Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association

I wouldn't be in favor of basing registration fees on food and beverages. Let's all think about this: how would other professionals view an organization who offers free seminars and charges for food and beverages?

Just something to think about.
Kathy

Couldn't that same question be asked, but in a slightly different way: How would other professionals view an organization who offers free seminars yet fights "freebie giveaways" (e.g., gifts, free services) on other fronts? What are we teaching our members about value when we are offering "free" seminars?

I'm not trying to be cantankerous, but one of our speakers last year made this exact point.

Candis Bradshaw

In my opinion, PCRA should stop offering free regional seminars to A members. The problem with this concept is when reporters need CEUs, they join PCRA as an A member. When they don't need CEUs, they do not join. Some reporters renew their membership at the A level regardless of their need for CEUs, but there's many that do not join, even at the B level. I feel the A members are subsidizing the free seminars for the reporters who only join PCRA when they need CEUs. The A and B level doesn't seem to be working and, in fact, seems to be hurting PCRA's treasury. My thought is to go to one level of membership and do away with the two-tier membership and the "free" seminars.

The whole purpose of the free seminar structure was to increase membership. The established goals were fifty new members per year. We began the program with a membership of 262. In the first two years of the program the board anticipated drawing on the wealth of court reporting talent within PA to put on the regional seminars at minimal cost. Once we hit the target of 100 new members, that new dues income would permit paying for high-quality national speakers, as well as improve funding to other PCRA programs.

The success of the program was predicated upon clearly and consistently demonstrating the value of PCRA membership. Everyone wants value; we were providing it. At that time there were approximately 300 PA reporters who were members of NCRA but not PCRA. We wanted to target them and show them that joining PCRA would actually save them money, since PCRA membership would allow them to receive their full NCRA CEUs at less than the cost of belonging only to NCRA and paying for the NCRA seminars. Belonging to both NCRA and PCRA is less expensive than belonging to only NCRA and paying NCRA to attend seminars.

The program worked well. We actually increased our membership by 100 members in the first two years. Two years after implementation of the program our membership was 360, our coffers were full.

Since that time membership has been declining. There's more to the plan, but those details aren't important to this discussion.

PCRA cannot continue to provide the free seminars if there isn't also the effort to recruit new members. I will support whatever the Board decides.

Jim DeCrescenzo

James DeCrescenzo Reporting, LLC
1880 JFK Blvd., 6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.564.3905

Jim,

Thank you for your post.

Could you please refresh my recollection as to any "national speakers" we have had at conventions or seminars prior to 2007 (when Pam Rigby became conventions chair)? I honestly can't think of any, but I'm sure my memory is incorrect.

Thanks!

The intent was to implement the national speakers after gaining 100 new members in two years. Two years of the program passed, we picked up 100 new members. All was on track. Then NCRA's Midyear came to Philly in the Spring of the third year ('05?) and NCRA and PCRA had a joint convention. From that point membership began to decline and the goals and intent of the program were not maintained.