College Club Dues

[qatet]

Well, since money seems to be such a hot topic on the boards right now (and since I'm playing around with the budget for the Bryn Mawr Fencing Club, one of my newer coaching gigs), what are the dues for your college fencing club? What do those dues get you? (Not just - "they cover my competitions," but how many competitions are in your typical schedule? Not just - "they let me use gear" but what type of gear (electric? dry? Only at school? Also at USFA meets or over the summer? Any and all details are appreciated.)

[Inquartata]

$20 per semester. Includes lessons ( for actual students ). Includes use of equipment, ie boxes, reels, etc. Includes masks, jackets, knickers, gloves, body cords, lamés, etc. for pratices and tournaments...although people are encouraged to get their own gear as soon as they can. Includes weapons and repairs of same.

[RITFencing]

At RIT we charge 15 for a quarter or 40 for a year (a year is three quarters since we're not around in the summer.)

This entitles you to practice with the club as well as borrow any equipment you need, electric or dry.

People are allowed 3 free practices to decide if they like it.

[KD5MDK]

From when I was there (nothing's changed that I know of):

$100/semester. Does not cover competitions. Allows attendence at practice (4 nights a week), full electric gear for some time (fencers are strongly encouraged to buy their own, but there's stuff for everyone) 1 lesson a week if available (1st signed up that night, 1st served). Electrical gear can be checked out for out of town tournaments. Summer availablility is vague because of the lack of precedent. I don't think any tournaments were held in the summer not on campus (there were 2 the club hosted) which fencers who didn't own their own gear intended to attend.

[telkanuru]

$100/semester

-Food at comps (collegiate only)
-(crappy) team gear if you need it
-Hotel stay and travel at comps (but not dinner after, collegiate only)
-Lessons as often as the coach can give you one

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Originally Posted by telkanuru

$100/semester

-Food at comps (collegiate only)
-(crappy) team gear if you need it
-Hotel stay and travel at comps (but not dinner after, collegiate only)
-Lessons as often as the coach can give you one

Plus, there are associate members who have a reduced charge that doesn't alloow them the benefits of fencing in collegiate meets, and they get bumped down to last on the lesson list. I think it's like $50/semester or something.

[larkmaj]

Per academic year:
$75 student ($55 first semester $20 second)
$105 non-student ($75 first $30 second)

We used to split it evenly between the semesters but we get a better return this way, also turnover is a little lwer since the spring semester would be so much cheaper. Also the first semester is higher because beginners get more coaching, and if you're not a beginner you're probably going to stay the whole year.

As far as what it gets you, full use of our equipment (dry, electric, 3-weapon), can take it out for tournaments and even the summer in special cases. A small refund on USFA membership (so they say, i've yet to recieve mine). Lessons when you ask. Oppurtunity to go on a trip to Canada (costs extra). Also, if the armorers are free, they have been known to fix personal equipment that's not their own (happens more often now than before).

Also, nothing is required, if you pay you come when you want, nothing is expected.

[qatet]

It sounds like the one major bit of info that's missing is - how competitive are your clubs? Do you have meets? Does the club pay for entry dues and/or transportation? Or is your club mostly self-contained, practicing at the school and pretty much staying there?

When I was at Smith, we had a similar uneven split like RPI's dues structure, but we also only took newbies in September and March.

[Point_Left]

$115 For non-students, $105 students. There is an early bird payment discount. Fees include:
-Membership in provincial association (not "National competitive" passport)
-Use of club equipment. We have electric gear. Fencers may borrow for tournaments, but there are no breeches available for borrowing for tourneys, so you do have to buy some equipment in order to compete. And a glove. We've given up on providing them as they keep going missing. We strongly encourage fencers to buy their own stuff - they are more likely to stay, and they can wash the uniforms whenever they smell. The last time the club ones were washed was summer...
-Facilities to fence in (three "official" times per week. I think the foilists have started kidnapping the unbookedgym on Fridays...)
-Begginers get group lessons with coach.
-Private lessons are available at an additional fee.

I think that is everything.

[larkmaj]

Ah, well, we run 2 tournaments a year (this year three) all in the illustrious spirit of the HB division (sarcasm). As far as competitiveness, aside from the team tournament trip to canada you basically go to whatever tournaments you want, pay yourself, and gas may be reimbersed if there is any money left in that fund. Fencers are encouraged to go to tournaments but not required. It is as competitive as you want to make it. The majority of fencers however, do not compete.
Also, our tournaments are run as fund raisers for the club. We minimize cost by not hiring referees (it's the way of the division whether we like it or not). Gets us a new set of reels and score box each year.

[telkanuru]

Originally Posted by larkmaj

Ah, well, we run 2 tournaments...in the illustrious spirit of the HB division

so... poorly?

[KD5MDK]

If they're not hiring referees, I'd say yes.

My former collegiate club hosts 2 large tournaments a year, and has started adding a smaller one or two. All intended primarily as fund-raisers, though one is also the Section Circuit event for our Division, and the large ones are run as competently as possible. The smaller of the 2 main ones was this weekend and had 2 Certified Referee Instructors as well as a dozen or so total rated refs, and a few unrateds were used for the E & Under events. Sabre self-directed pools, in that the rated refs who were in each pool did most of the bouts. Still bought us 2 aluminum sectional strips last year, plus assorted other stuff.

[larkmaj]

Originally Posted by telkanuru

so... poorly?

Well, as far as the fact that we don't hire referees and have complaints to that effect. However, in terms of organization and the like they actually run quite well. After all, this is an engineering school.

[RITFencing]

Originally Posted by larkmaj

Well, as far as the fact that we don't hire referees and have complaints to that effect. However, in terms of organization and the like they actually run quite well. After all, this is an engineering school.

RPI tournaments are generally pretty decently run, with one exception: We never know if it is going to be USFA sanctioned until after the fact. This has pissed off a good many fencers in the area, even though I still go to them

Please, decide in advance with this year's RPI open.

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by telkanuru

$100/semester

-Food at comps (collegiate only)
-(crappy) team gear if you need it
-Hotel stay and travel at comps (but not dinner after, collegiate only)
-Lessons as often as the coach can give you one

Granted Telk's time there (this year and last) and mine (the four years preceeding that) don't overlap, I have fairly strong objections to this as a categorization fo what dues at UMass get (or at least got).

Here is my list:

$100/semester or $175/year.

* Food at collegiate competitions (funded by the alumni association, actually, so I wouldn't normally include it except for the fact that it's on Telk's list)

* Gear -- which I disagree with Telk's assessment of. When I was with the team the team ordered all equipment from Uhlmann, masks were FIE, etc. There was a fair amount of legacy gear mixed in that was of -- let's be generous -- mixed and occasionally dubious quality, but the team had an on-going program to gradually replace and expand the inventory (several new Uhlmann lames of each type each year, several new FIE masks of each type each year, etc.). Most people ended up purchasing their own personal equipment (tagging along as part of one of two large orders to Germany each year), but there certainly was equipment available for those who needed or wanted to use what the club owned, as well as tons of equipment available for beginners (the club took over control of the inventory of the PE programs when UMass dissolved those offerings).

* Lodging, travel, and competition fees for collegiate competitions. The schedule has changed (noticibly reduced) somewhat since I was there, but during the last couple of years when I was coach this included 9 dates each year:
2003-2004:
* the Big One (a large fall collegiate individual tournament)
* Vassar Fall Invitational
* 2 conference meet dates
* a semi-official scrimmage with other New England area clubs
* Sacred Heart Invitational
* conference championships
* championship of the five local college club teams
* Collegiate Club Nationals
2002-2003:
* the Big One
* Vassar Fall Invitational
* 2 conference meet dates
* Tuft's Multi-Meet
* New England Collegiate Club League Meet
* Sacred Heart Invitational
* Conference Championships
* Collegiate Club Nationals (in Florida)
For the majority of local-area competitions (all the stuff around New England) the team crashed at the homes of parents (or occasionally parents of alums who were still connected to the team). This list does not include the annual Alumni Meet, not does it include a summer tournament organized and sponsored by FUMF, the fencing alumni association. For Collegiate Club Nationals it includes such costs as airfare.

* Additional funding for selected non-collegiate team competitions -- PdT, Summer Nationals. Entry fees only, not travel.

* Two paid coaches (plus, at times, a volunteer or two) who could organize and run practices and give lessons to the limit of available time.

* A number of electric machines -- a couple of SG's, an eclipse (a second has been purchased since I left), and an LP.

* 3 "full" practices a week (total 9-10 hours) plus an additional "conditioning" practice. A week-long winter camp before the start of spring semester for more intensive training.

* At times a deal for either discounted or free (paid for by the club by special arrangement) fencing at the better of the two local non-collegiate clubs. At times discounted (or free (again paid by the club or alumni group via special arrangement)) floor fees at one or two wider-area clubs during school breaks.

* 65 new members of your family.

-B

[seak]

at UMD
- 20 per semester this allowes you to use equipment (dry and electric), get lessons (such as they are we're not allowed to pay coaches), and practice three times a week and gets you consideration for team tournaments
- At one point we were charging 35 per semester for people who make the team as they use more of the clubs money, not sure if we are still doing this though (I'm not a student anymore, so I can't make the team )
- People are not allowed to keep gear over breaks, but can borrow them for weekend tournaments
- Club pays for entry fees to college team tournaments (BWCFC, USACFC's, NIWFA championships ) and most of the hotel and gas though fencers are asked to supplement costs
- club does not pay fees for individual tournaments (collegiate or USFA) but does heavily subsidize travel to college tournaments i.e. Temple Open
- all club memebers are asked to participate in fund raisers which range from cleaning up after concerts to tournaments
- The club hosts 1 or 2 collegiate events per year and Cherry Blossom
- we fence about 8 collegiate meets a year

Hope this helps

[gatorjosh]

We dont have dues at University of Fla, however, we pretty much have to pay for everything and it is a requirement to fundraise twice a semester at a basketball./football/swim meet, or something of the like. We have the usual crappy club gear, weapons, electric equip, etc.

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by gatorjosh

We dont have dues at University of Fla, however, we pretty much have to pay for everything and it is a requirement to fundraise twice a semester at a basketball./football/swim meet, or something of the like. We have the usual crappy club gear, weapons, electric equip, etc.

Just as clarification, coaching is paid for separately?

-B

[larkmaj]

Originally Posted by RITFencing

RPI tournaments are generally pretty decently run, with one exception: We never know if it is going to be USFA sanctioned until after the fact. This has pissed off a good many fencers in the area, even though I still go to them

Please, decide in advance with this year's RPI open.

Yeah, about that... It's not so much that we don't decide until after the fact, it's that some people (by people I mean person) decide to make people think it is USFA until we discover a non-USFA fencer rates high. Our tournaments are non-USFA for the reason that we don't even require our own fencers to be USFA.

That being said. I am going to be president next year and am going to do what I can to see if I can make next Spring not only a USFA event but also have paid referees. However, this would probably necessitate a rise in registration fee. I'm not making any promises though and the fall tournament will probably see no changes.



Also, I have another question about college club dues. Do the clubs keep the money from the dues, or, as in our case, the dues go to the union and we get a budget? In our case we don't really set the rates, although what the union doesn't know can't hurt us.

[keropie]

Well, we have a varsity team (clearly school members only, only if you make the team blah blah blah) which supplies practice gear, trips to our (roughly) 9 dates a year, lodging, per diem for food, warm ups, etc. However, every member of our team is responsible for supplying their own fencing gear other than body cords. The team does sell weapons to team members for a fairly low fee (up to two per year) and does supply armory work, even to the degree that if you break a blade, we replace it (not necessarily with what you had before).

Because of that our club is more aimed towards the community around us and the faculty/staff/family of the University. Any University affiliated individual gets a $5 discount from the below fees (other than floor fee):

Floor fee: $5
Group lesson fee: $10 (includes floor fee)
Individual lesson fee: $15 (includes group lesson and floor fee)

Generally speaking our group lessons are for beginning/intermediate fencers, mostly younger, and we have one or two adult lessons / week. We do host usually between four and six competitions a year, and have dry equipment available for u