1132 Museum Membership Duties

Friday, February 23, 2007

I went to the Maritime Museum today to learn my duties as "keeper of the membership database". I was there a hair over four hours, and I've got a handle now on sending out the renewal reminder letters, and handling the renewals as they come in, what goes to whom, and what records and files get updated.

I go back on Wednesday to learn about sending out the membership cards and premiums. The way it's set up now, it's a big job. I'm hoping I can streamline it some. From what I hear, it's a lot better now than it was a year or two ago, so I think the powers will be amenable to further improvement. I'll need to follow the current procedure for a while, to see the bits of wisdom that must be kept. (They're using Lotus, and that's about the only common application I haven't taken a class in. Bleck.)

I'd like to see automated alerts, for example, and addresses printed directly on envelopes and forms, instead of printing, peeling, and sticking expensive labels. We sent out 58 reminders today and almost one man-hour was sticking labels.

There are certain parts of the job that I have already told folks that I refuse to do. I will NOT be in charge of getting and/or maintaining second class or bulk mail permits. I flatly refuse to have anything to do with the post office people, beyond dropping off items. As an unpaid volunteer, I feel that I have a right to set my boundaries. The folks to whom you pay a salary have to do what they're told - I don't, I won't, and if you don't like it, fire me.

I'm not comfortable with applying for matching corporate grants on membership dues, either (I don't know if anyone has ever figured out what percent of the dues is donation and what is benefit, and I think there's a legal exposure there), but we won't get into the process for that until next Wednesday, so I'll reserve judgment until then.

Not much else today. ATM, groceries. Ate yogurt for breakfast, an orange for lunch, and the other half of Wednesday's chicken salad veggie wrap for dinner. I can't remember the last time I cooked something. Most of the dishes in the sink are Miss Thunderfoot's (she doesn't "do" dishes, you know, or any housework, for that matter).

Piper left a phone message, wants to know if I've got the tax stuff together yet. Sigh. I guess tomorrow I'll have to spread papers on the bed and just DO IT! It'll take only maybe three hours, but I have trouble getting started.
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