Thoughts on dues

Ocean Park dues are currently $40 per year. Grand Chapter’s portion of the dues is $20.05 in 2016. (Grand Chapter uses this portion of your dues to run the State Level and to provide support to our less fortunate Sisters and Brothers. The $40 is also excluding the $6 yearly Home Assessment fee. That is used to support the OES Home.)

That leaves only $19.95 per year per paying member for the Chapter. We currently have 126 dues paying members. (We have 249 total members on our books. 75 are Fifty year members, 43 are paid Life members and 5 had their dues remitted this year. 249 minus 123 equals 126 paying members.) This equates to $2,513.70 total dues income.

Our 2016 annual budget is $20,965. Subtracting our income leaves us with a remaining debt of $18,451.30. These numbers show what a dire position our Chapter is in. It is necessary, for the survival of Ocean Park, to raise our dues.

I know raising the dues isn’t fun and times are tough. $19.95 for a year is way too cheap for what you get; all the great times at Chapter, fun events to attend and a wonderful network of Sisters and Brothers all over the world. Not to mention all of the great charity work that helps the community and ourselves. We need to be able to make our budget and keep this great organization going.

If you have suggestions/ideas on the dues, please email me at oceanparkoes@gmail.com or call 310-903-1151. I would love your input. And come to the meeting and vote on 2/18—let your voice be heard. LeAnn Holsapple-WM