ANTE UP: The Collection of Robert Eisenstadt We welcome you to take part in Ante Up, the auction of the Robert Eisenstadt's incredible collection. The auction takes place on January 30, 2021 at 10:00AM CT. You can visit the auction website by clicking here. You can also view the collection that is up for auction as a PDF. If you have any questions about the auction, please contact Joseph Slabaugh (joeslabaugh@potterauctions.com, 773-472-1442) at Potter & Potter Auctions.

IN MEMORIAM: Robert Eisenstadt 1942 - 2020 On June 5, 2020, Robert Eisenstadt died peacefully at home, in the loving presence of his sister Nancy and his sister's family. He will be dearly missed by all of us who loved and appreciated him. If you would like to leave a story about Robert, write a message, or read what others have written, please click here. He took pride in his collection and loved sharing it with fellow enthusiasts; please have a look and enjoy.

I think it is very important to have a strong, large national to provide clout (lobbying as permitted, hobby protection work, warnings about reproductions, etc.), standards (code of ethics, etc.) and education for the chip collecting community.  The prestige of the national rubs off on the collector member and his hobby.  Everything should be done to build up the national.  It will generally grow under any plan.  But under what plan will it grow best?

 TWO WAYS TO GO:
The current discussion on the bulletin boards is about which of two basic rules the national CCGTCC should have in its bylaws  (there are variations and compromises of the two rules; discussed much below here):
(a)  the old rule, which we can call the "must-join-national" rule --  all members of a CCGTCC chapter must eventually become a national CCGTCC dues-paying member; or
(b)  the current rule, which we can call the "optional-to-join-national" rule --  one can be a  CCGTCC chapter member (and so advertise it) without being a national CCGTCC dues-paying  member.

THE DEBATE:
I think the current "optional-to-join-national" rule will greatly weaken the national.  Vis-a-vis the old rule, the "optional-to-join-national" rule will result in less new members and less renewals for the national.  The "optional-to-join-national" rule may help the chapters grow somewhat larger (because its members must pay only one dues), but I think this is more than offset by the fall off in new national members and the decrease in national renewals, especially as the new rules become more widely known.  This is what is called the "contagious downward spiral.".........................  This is the most important part of my exposition.  Let me give an example.  Say, a chapter has about 50 members.  Let us say they are all national members, too.  Now, let us say that 10 newbies hear about chip collecting and go down to the chapter meeting to investigate.  There are two basic scenarios:...................

(A)  One scenario falls under the "optional-to-join-national" rule.  8 of the 10 decide to join and become chapter dues-payers, and 4 of these become national dues-payers too.  Over time all the members discuss the fact that they don't have to pay national dues, and they see this happening in the chapter.  Some of the old 50 members decide not to renew with the national for various reasons, some just because they stopped collecting chips.  Later more follow suit; they figure if others don't pay, why should they.  So, let us say that of the old 50 chapter members, 5 drop out because they gave up chip collecting, and another 15 drop just the national dues membership.  The national ends up with only 34 members (50 + 4 - 5 -15 = 34)..........

(B) The other scenario falls under the "must-join-national" rule.  The chapter is more gung ho towards the national and less interested in chapter empire building, and they are willing to play hardball for the benefit of the national.  Using figures from the above case, the 10 newbies know the chapter is the only place in the area to trade and buy chips up close and personal.  They might prefer paying just local dues and save $20 a year (national dues), but to pursue their hobby, they need the personal buying, selling, trading and conferring at the chapter meetings, and they won't let $20 stand in the way.  So, 7 (not 8) of them decide to become chapter dues-payers, and they know they have to join the national within a year or so.  Some join the national right away to get the newsletters.  The old 50 members of the chapter also see the necessity of the chapter for their individual chip collections, so virtually all of them continue paying chapter and national dues as long as they continue collecting chips. Let us say that 5 drop out because they gave up chip collecting and another 3 drop out because they tire of paying both national and chapter dues.  The national ends up with 49 members (50 + 7 -5 -3 = 49). ..............

End of story.  As expected there are more overall CHAPTER members with the "optional-to-join-national" rules than there are under the "must-join-national" rules.  But it is obvious that chapters operating under the "must-join-national" rules are greater assets to the national  (they generate more national members), and that the chapters operating under the "optional-to-join-national" are less valuable and about as useful to the national as an unaffiliated club.

The key reason for this dues fall off is because national membership will be viewed by chapter members as tantamount to mere CHARITY.  Once the national and its newsletter were essential "must have" material for any chipper.  Besides the public spiritedness and hobby promotion aspects of national membership, membership and the newsletter was a key entry to chip trading, buying, selling, learning and contacts.............. The rise of chipping on the internet (eBay, web sites, bulletin boards, etc.) and the personal trading and conferring at chapter meetings fulfill most of a collector's chipping needs.  He has his hands full without even opening the national club newsletter.  And the CCGTCC newsletter can always be borrowed at a chapter meeting or elsewhere.  And anyone, national member or not, can get the same club discount for rooms at the convention hotel!  The national club, unfortunately, decreases in importance.  Most of us appreciate the national for the reasons expressed in the lead paragraph above.  Sadly, not everyone feels that way.  They may forgo the voluntary $20 national dues payment, given this opportunity by the "optional-to-join-national" bylaw rules now in effect...........  Obviously, under the "must-join-national" rule, to trade and confer as a chapter member, the individual must join both the chapter and the national.  So, in that case, national dues paying is not just good charity; it is part of the cost of admission to the much-needed chapter amenities; that is, it becomes an essential cost of pursuing the hobby, as illustrated in the two scenarios above!

The "must-join-national" rule may (but most likely, won't)  cause a chapter or two to secede.  But whether a chapter secedes or not, the chapter will still work with the national and, I am sure, encourage members to join the national -- whatever these words of encouragement are worth.........The way I look at it, a chapter that abides by a "must-join-national"  rule is a powerful asset to the national.  On the other hand, a CCGTCC chapter that abides by the "optional-to-join-national" rule is as useful (or useless) to the national as an independent unaffiliated chip club.  So, there is not much of a loss if such a chapter secedes!  And if $20 for the national keeps potential collectors away, I say it likely isn't much of a loss.

SOME OTHER POINTS:
(1)  arguments have been made that chapter members already pay dues to the national by virtue of the measly $20.00 annual dues the chapter pays to the national.  I consider the argument an insult -- as though a chapter paying $20.00 to the national for a 300-member chapter (seven cents per member!) suffices and removes the "parasite" connotation to those non-national-dues-paying chapter members who benefit so much from the work of the national.

(2)  We should require chapter members to be dues-paying national members not just to squeeze dues out of them for the national, but because it would be unfair if non-national chapter members were to advertise their CCGTCC CHAPTER membership and reap the prestige/esteem/clout/integrity/etc. of the national -- attributes that the national built up from the varied contributions (including dues) of national members! Also, many, or most, of the chapter membership has filtered down from the national club, which is much better known and publicized than are the chapters.

(3)  I am against the proposal that a chapter member be permitted to join the national with reduced dues (say, $5) and not receive the national newsletter (and vote?).  For one thing, even if the newsletter cost $20 per annum per recipient across the board, there are fixed set-up and marginal costs involved, and sending off one less newsletter will save a few dollars per annum at most, I am sure.  My biggest objection to this "compromise" is that it will lead to the "downward spiral" -- too many erstwhile national dues-paying members will opt for this cheap $5 membership!

(4)  According to some of the BB posts, very few chapter members (at least for the Colorado and Silver Strike chapters) are not national members.  Good.  When we revert back to the good old "must-join-national" rule, we could grandfather in those  few chapter members who never joined the national and joined the chapter after the "optional-to-join-national" bylaw was in effect...........Also, the fact that there are now so few chapter members who are non-national dues-payers is not a vindication of the current "optional-to-join-national" rule.  That rule has been in force for too short of time to be a test.  I am afraid that if the rule continues in force, soon we will see a national dues falloff (newbies and renewals) after it becomes widely known that national dues is not required of chapter members and it is seen that many chapter members are not national members.

(4a)  It would be declared an illegal subterfuge if chapters tried to evade a new "must-join-national" rule by instituting an annual admissions fee for new chapter attendees.

(5)  The "Code of Ethics" aspect is, I think, a red herring.  Whichever way the CCGTCC goes, I am sure it will be established that the Code will apply to all chapter members, and I suppose the national will be empowered to expel any chapter member for violating the Code.  Still, this issue should be addressed separately.

(6)  To make things easier on chapter dues payers and not overwhelm the dues payers with a double payment at the same time, I  think most of us could agree on this -- that a newbie introduced through  a chapter be allowed to attend as a guest a number of times before committing himself, and that he be allowed to join a chapter with the understanding that he must join the national within a year or two, say by the time he renews with the chapter or at the same time he renews with the chapter.  We want to be inclusive.  Meanwhile, as long as he is a chapter member, he must abide by the national's Code of Ethics.

(7)  I also think everyone would agree that a local club starting out  wouldn't/shouldn't go for chapter status when it is just beginning.  Why go through all the paperwork and correspondence with the national when you don't even know if there is enough interest for a local group?

Robert