Membership – Letter (Oct 2008)

Reproduced below is the text of a letter sent to all members in October 2008.

The last AGM in March 2008 agreed an increase in the subscription to £20. The Committee had recommended this, albeit reluctantly, because it had stood at the old figure for six years whilst costs continued to rise, especially the Cryptian which is the most tangible benefit of membership. Our reserves were diminishing and we wanted to devote some resource to a membership drive.

Membership subscriptions are of course totally separate from the Bursary Fund on which I enclose a separate note, and in an ideal world, we would have a Direct Debit mechanism rather than a laborious standing order however our numbers are too small for any bank to be willing to offer that facility.

I should also add that we have again investigated the possibility of making the Club a charity to maximise the benefit of subscriptions but we are not acceptable to the Charity Commissioners as we stand and the Committee do not think it possible to meet their criteria, particularly when existing school charities are under great pressure to justify their continuing existence.

We are therefore taking the opportunity to write to all Old Cryptians who have been members over the last five years, to ask them to complete a new Standing Order Mandate for £20 (see enclosed), and update their personal information on the attached form, in particular an email address and contact number.

If you would prefer, the documents are available online at www.oldcryptians.org although you will need to print out the standing order and send to the address shown on the mandate.

We urge you to complete and return the standing order and personal information, to ensure the Club continues its long traditions of providing a network for Old Cryptians to foster and renew old school friendships.