Dimes

I sure am glad I don't have to organize Karate clubs anymore. The gym bookings, the ads, the association paperwork all sucks.

The worst part is the money.

There is the yearly association fee to be collected from each student. For the ISKF, that is $40 per annum. Of course, there needs to be enough money collected to cover everyday costs. Our club is collecting $30 per month for this. Whenever there is a big instructor in town, expenses have to be covered. They also normally receive an honorarium. For the one this week, the club is collecting $30 per person. Mustn't forget testing fees. They run about $25 each.

It isn't the amount, it's the endless collecting. The nickel-and-dime effect.

Let's say somebody trains all year, and attends 3 seminars, and tests 3 times. This would work out to being $565 per year, collected in 19 little piles.

I used to do it differently. To collect the same $565, I'd change the system to a single $140 dollars each 3 months. The club used to pay the association fees, the seminar fees, and the testing fees. No extras at all. For some people, it was too much all at once, and for them I'd collect $50 per month. Most preferred the 3 month deal.

Heck, why not collect all $565, and call it even for the year. Or a ten-year $5650 deal.

I hate repetitive collecting, or paying. I currently pay my club dues a couple of months at a time before they come due.

But at least, in Karate, we save money on shoes.