CLC Paid Salaries??

[Frank G.]

Recently I had discussion with another CLC member and the topic came to paid positions within the Club.  The person I was speaking with was not aware that the position of Editor was a salaried position - I think I remember hearing that it was something like $45,000 per year.

I realize that the Office Managers who handle day to day Club activities obviously are paid also.  Are there any other paid "employees" within the Club?  Do you know what the Editor and the Office Managers are currently being paid?

I was under the impression that each of the Directors and Officers pay for their own travel to and from Board meetings.  Does the Club have a specific policy for reimbursement of other expenses,etc.?

Just curious how our money is spent - I dont recall seeing any of this info in the newsletter or the Directory.  I am sure that other members would be interested also.  Assuming that this is all public information.

[doug palmarei]

believe club is an internal revenue service 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization; it is a matter of public record.

[Frank G.]

Periodically some of our directors & board members post to this forum.  They should know this informaiton - it would be part of the budget.  

I see that Richard Sills posted a message only a few hours after I posted my original question - Richard do you know the answer?  Barry Wheeler?  Michael Book? Lars Kneller?  Jeff Hansen?  Joe Gildea? Tim Pawl?

[Jeff Hansen, #4225]

Frank G,

To my knowledge, the following positions are the only paid positions within the CLC:

Editor, The Self-Starter
Art Director, The Self-Starter
Our Office Managers

I dont think there are others, but I could be mistaken.

While nobody is trying to hide what the CLC pays these folks, I dont believe a public forum such as this is the place to be discussing salaries.

You are correct that all officers and directors pay their own travel expenses to attend board meetings.  We are not reimbursed for any of it.  By the way, there is a CLC board meeting at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas this Saturday, January 14, starting at 8 AM.  All members are welcome to attend.

We are generally reimbursed for other expenses incurred in running the Club.  For example, I pay the fees charged by our ISP to host the CLC website.  The CLC then reimburses me for those fees.

If you are curious as to how the Club spends it money, please study the financial statements that are published in The Self-Starter.  If you are a member of a CLC region, ask your regions representative to the board to see the statements.  They are made available at each board meeting.  Also, consider attending a board meeting to see how things are run.  

One final item, Frank, please, if you are going to post your email address as "SeeThe@CLCDirectory.com", please give us a little more information to help identify you.

Kind regards,
Jeff Hansen
Wearer of many hats in the CLC

[Barry M. Wheeler #2189]

Frank, I had at least two messages made up, and deleted both for several reasons. Also, I was speaking to Richard Sills Tuesday, and mentioned your post, and he said he would contact Bill Edmunds about replying to it. Very possibly, Bill did not as yet, due to getting ready for the Board meeting.
I cannot fault you in any way for "wondering" about this item, as I did so myself. Years ago, there was NO reporting of any kind relative to the Treasurers Report. I started going to Board meetings "to find out," got elected to the Board a few years later, and ended up as Club President. (See where being curious can get you?)
 We now have a very detailed report, and as Jeff mentioned, the Director from your state will have this. If he is not close by you, there is no reason it could not be copied and mailed to you on request. It is NOT secret. I would suggest you do this next week, while it is still handy in his briefcase and fresh in his mind. Also, that one will be current.
From time to time, in conversations such as yours with your friend, there is a "suggestion" that "someone" is getting rich from the Club. As this was probably a "bull" session, I see no harm in the two of you ruminating about the amount mentioned. (If it were truly that much, I might ruminate about it myself.) Steve and Tim split the Editors salary, so I feel safe in saying that neither of them makes anywhere near 45K. I cant remember the total at this time, so I cant comment on the combined salaries.
As an added comment, while I was President, I cannot remember either asking for, or getting, renumeration for stamps, phone calls, or stationary, much less travel expense. (The Northstar region did pay for an airline ticket for me to and from Minneapolis to address their region to get it "jump-started" again. However, this was paid for by the region, not the national Club.) I am proud that their expense was worth it, as they are now one of our healthiest regions.
We are not a perfectly run Club. However, if you value my opinion at all, you can believe that there have been many, many changes over the two decades that I have belonged, and most have been for the overall good of the members. You have a Board of volunteers that spend from $2000-$4000 per year on travel and expenses on your behalf. (I would have a restored 1941 60S in my garage at present if I hadnt spent the funds on Club business over the years.)
Please, keep asking questions. And if your questions dont get answered as quickly as you want, please ask again. (Politely, please.) If you still dont get an answer to satisfy you, come to a Board meeting. Each member attending may gain the floor, following Roberts Rules of Order. (This process is far, far easier than getting the immediate attention of your state or national government.) Please remember also, that addressing your questions to the officers involved will probably get an answer quicker than posting it on this Board. I check it several times per day, but many of our officers and Board members still have to work every day, and actually do have "a life" other than the CLC.
Give your officers the benefit of the doubt when you grow impatient. They are all great people, and believe it or not, they love the Club just as much as you do, and do have its best interests at heart.

[Frank G.]

I cannot fault you in any way for "wondering" about this item, as I did so myself. Years ago, there was NO reporting of any kind relative to the Treasurers Report. I started going to Board meetings "to find out," got elected to the Board a few years later, and ended up as Club President.

We now have a very detailed report, and as Jeff mentioned, the Director from your state will have this. If he is not close by you, there is no reason it could not be copied and mailed to you on request. It is NOT secret. I would suggest you do this next week, while it is still handy in his briefcase and fresh in his mind. Also, that one will be current.

From time to time, in conversations such as yours with your friend, there is a "suggestion" that "someone" is getting rich from the Club. As this was probably a "bull" session, I see no harm in the two of you ruminating about the amount mentioned. (If it were truly that much, I might ruminate about it myself.)

Steve and Tim split the Editors salary, so I feel safe in saying that neither of them makes anywhere near 45K. I cant remember the total at this time, so I cant comment on the combined salaries.

Barry,

Thanks for the response.  Based on your Forum posts, you seem to be a person of sound judgement and a voice of reason.  

The reason the question came up was that my friend thought it was great that such a nice publication as the Self Starter was put out by a group of volunteers. I corrected him and told him that there was a salary involved and he had never realized that in the several years that he was a member.  I dont think that we ever thought that anyone was getting rich off the club but I realize that many other members may still be under this false impression as I and my friend had been that the work was all done by volunteers.

Over the weekend I did pull out several years of Self Starters and found the Income and Expense Statement.  I see a line item for Publishing Costs -  would it be safe to say that this represents the salary for Editor/Publisher?  Fruther am I correct in assuming that the line item for Membership Administration represents the cost for the Office Managers expense?  

It is quite a contribution that the Board members do have the time and money to spend to travel to Board meetings.  That was generous of your region to help pay for your travel.

My question was more based on the questionof how many different salaries does the club pay - is it only the Editor and Office Manager or are there other salaried personnel?  Its hard to tell from the Income STatement. But I do think that this salary information should be clearly presented to the members.

You are right - no club is "perfect" if there is such a thing.  You cant please everyone; no matter how you try.  The most important thing is clear communication and good relations with members.  

Finally Barry, jsut in case no one has told you lately - thanks for your contribution to the club.  

 

[Jeff Maltby #4194]

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[Richard Sills - CLC #936]

Jeff is correct about the paid positions in the CLC.  The paid positions consume far more time on a regular ongoing basis than could reasonably be expected of any volunteer.  Also, those positions require skills that could not generally be found by asking for volunteers (editing a first-rate monthly magazine, or maintaining a membership database of 7,000 members from all over the world).

All officers and directors serve the Club strictly as volunteers, with no compensation of any kind.  Each is expected to attend two Board meetings per year, and the national Club does not reimburse any of the travel or lodging expenses they must incur to attend those meetings.  

Richard

[Lars Kneller 8246]

I dont have much more to add to what Barry, Richard, and Jeff have said.  Im always happy to talk club business with any members via phone or email.

[Bill Edmunds - #5484]

Im just back from our Winter board meeting and apologize for being late weighing in on the topic.  Previous answers from Board members are correct in stating that the Club compensates three assignments - all as independent contractors.  Mike and Nancy Book serve as our Office Managers and handle general membership administration and other tasks as delegated by the officers and Board.  They assumed this position three and a half years ago in response to our soliciting competitive bids for this activity.  Similarly, in 2003 competitive bids were solicited for editing The Self-Starter.  Steve Stewart and Tim Coy serve as editor and art director, respectively, and annually produce eleven issues of our magazine and our membership directory.  Additionally, Tim and Liz Coy handle members classified adverising.  The publishing costs reported in our annually published income statement (last published in April, 2005 issue of The Self-Starter) includes payments to Stewart and Coy.  The charges reported as membership administration includes all aspects of running our office (postage, telephone,office supplies, etc.) as well as the fee paid the office managers.  Please contact me at 828-757-9989 if you would like to discuss this further.