straw poll update and reminder

[James Carlson]

We're still looking for responses to the straw poll that I sent out on
Thursday:

  http://www.workingcode.com/pipermail/eefc-core/2009-May/000243.html

Please don't forget to weigh in as soon as possible, even if you're
not planning to join at this time.  A simple "yes" or "no" will do.
I'd like to wrap this up early next week so that we can get a message
out to the rest of the prospective members -- and so that we can start
moving on that nice airplane.  It might not last!

So far, we've got two "yes" and one "maybe" vote.  I was talking
off-list with one of the participants who suggested a slightly
different plan to offer.  It includes a non-refundable[1] buy-in of
$400, and uses low-side estimates to get the monthly dues down to
$110, relying on that buy-in to provide a cushion in case the low-side
numbers are wrong.  It also turns that "maybe" into a "yes."  The
updated spreadsheet (showing both options) is here:

  http://www.workingcode.com/eefc/spreadsheet-jdc.xls

If that change (from $175 to $110 per month) makes a difference in how
you'd vote, please do comment on that in your reply.  (The total
savings in the first year for each member would be $380, primarily
coming out of those lower cost estimates.)

Either way, the plan would be to run the club for one year under this
scheme, and then re-evaluate the financial situation based on actual
expenses and reserves required in a member's meeting.  We would then
have to agree to modify dues up or down as needed to maintain a
solvent club.  (The spreadsheet should be helpful in doing "what if"
tests to see how those changes might come out.)

1.  The "non-refundable" part is probably something that could be
    dealt with on a case-by-case basis if members must leave the
    club.  We may need to deal with contingency plans later.

-- 
James Carlson         42.703N 71.076W         <carlsonj at workingcode.com>