Some Thoughts from Mark Schaffer

From: Mark Schaffer <fid1dler@optonline.net>

Date: March 1, 2011 5:21:45 AM EST

To: FP Membership <membership@folkproject.org>

Subject: Re: Membership report

Rick,

Great work harvesting former members. I'm glad you are exploring these topics.

I do not believe that the membership dues should be discounted at this time. I do believe that the financial support the Project gets from an e-newsletter should be made clear to the membership, The zero financial support we get from the paper newsletter need not be highlighted to the membership, but it should be highlighted amongst the board and the planners amongst us.

Until we have an e-newsletter champion capable of converting Liz's fine work into a true e-newsletter we can't reap the real benefits an e-newsletter really offers. People gotta want the darn thing, and our current pdf e-newsletter has very few of the advantages inherent in an e-format, even noting that our pdf format does offer instant delivery, hot links and color photos,

Even though our membership has shrunk, we should be aware that our community has actually grown recently.There are hundreds receiving weekly Minstrelgrams that are not members. They are in our community in a very real fashion.

There's too much to say about a top-down review of our policies. I'm going back to my guitar

See you eventually.

Love,

Mark