Pdga #'s

[dandaman]

I don't see how we could have a governing body the represents our sport without supporting them. Without dues how else is the largest organization going to support disc golf?

did you know that they can appoint their own board members, meaning they are no longer accountable to their members by election. They also changed the bylaws to do this WITHOUT membership proxy

Per PDGA bylaws: The majority of the Board of Directors shall be elected by the Active members only...A minority of the Board of Directors may be appointed by the Board of Directors in order to fulfill the needs of the Organization, as determined by the Board of Directors... What's the issue again? Did you know that as a member you can vote for certain board members this summer? If you really want to change the makeup of the board, then vote for different BoD's. The BoD's can change the makeup of the whole PDGA.

Have you ever looked at their financial statements to see where your money is spent promoting the sport? If you did, you'd find that the organization spends most of their revenue on office salaries, new improvements to a local course in GA (IDGC) and pro tour payouts and does very little to increase the disc golf footprint on the sporting landscape

Why yes I do look at the reports. Here is what I found for 2012: Total Income: $1,481,850, Total Expenses: $1,481,200 Not including the $650 put to the bottom line were they supposed to spend more? How is that not using income to better our sport? Also $400,000 is not a lot of money to pay out to: 6 full time office staff, 4 consultants, accountants, employer taxes, health insurance, workmen's compensation, and a web consultant. If anything they are underpaid. You have people who's sole job is to promote, grow and make our sport viable to the masses and you don't want to support them? Because of what a smoking policy? Get a grip. These people work very hard for the sport that they love and the last thing they need is people who play the sport actively to be flat out unsupportive.

To think your money is efficiently being spent on promoting the sport is a complete myth, and you'd find that LOCAL organizations do much more with a single $ than the pDGA ever would.

You are definitely correct that a local organization would do more with a dollar. But then again thier dollar is only being used locally and it is not being asked to stretch across the globe, as is the PDGA's. In the grand scheme of things the PDGA's impact on a local scene is going to be minimal...because quite honestly they are a part of the bigger picture rather than the smaller one.

Hence my decision to totally support the PDGA. Why wouldn't I? They (for better or worse) are our largest governing body. I love disc golf, therefore I support disc golf.

 

[mudslinger]

Re: PDGA taking too much for office staff...You're leaving out so much more on your analysis. here is what i found for 2010.

http://www.pdga.com/files/documents/10-11_PDGA_Financial_Summary_Public.pdf

Take a look at 2010 financials, they are spending WAY more than the "office" portion as many other areas contain consultant fees.

So what portion of your fees in 2010 goes toward "growing the sport" as many of you talk about? We can go back and forth about what is or isn't considered a "growth" allocation, point is that MOST of your $ go to paying off either staff, bod, idgc, IT.

next would be tangible member benefits, like that dog tag you get each year and maybe a magazine, which do little to "promote the sport", IMO, rather keep members renewing.

Finally what's left over is the marketing expense, which DOES translate to promoting the sport. That amount is less than 10% of total expenses/revenue.

 

[mudslinger]

Per PDGA bylaws: Did you know that as a member you can vote for certain board members this summer? If you really want to change the makeup of the board, then vote for different BoD's. The BoD's can change the makeup of the whole PDGA.

Good luck changing the overall board as the BOD can pick and pack the BOD itself. If you did any analysis, you'd find that the member voting is no longer an effective mean to alter the BOD. An appointed member is likely more loyal to the BOD who nominated them rather than the members. Since BOD expanded in size and can appoint a minority share of members, a smaller majority can easily muster enough votes on subject by their appointed members. It is also difficult to clear the BOD of these small majorities with the change.

No matter your opinion on what the BOD can do with appointed members, the larger issue is that the pDGA CHANGED THE BYLAWS WITHOUT MEMBERSHIP PROXY!!! they didn't put it up to a vote at all. they simply had a conference call to inform the members of the change.

so please. if you feel you're getting something out of a pDGA membership, go ahead and pay it. But I'm no longer supporting this leadership nor the organization until the focus is turned back to members..

 

[dandaman]

Your prerogative.

If you don't feel like contributing to the really only one governing body of our sport continue doing what you are doing.

 

[DGRZ001]

the pDGA CHANGED THE BYLAWS WITHOUT MEMBERSHIP PROXY!!! they didn't put it up to a vote at all. they simply had a conference call to inform the members of the change

IIRC, the membership gave the BOD the power to make said changes.

 

[DavidSauls]

Your prerogative.

If you don't feel like contributing to the really only one governing body of our sport continue doing what you are doing.

Don't look at it as just contributing to the sport's major organization....look at it as being a part of it. It is, after all, a membership organization. You don't have to agree with everything the board does. But you can vote for the board candidate you wish, you can offer your services for the board (or a committee) and try to change things you think important, you can even use the word "we" when talking about the PDGA.

I don't begrudge those who choose not to be part of the PDGA, and I hope they're making a big contribution to their local disc golf scene instead.

 

[dandaman]

I don't begrudge those who choose not to be part of the PDGA, and I hope they're making a big contribution to their local disc golf scene instead.

Quite honestly, I hope they are too. There a plenty of people who I have known that are not members of the PDGA who have helped out greatly in terms of a local course or a local club, and they are very much appreciated. But then again I've also seen golfers belittle the efforts of others and/or the PDGA while in turn providing very little to disc golf besides their own personal play or personal opinion. To me the opinion of a non-doer is weak. Kind of reminds me of the story of The Little Red Hen. http://www.childrenstory.info/childrenstories/thelittleredhen.html

Don't look at it as just contributing to the sport's major organization....look at it as being a part of it. It is, after all, a membership organization.

I could not agree more. The PDGA is a member run organization. I contribute and I am a part of it. I don't see a reason why I should ever want to not be a part of it.

 

[biscoe]

i would happily be a member again if the ORG gave any indication whatsoever it is interested in retaining members such as myself. the way they could do that is to have a low cost membership option. i'm done paying $75 a year for the worst website in the western world and the ability to buy cheap insurance for my tournament. hell, they can still charge me the $10 per tourney non-member fee for all i care, i don't have time to play tournaments anyway.

 

[craftsman]

The pdga made it very clear to me that they would rather have the slight possibility of attracting youth and spectators (lol) over my membership

If the simply said no tobacco at majors thatd be one thing; instead the basiclly said smokers are bad people.