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Recommendations

HERE ARE my recommendations on the Constitutional Amendments we are considering this year. Please get out your copy of the September, 1980, National Amateur so you will be able to read how these amendments are worded. There are three amendments to be voted on. You will find them and the action on them by the Denver Convention on pages 12 and 13. You will also find the action subsequently taken by the Executive Judges, which invalidates the convention action on (B) (2) of the Submitted category of proposals, which you will find on page 16.

Proposed Amendment No. 1: I recommend a “NO” vote. I was your president for a year. I was honored by your giving me a Life Membership. I felt the position you entrusted to me was an act of honor. I tried to be worthy. I sensed success in being worthy of your trust. Hence, I feel the honorarium of a Life Membership is appropriate for any and all who have served a full year as president.

Proposed Amendment No. 2: I recommend a “YES” vote. This is a forward looking proposal that will promote continuity and effective planning.

Proposed Amendment No. 3: I recommend a “YES” vote. In this connection, please refer to my article, “Let’s Use Our Money!” in Original Entry No. 50, December 1980. With further thought on this subject since I wrote that, I have concluded that there is no immediate need to increase dues. I, therefore, recommend that during convention debate on this proposed amendment, appropriate amendment be made to insure that dues remain as they now are. I am convinced that we should not increase dues until we have used all the interest in our certificates of deposit and reduced our balance of cash. I remind you that once this proposed amendment is passed, dues will be set forth in the by-laws making it possible then to change our dues at any convention and effective on the date of the action.

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No” To An Increase in Dues
by S. Louise Rayle

I just got the Bundle yesterday and just now got around to reading Keith Gray’s Original Entry No. 50. Keith has brought out some valid thoughts and statements. I would say that not too many of our non-going convention members ever understood where all the money came from, I’m sure I didn’t until he stated it so clearly. I guess 23 years of experience helps in understanding money problems and solutions.

I don’t know about you, but I’d suggest that we leave dues at current amount until we see if we will need more to cover costs. Nor can I see increasing most expense amounts just so we can take care of increased dues. Needed and sensible increases I’m for, but as long as we have unused resources, why increase dues? I’m afraid there will be many Senior Citizens who will feel they must drop out because of it. I know I don’t contribute as much as I should, but circumstances are different in each one’s case. And well made plans don’t always materialize at times.

What is an Amateur?

An amateur is one who does a thing for the love of doing it. This definition was recently given by someone who explained that the word amateur is rooted in the Latin word for lover, amator, from amatus, past participle of amare, to love.

Now, if we, who are members of the NAPA, are truly amateur journalists, as we claim to be; then, by definition, we write, print, edit and publish for the love of doing it. The key word in the definition is love. Do we really love to write, print, edit and publish? We have evidence that some cf us do, that some of us do not, that some of us blow hot and cold and that some of us are luke-warm. If all of us really did love to write, print, edit and publish, then all of us should be active in doing these things, provided we still remain physically and mentally capable of doing so.

Have some of us lost our love? Is that why we have inactive members?

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Handset and printed by Keith M. Gray at the Gray Private Press, Mundelein, IL 60060. A 7×11 Pearl used to print 430 copies sent members of the NAPA and other friends.

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