Message From the Chairman and Treasurer:
For 2006, the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan LMSC voted to increase the annual registration dues by 3.00 from 28.00 to 31.00 This represents an increase from 8.00 to 11.00 in the local portion of the fee. 20.00 of the fee remains the national dues that we pass along. This was a responsible and necessary action based on the following considerations:
1) A dues increase, based on a no frills, efficient, member service-oriented budget was actually necessary in 2002. (The 5.00 increase in 2003 was the result of a national assessment increase which we were obligated to pass along) At that time, costs had increased and dues had been stable for many years. The Metropolitan LMSC though, at the time, did have considerable reserves; which had accumulated over many years, and as a result of the consolidation of the then two Masters organizations.
2) Guided by the IRS recommendations concerning appropriate reserves for an organization of our size and type, being six months of operating expenses, the MLMSC Board decided in 2002, that it would draw down those reserves over a three year period and keep the dues at the same level, with the 2003, 2004 and 2005 annual budgets in carefully planned deficits. This has been done accordingly to plan. Those reserves, paid by the LMSC membership, were in effect, returned to the membership by this process.
3) The cost increases, postponed for three years, must now be accounted for. Please be assured that we have an appropriate reserve, a lean and efficient organization committed to serving the membership and clear cost projections into the near future based on the 31.00 dues level, providing the national portion (20.00 of the 31.00) remains the same. Our dues, relative to other large LMSC's, remain low. Your money is being well tended and carefully spent.
Please examine the document called "Where does your annual registration dues go," on the www.metroswim.org website.