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Doug Geganto

Recently there has been much discussion about membership cards. We discontinued printing cards in 2020, and I would like to provide some background on why, and also provide an update on the alternatives being considered.

 
Let me say I wasn’t very happy when the club discontinued printing membership cards. But then again, I wasn’t a huge fan of the card we sent out, either. Since becoming the National Membership Chair, I’ve done some research into why the club stopped printing cards. I have also made it my mission not to complain, but to look for alternatives. 
 
 
Some background
 
 
First, why did the club stop printing membership cards? I did a little digging into the last three years that the club printed the cards in 2018, 2019 and the first quarter of 2020. Here is what I found: Over this period, we printed and mailed 54,963 membership cards, averaging 18,321 cards per year for primary and associate members. The total 3-year expense was $118,170, averaging out to an annual cost of $39,390. Of the $118,117, the cost of postage alone was $30,232. 
 
 
How did we get here?
 
 
 
Let’s put this in perspective. With the continuing decline in membership over the past five years, the loss of the MBUSA subsidy in 2020, and declining revenues from The Star, the club had no choice but to tighten up on spending. To continue printing 18,000 cards every year at a cost of $39,390 was not a financially acceptable expenditure of club funds. As an interim solution, membership cards were converted to being available to be downloaded on the club’s website at a moderate one-time development expense of $6,500.
 
We have heard from our members that membership cards are still desired. To find a solution, we need to recognize the changing demographics and technological comfort levels of our members. There are three main segments of our membership that need to be considered as we explore solutions for membership cards. 
 
 
  1. Older club members who may not be comfortable using new technology. 
  2. Older members who comfortably use new technology.
  3. Younger club members who are very comfortable using new technology. 
 
 
We must create a solution that accommodates every segment of our membership. 
As one of our goals for 2021 the National Membership Committee is exploring ideas to address being able to provide membership cards. Three possible options are being considered.
 
 
Option I
 
 
Use a permanent card that never expires. We could create hard plastic cards (like a credit card) that would have a QR Code imprinted on them. When a member needs to verify their membership status at a dealership, the QR code can be scanned with a smartphone camera for validation. The estimated cost for this option is $64,000.
Below is a preliminary idea of what a new permanent card might look like (concept only).
 
 
Option II
 
As technology has evolved the trend has been to a greater dependence on electronic methods of payment and identification. Option 2 will use this trend to our advantage by developing an application for Apple and Android devices. Printed membership cards would be provided as an option to those members who are not comfortable with technology. 
The plus for this solution is that we position the club with the growing evolution of electronic verification and payment technology. The estimated development cost for this solution is $43,000.
 
 
Option III
 
 
We return to the previous method of providing printed membership cards to members and associates. Cost for this option will average $29,000 annually.
 
Moving forward I will be presenting these three proposals at the May Board of Director’s Meeting for consideration and approval. I will of course update the membership about any decision taken.