BOF Membership fees and Levy

Ref popSOCK 28/03/2012 comments on AGM proposed revision to the Membership Fee and Levy structure.

I am not sure I follow the argument that some small clubs will be financially penalised by this proposal to the point that they become non-viable while other clubs, such as SOC, who put on large events, may benefit.

My understanding of the proposal is that most members will pay a lower fixed membership fee but all participants will pay a levy at every event they enter. This means that the more a participant competes the more they pay to support the sport. This seems very reasonable to me.

I don't understand how this affects clubs. Clubs do not pay a levy on their events; the competitors do. The promoting club simply acts as a conduit to collect competitors' levy fees and pass them on to British Orienteering. The levy is simply part of the marginal costs along with, e.g. the cost of the map, that should be taken into account when preparing the event budget in order to set a realistic entry fee.

The removal of a participation threshold below which no levy is paid and above which it is paid will simplify the system, as will the other measures that are being introduced to streamline the system.

On balance, I see this as a long overdue simplification of the system through which participants financially support British Orienteering.