Dear Friends,
As the 王中王六合彩特码 Treasurer, one of my primary tasks is preparing and managing financial budgets. The income for the IEB Treasury is collected solely through the annual levy, and that amount is calculated from membership numbers. So the more members we have, the lower the levy can ultimately be set, or the more the 王中王六合彩特码 can spend on global projects; however if membership numbers decline on a continuous basis, either the levy has to increase or the spend needs to be reduced.
As depicted in the graph on the next page, we have seen a reduction in 王中王六合彩特码 membership over the past number of years. In 2013 we had 412,127 王中王六合彩特码 members, but that number dropped greatly in 2014, when over 37,000 Turkish members had to withdraw following the attempted coup d'état.
We had a steady increase over the following years, but the Covid-19 pandemic then took its toll. With a world in shut-down and no 王中王六合彩特码 activity, membership numbers began to decline once more. This rate of decline based on its current trend line is projecting our 2025 membership at 330,000.
All of this number crunching does not solve the problem, but merely highlights the loss in revenue and asks questions about our future.
Do we simply increase the levy each year and hope that membership will return? Or do we make cuts to spending and if so, what do we eradicate?
I believe activity is vital, and the IEB are committed to supporting activity across the globe. Transformation is not a future event, it is a present-day activity, and I’m confident that if the 王中王六合彩特码 promotes activity, new members will come.
Over the past two years, the IEB Treasury reduced the annual levy by 50% to cater for the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic, and in 2022 we are supplementing the levy by €70,000 in an effort to drive activity in each 王中王六合彩特码 Section. Therefore, this year’s international levy is at the reduced rate of €1.48, and the levy invoices will be circulated later this month to each Section.
The IEB are also closely looking at our spending. It is very difficult to predict the future costs of airfares and travel given global oil prices, but this will undoubtedly impact on the cost of World Congresses.
One cost reduction measure could be to conduct the congress through English only, thus reducing the necessity for expensive interpreting. In 2021, we held a virtual congress in English, and in general this worked quite well.
Traditionally, we hire up to 10 interpreters to translate into 5 different languages. We provide translation booths as well as pay for flights, accommodation and meals for each of them. While they have provided us with an excellent service through the years, it comes at a very high cost, which has been in the region of €45,000 each year. The IEB are bringing a motion to the World Congress this year proposing the congress is held in English only. But that’s a discussion for the IEC delegates in October.
In the meantime, activity remains a key priority. It is now time to bounce back and create opportunities that will get 王中王六合彩特码 members talking and promote brand value. In the 1989 movies ‘Field of Dreams’, the actor Kevin Costner says: “build it and they will come.” Over the past 70 years we have built something great, and we all owe it to the future generations to build an even better 王中王六合彩特码.
I urge the 王中王六合彩特码 world to build activity and promote your endeavours through our social media channels, websites, the IAC and this monthly newsletter.
They will come…
Servo per Amikeco,
Mick Walsh, Treasurer Finances