[steves504@yahoo.com]

Not a bad proposal/thought and something to truly consider. However, the timing may not be right if there are other options and approach to consider before hiking tax.

One option could be instead of increasing cost of good standing, use past 2-5 (go as far back as before covid) and analyze our fraternal cost. We may be able to cut cost in certain areas that we may overlook. Using the annual budget and actual year end cost, we can take an approach where unused budget cap gets transfered into another line item or eliminated.

Another option can be maintain the same chapter due amount but increase the tangible benefit for chapters that pays it. One could be including a waived registration to the next national meeting for the 2 delegates per chapter that pays the dues. They a lot more changes that need to be done in other areas to make this work (too much to type the full place and approach) but by doing this, you can increase the number of chapters that pays the dues since they can actually touch/experience a reason to pay. Add this option to the 1st one, you increase incoming revenue while cutting down cost/expenses.

Maybe consider tying down chapter due cost to chapter growth. A chapter with more members pay less (sounds backwards but could help). Establish buckets like chapters with 1-3, 4-7, 7+ (use current data to establish our average and then do 1 under and 1 over bucket). This will hopefully give chapters incentives to cross more and from that revenue, will help offset cost for what is “lost” from reducing chapter dues. More members is also better than more chapters at this point of the organization.

More options but this question to me need to taken into a war room and a working session of different fraternity members and some with past leadership experience from different era.