Board Chair Update May 2018
Susan Fittanto, Sa Bom Nim, Board Chair
Greetings Members and Moo Duk Kwan supporters,
I hope this finds you in good health and spirits.
The Federation’s Board of Directors met via teleconference on May 16th and the following were the major discussion topics and action items.
Registration is currently open for the 2018 National Festival at La Torretta Lake Resort in Montgomery, Texas.
The 10% early registration discount ends May 31st.
In response to member requests for early notification of future event dates, the Board’s goal is to identify and announce the next future National Festival date and venue at the current year’s event. The opportunity to participate is accessible to more members when the Festival is hosted in different locations around the U.S. This is the second year Region 6 has hosted the Festival and absent interest from a different region, we are currently in negotiation with La Torretta Resort for the 2019 National Festival.
The Board remains open to review viable member proposals for alternate venues in different parts of the country and invite you to communicate with fellow members of your region and submit your proposals to Headquarters through your region’s Board Director.
Due to the success and positive feedback of the 2016 Membership Drive, the Finance Committee conceived and recommended a new 2018 Membership Drive 3.0 to the Board. After diligent review and discussion, the Board approved implementation of the Discover Soo Bahk Do Membership Drive 3.0 to run from June 1st to October 31st. Detailed information will be forthcoming on all facets of the Drive including:
- Tiger Tots program incentives and items for purchase intended to connect parents and children to the Federation, increase benefits for students and reward instructors
- Multi-year membership renewal discounts
- Lifetime memberships discounts and incentives which provide a significant discount on current Lifetime membership cost scheduled to increase Jan 1, 2019.
- New studio certification incentives providing necessary studio supplies free for a limited time
https://soobahkdo.com/membership-drive-2018/
Technology Committee Update
The Board recently convened a Technology Committee chaired by Hays SBN that has been working diligently to research and evaluate the cost and viability of a cloud-based solution for studio owners to be able to submit gup tests and track student membership information. The committee has identified several potential solutions and is in the process of testing and evaluating them.
Headquarters Fulfillment and Delivery Timeframes
Early this year, Headquarters updated office technology which significantly increased staff productivity. The staff at Headquarters has adopted a next business day to 2nd business day fulfillment goal when feasible and implemented advance email notification of all shipments from Headquarters so you know when to expect receipt.
Online membership registration and renewal at www.soobahkdo.com 365/24/7 remains the fastest way to obtain proof of membership and updated membership cards for rank testing and event attendance.
Financials
An overview of the 2017 YE financials was presented by the Finance Committee. Gross revenues were up from increased member support through dues and fees; however, net funds available for pursuit of mission objectives were down slightly.
The rate of membership decline slowed in 2017 and with your active support of the 2018 Discover Soo Bahk Do Membership Drive coupled with a Board and TAC focus on Youth Leader initiatives, instructor certification improvements and increased new studio owner assistance we are hopeful that 2018 will be a growth period for the Federation.
Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to preserving our art for future generations.
Respectfully in the Moo Duk Kwan,
Susan Fittanto
Board Chair
