Big Changes Coming
There are a couple of major changes coming to the MCBA.
The Association will be changing to an online newsletter, and a new format for the annual fall conference. These changes are being made by the board after carefully considering all the issues and options.
Our costs to create, print and mail the quarterly newsletter have increased exponentially in recent years, as well as has the cost of administering the drug program. These two major annual expenses have forced us to look at our options. Furthermore, we have had to expend large sums to support the coalition to protect our fishery. Taken together, the changes became necessary.
The quarterly newsletter will now be going online. Actually, the board believes in many ways this will be better. We will now be able to produce the newsletter in a more timely fashion including last minute items and issues. We will be able to include more color pictures, and the length of the newsletter will be more flexible.
MCBA will be transitioning to the digital format with the next newsletter. This issue will be the last printed newsletter. In the future, if you, like me, want a printed copy, you can do as I will be doing: print it at home. I will be printing every issue and include it with those I have gotten in the mail in the past. I have every quarterly Cannon Ball newsletter on file since I became a member and plan to keep it going.
The cost of the fall conference has more than tripled in the past five years, and even though we have planned outstanding programs every year; due to many reasons, we haven’t seen the attendance that was justifying the increased expenses.
Its been a continuing disappoint that even with an agenda of great guest speakers each year and the outstanding programs we’ve planned, we didn’t consistently draw enough of our membership to these educational meetings. Adjusting to the inevitable, we are changing the format to contain the cost, and hopefully, at the same time, retain the best of the past by having the speakers and the general membership meeting on a single day.
So, beginning this fall we are condensing the fall conference from a two day and one evening event, to a one evening event followed by a one full one day program.
This year the conference will be held in Holland, Michigan. Look for details soon. Also, the board is considering the possibility of alternating the location of the annual meeting in the future, in an effort to increase the attendance by moving from the southern part of the state to the northern part of the state every other year.
All of the changes we are making are designed to keep the Association strong and financially secure so that we will be able to keep our programs strong and viable. In addition, we hope that these changes will allow us in the near future to create a better, more modern and easier to use Members Area. These changes will allow us to serve the membership better, quicker and with more accuracy along with additional resources to use to better your business.
Finally, it will also help to keep our participation in the coalition strong and allow us to continue to pursue a fair and equitable consent decree.
In summary, we are doing everything we can to serve our membership by promoting the charter boat Industry and protecting the fishery. We hope you will find these changes will serve you, the membership, well and will keep our Association strong, modern and growing.
