[jja-announce] vote in the JJA Jazz Awards, and reminder of the dues increase

[Jazzmandel at aol.com]

Hey members, if you haven't already, please go to Jazzhouse.org and vote in 
the Jazz Awards. Our deadline to do this is short this year, so get it out of 
the way -- it won't take long and it's fun (enough for jazz) and your vote 
could change everything (yes, just like in the upcoming presidential contest. 
Though that's a LOT more critical). 

thanks -- reports on the musical acts, the fundraising efforts, etc. when 
next I pull everyone's coat-tails. 

Oh yes, about the dues increase: As of June 15, the date of the Jazz Awards 
event in New York, regular annual dues for the JJA go up from $30 to $40 for 
members in the US and Canada (outside N. America won't change -- you folks don't 
get to most of our programs, and the mailing costs are rising). The JJA has 
not had a dues increase in 11 years, and $40 is still way below what comparable 
professional organizations collect.

 Dues go to support printing and circulation of Jazz Notes, our largest 
regular expense (it's been suggested that we do it online, and that's been 
considered, but rejected on the ground that there are significant advantages to hard 
copies), other printing (such as membership brochures, though we have Blue Note 
Records to thank for the current one), the small annual fees accruing to 
Jazzhouse, parties such as the ones at IAJE and in Vancouver and Chicago and 
Boston and other chapter sites, some board member phone and mailing expenses, and 
as seed $ for the annual Jazz Awards, which so far have been essentially 
self-supporting. This year we have also had attny's fees (at a significant discount 
going to Steven Robinson for his dedicated work helping the organization 
obtain its legal corporate and not-for-profit tax exempt 501C3 status. 

The dues increase was supported unanimously by about 60 members at the IAJE 
JJA meeting last January -- that is not a majority of the membership, but it 
WAS representative of the membership in geographical spread, age, gender, and 
manner of work done (writing, editing, broadcasting, photography, other). All 
JJA officers were  present, and approved the increase. The IAJE JJA meeting has 
become our largest meeting of the year, and works as the organization's annual 
meeting, which under our new corporate status must be held. I personally hope 
you feel you get $40 a year value from being a member of the JJA, and if you 
don't, I'm not the only officer who wants to hear about how we can do more. 

all best (don't forget to vote) Howard