless. To be honest, I didn't contribute to the charity there; not $20, not anything. Chapter chip collectors will think the same about national dues: "Not me......later maybe..... let someone else....I'm too busy," etc.

But if they are forced to pay the $20 national dues (starting just a year after they officially join the chapter), they will see it as just part of the cost of chip collecting. They will pay it. That will be the end of it. Contrary to what you read elsewhere, there are many easy ways to enforce it. All it takes are gentlemen, reasonableness and common sense. The national Board is empowered to enforce and interpret the constitution. (Also, I am sure no one cares if a child, helper, spouse or even a dealer at a chapter meeting is not a member of whatever.)

Opponents of the must-join-national-within-a-year amendment say their optional-to-join way is best, is most inclusive and will bring in the greatest number of members who will eventually join the national. But the new amendment could not initially decrease chapter membership (be exclusive) because current and new chapter members don't have to join the national (pay $20) for a full year. And we don't know for sure what results the optional-to-join-the-national rule would bring because it has been in effect for less than a year. But chapters like the Atlantic City Chapter have never enforced the must-join-national rule during the long period when the rule was in the national by-laws. They claim that over 90% of the A.C. chapter is in the national; I doubt it. Under the current by-laws of the national, the chapters are required annually to submit their membership rosters. Since October, at least, I have been emailing two national officers about the submission of chapter membership rosters. I wanted them or me to check what percent are not national members and to write those members, gently asking if they might join the national. I have been stonewalled by the national officers, who apparently won't enforce their own bylaws. They don't have the A.C. roster and won't demand it. And the president of the AC chapter won't let me --a member of the chapter-- look at the roster. So it is being kept a secret what percent of the chapter members are not national members. (I even offered to pay the postage to send application letters to the non-national members.)

(It is a disgrace that most of the chapters were organized by going through the national membership roster (available to all), culling out local names and addresses, and some are still composed almost entirely of national members, and yet the largest chapter (AC) won't let the national go through its roster to seek members!)

I think the must-join-national-within-a-year-of-joining-a-chapter is an inclusive rule. People can be guests of a chapter for a while, then join just the chapter for a year before being bothered by the national dues issue. To me that is very inclusive and will not force any new collector, who is really a chip collector, out of the hobby due to $20 to an organization that has enriched the hobby so. I notice at chapter meetings that these "inclusive-loving" officials fiercely guard their doors to check out each person who enters for chapter dues delinquencies.

Let me end by quoting from the end of a Letter to the Editor I was once planning to get into the club newsletter: "Let me end on this note. The Club is a non-profit, public service organization. It is a work organization. It preforms work that benefits all chip collectors whether they join the Club or not. That is the way it should be. Fine, some benefit who don't pay for it. With a large population, that is to be expected. BUT ONE WOULD EXPECT THE CLUB'S OWN CHAPTERS TO BE A HELP AND NOT A HINDRANCE. That is the way I see it. I say to the chapters, have your fun, but help the Club. And don't grow at the expense of the Club. "

Robert