Monthly Dues

[Scoops]

This may have been brought up, but Scoop's apron appears to be of the European persuasion. If so, and correct me if I'm wrong, I've always heard their dues are quite a bit more than typical dues in the U.S. If so, then it may not be a bad idea to have them on a monthly basis, as an option. I've heard some dues here as low as $20-30 a year. I'm sure some are way more, T.O. specifically, but you do get what you pay for. I would say, if you're struggling to pay $30 a year, or even $100-300 per year, you may need to hold off on giving your money to a fraternity.

Indeed I do hail from merry UGLE-land. Subs in my lodge are £160pa. It's certainly easier to pay £13-£14 a month than the full amount, especially as they're due around Xmas, but it's mostly the convenience that I like. It allows me to set up the standing order and then forget about it (plus the wife doesn't complain so much at a smaller outgoing...)

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[CLewey44]

Definitely. I've heard some in other countries exceeding $1000 per year or maybe much more. Not sure. I would not be opposed to it for sure. The question would be, if you're a month behind, do you get banned until you pay? Do they stamp your dues card monthly maybe? Or is it treated as if you paid it annually and you're good until the end of the year; more of a honor system?

 

[Bloke]

Definitely. I've heard some in other countries exceeding $1000 per year or maybe much more. Not sure. I would not be opposed to it for sure. The question would be, if you're a month behind, do you get banned until you pay? Do they stamp your dues card monthly maybe? Or is it treated as if you paid it annually and you're good until the end of the year; more of a honor system?

Here, Dues are paid annually in line with the Standard Australian Financial Year. You cannot be installed in office unless financial (no one really checks). After being 12 months in arrears, the lodge can exclude you (they almost never do, unless you have disappeared), but once three years in arrears, the Lodge is Constitutionally Obliged to Exclude you.,

 

[CLewey44]

Here, Dues are paid annually in line with the Standard Australian Financial Year. You cannot be installed in office unless financial (no one really checks). After being 12 months in arrears, the lodge can exclude you (they almost never do, unless you have disappeared), but once three years in arrears, the Lodge is Constitutionally Obliged to Exclude you.,

That makes sense for sure.

 

[CLewey44]

Definitely. I've heard some in other countries exceeding $1000 per year or maybe much more. Not sure. I would not be opposed to it for sure. The question would be, if you're a month behind, do you get banned until you pay? Do they stamp your dues card monthly maybe? Or is it treated as if you paid it annually and you're good until the end of the year; more of a honor system?

If I may clarify on this, when I said "I would not be oppose to it", I meant the monthly payments. I would be opposed to $1000 a year dues lol.

 

[Brother JC]

Again, you'd be paying for the following year, so if you missed one you have to catch up before 1/1.

 

[Warrior1256]

once three years in arrears, the Lodge is Constitutionally Obliged to Exclude you.,

Here in Kentucky after 2 years NPD a Brother is suspended. I believe that they are expelled after 3 years. Have not yet witnessed the latter.

 

[Companion Joe]

As the treasurer for three York Rite bodies, I can say with certainty that paying dues monthly would be a nightmare for the treasurer and secretary.

 

[Brother JC]

As the treasurer for three York Rite bodies, I can say with certainty that paying dues monthly would be a nightmare for the treasurer and secretary.

Even with electronic payments and accounting software linked to the grand recorder's records?

 

[Warrior1256]

As the treasurer for three York Rite bodies, I can say with certainty that paying dues monthly would be a nightmare for the treasurer and secretary.

Don't have any experience in this field but this sounds logical to me. Instead of annually (once) you're doing it monthly (12 times).

 

[Companion Joe]

I'm sure there is some electronic method that would streamline it, but I still see it being a logistical train wreck.
At least here, every penny and transaction has multiple hands it has to pass through recorded steps.
For instance: you pay your dues to the secretary, the secretary has to record how much/who from/for what purpose in his ledger, he then passes the money to the treasurer who writes the secretary a receipt, then the treasurer has to take it to the bank and record it in his books. At the end of the year, an audit has to be done where both the secretary's and treasurer's books balance. If they don't, the audit committee has to back line by line to figure out where the discrepancy is. The more transactions you have, the greater the chance for something to get off.

 

[Bloke]

Even with electronic payments and accounting software linked to the grand recorder's records?

Do folk seriously have this sort of system?

Here, you're sophisticated if u run myob, most use MSExcel spreadsheets which is fine. Hell, hard copy would be fine, but most use some form of electronic payment.. last fundraiser we even had fpos

 

[Ripcord22A]

Myob? Fpos?

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[Warrior1256]

Myob? Fpos?

Same question here. I'm not very soft ware savy.

 

[Ripcord22A]

Im assuming fpos is something Point of Sale

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[Bloke]

Same question here. I'm not very soft ware savy.

Myob - accounting software, global market, but it's an Australian company.

FPOS is shorthand for eftpos https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EFTPOS# I wonder what you call it in the States ? If I was paying a bill by card in a restaurant, I'd use fpos (eftpos... you know Aussi es r weird, we love to shorten words just like you Yanks love to leave letters out in yours..) if paying at the table, we'd use a mobile fpos. It's probably I just don't know the American term for a machine that you use to pay by Credit or Debit Card

 

[Companion Joe]

Nothing I belong to - and I have enough dues cards to play poker - is set up to take electronic payments. You write a check or hand the secretary some cash.

I pay all my personal bills online, but it seems to me for lodge dues, the old tried and true method just seems to work. Any electronic method I've ever encountered doesn't do it for free. Somebody gets a cut. That means either the lodge is going to lose some revenue or dues are going to have to be raised to offset it.

 

[Ripcord22A]

Myob - accounting software, global market, but it's an Australian company.

FPOS is shorthand for eftpos https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EFTPOS# I wonder what you call it in the States ? If I was paying a bill by card in a restaurant, I'd use fpos (eftpos... you know Aussi es r weird, we love to shorten words just like you Yanks love to leave letters out in yours..) if paying at the table, we'd use a mobile fpos. It's probably I just don't know the American term for a machine that you use to pay by Credit or Debit Card

Actually it's just called eft or pos. Usually EFT is what will show if you pay a bill online and POS is what will be shown on your statement if you pay at a restaurant. But usually you only see that if it is a smaller restaurant. If I use my card at McDonald's I just see McDonald's on my bank statement.

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[Ripcord22A]

Nothing I belong to - and I have enough dues cards to play poker - is set up to take electronic payments. You write a check or hand the secretary some cash.

I pay all my personal bills online, but it seems to me for lodge dues, the old tried and true method just seems to work. Any electronic method I've ever encountered doesn't do it for free. Somebody gets a cut. That means either the lodge is going to lose some revenue or dues are going to have to be raised to offset it.

My Lodge here uses PayPal or the square and I think the square only charges like $0.25 so the couple times I've paid dues I've had them charge me that $0.25

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[Bloke]

We use EFT, it's cheaper and more effective than cheques.

I'm not a member of any organization which does not allow it's members to pay electronically. In my mother lodge and the Temple Trust, EFT is greatly preferred.

For events with tickets, most lodges use Trybooking.