As i embark on my first year as president of this organization, I am mindful of the fact that we’ve just increased our membership dues. This has not occurred without quite a bit of discussion and thought, especially given the financial hard times that may be around the corner for the middle and lower-middle classes in our country (if they aren’t already here for many).
I was talking to a new member at my church about her company’s woes trying to keep their head above water financially (and this company’s main client is Tesla, for goodness sake!), and I was reminded of the fact that financial hard times affect businesses too. I think that we sometimes forget that. We get caught up in our gas and electric bill, the water bill, the garbage bill, how much it costs to try to keep up with cell phone technology (not to mention the monthly bill!), and I won’t even go into Internet and cable. As someone who lives in one of the most expensive parts of the country, I get that adding on to one more bill just makes you want to pull your hair out (if you have any left). But in talking to Patty (I’ll call her), I realized that most people don’t think about the fact that the businesses you frequent have these same bills—as do their employees. So in order for those businesses to survive, they have to cover those rising costs for both the business expenses AND the cost of living for their staff. As I thought about it more, I realized it’s even tougher for a nonprofit organization like Handbell Musicians of America.
Rather than get too bogged down in a discussion of all of that, I want to shift my focus for a moment to the idea of our membership. When I talk to members of the handbell community, time and again I hear ringers and directors asking what they are going to “get” for their membership dollars. And the Guild board and staff point out the “benefits” of membership. But I like to think of our membership in terms of “value added” to our handbell programs. What value does a membership in Handbell Musicians of America add to your choir? To your directing? To your ringing? In short, is there additional “value” that you receive because of your membership?
In thinking about this, I first decided to break it down in terms of what I value about my membership:
- Most important is the way the organization unites its members—across cities, states, and across the country. This allows me to see and hear what others are doing, which allows me to improve what I am doing. It gives me goals—something to strive toward. (I would note that this “uniting us in our musical art” fostered the creation of Sonos Handbell Ensemble, and there are probably other community ensembles that can say the same.)
- I took my first official workshop in handbell conducting from Bob Ivey at a Guild event. It was followed by other conducting workshops taught by David Davidson, and later the Masters Series in Conducting with Dr. William Payn. This assists with my conducting skills, and it improves my confidence as conductor.
- For nearly 20 years, the Guild has offered the Distinctly Bronze event for advanced ringers. These events give ringers a chance to flex ringing skills that they might not always have the opportunity to wield back home.
- And I have to say that I don’t think I would have followed through with the crazy idea of getting a Bachelor’s degree in handbells if it hadn’t been for my connections in the Guild and being inspired to just go for it.
After thinking of those items above on my list (and there are others), I decided to break things down in terms of how much I pay per day, and it comes to just under 27 cents per day. When I ask myself whether the above values are worth 27 cents per day, I would say yes. So what items are on your list? Aren’t they worth 27 cents a day?
This past summer, one of my ringers in my church bell choir attended National Seminar. She couldn’t afford to attend the whole event, so she only registered for two days. After rehearsal last week, she said that she doesn’t know why she didn’t register for the whole event because 1) she learned so much in those two days that it was worth the cost, and 2) it would have been more cost-effective to attend for the whole event (since she would have learned so much more in the long run). Oh, and she’s also starting reading the Overtones. She’s discovered that there’s value added for her sub-membership.
So, while I know I’m preaching to the choir (literally), perhaps we should look at our membership not in terms of the bill, not in terms of the dollars that go out each month (or the 27 cents that goes out each day), and maybe not even in terms of the overall support that we give to the organization through our membership dollars (although that’s true)—but in terms of the positive gains in our abilities and to our lives as handbell musicians. It’s value added.
P.L Grove
P.L. Grove President |
