on 11/19/01 12:05 AM, David Rotenstein at [log in to unmask] wrote:

> As I navigated through the SHA Web site to renew my membership and pay out
> an additional $20, the thought occurred to me to ask why SHA does not more
> readily adapt to the electronic world to cut its costs and the costs passed
> on to its members By paying my dues electronically, I have eliminated
> another piece of paper arriving via the USPS. A payment system is possible
> that eliminates most processing by the SHA. I also would elect to receive my
> newsletters in Adobe PDF format if the option were available. Renewal
> notices and election information: send them along electronically, too.
>
> Is there any way for the SHA to explore a sliding dues structure to cut the
> dues for folks who elect to conduct their business with the organization and
> who are amenable to electronic publications (I like my Historical
> Archaeology in its traditional paper format just fine!)? Membership in the
> SHA is worth every penny, I just think that with the increasing options for
> paper to electronic conversion, the costs do not need to keep increasing.
>
> David Rotenstein.
>


I think this is an excellent idea - though perhaps not for the anticipated
reasons.

As things stand, SHA membership is a much worse deal for overseas members
than it is for members residing in North America: Currently, our journals
and newsletters are sent surface post, and we therefore often find out about
conferences and other issues after the appropriate deadlines.  Our inability
to travel to North America also renders any conference registration discount
derived from SHA membership essentially worthless.  Additionally, SHA
membership fees have already gone up in order to help subsidise a regional
organisation (ROPA) that, however commendable in its goals, is essentially
irrelevant to those of us practicing outside of North America.

An electronic newsletter (and ballot, etc.), combined with a sliding dues
structure to charge members less if they use this service, would go some way
towards redressing a few of these imbalances.  But like David Rotenstein, I
like the journal itself the way it is (even if it does turn up months late).

Either that or our newsletters and journals could be sent airmail - but I
don't really ever expect that to happen.

Alasdair Brooks



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Alasdair Brooks
Department of Archaeology
La Trobe University
Plenty Road
Bundoora VIC 3083
Australia
Phone - 03 9479 3269
E-mail - [log in to unmask]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The buffalo tastes the same
on both sides of the border"
Sitting Bull