PSIA-NW Dues, Not as Much as You May Think!!
by Diana Suzuki
PSIA-NW Financial VP

Welcome to the Financial VP’s corner. In our re cent membership satisfaction survey, the cost of dues was one of the areas of apparent greatest member dissatisfaction. But how much do you know about how your dues compare to those paid by other instructors across the country? If you want to know more about your membership dues, read on!

Did you know that there are 9 divisions within the Association of Snowsports Educators of America (PSIA/AASI)? PSIA-NW with approximately 3,300 members is the third largest division behind Eastern with 11,000 members and Rocky Mountain with 5,500 members. Alaska is the smallest division with only 215 members. In winter it is dark in Alaska, which sounds exciting for skiing and snowboarding, but it could be a reason the membership is so low. (Skiing/riding in the dark is a quick way to lose members never to be seen or heard from again.) There is good cooperation between the divisions. Last year we invited several other divisions to join our Sun Valley Symposium, including the host division, Northern Intermountain. Chris Kastner and Nick McDonald from our division traveled to Alaska to help that smaller division with its certification program.

While every PSIA/ASSI member pays the same $40 national dues, each division sets the amount of its divisional dues. The survey tells us you think we are doing a pretty good job providing good quality educational material and events. That’s important. You also told us you don’t much care for paying dues. Surprise, surprise! Who does? But did you know that PSIA-NW’s dues of $30 per year are the lowest of any division! Most division’s dues range from $35 to $45. If you compare the cost per member to provide all services to its membership, it is amazing how well PSIA-NW manages its expenses. For example, based on information recently provided by each division to national, for every $1 spent by PSIA-NW, the two divisions closest in membership size to PSIA-NW spend $1.33 and $2 respectively. These figures may not be precise, but they do illustrate how well this division manages its expenses. The services provided by the 3 divisions are very similar: administrative costs, manuals and other education material, training, exams, newsletters, etc. PSIA-NW does not subsidize its low dues with event fees, which are comparable to those of the other divisions.

It is PSIA-NW’s goal to provide the best product to its membership at a reasonable cost. The point of this article is to let you know that we are very cost conscious. We are constantly working to keep our overhead low and still provide the quality you expect. A small hard working staff and lots of wonderful and knowledgeable volunteers accomplish this.

Let us hear from you. If you have better ideas how divisional dues should be spent to support your expectations, please email myself diana.suzuki@astronics.com , President Ed Younglove edy@parrandyounglove.com  or the office office@psia-nw.org . You can also call or write the office. Your input is important. See you on the slopes!