[SJAAboard] Toward a Library Model for the Loaner Program

[Gary Mitchell]

Mark Wagner wrote:

> Should we spend it on a storage locker?  If the price and convenience were right.  I'll equate
> this to something we look at organizing GSSP - shade.  People do bring their own canopies, but we
> know it is inconvenient and makes for a less "friendly/social" event than if a large central shade
> area were available.  So, we spent $1200 on a pair of 18x27 foot canopies to join together, for a
> hospitality area.  Wants and needs.  Did we need to do that?  No.  We wanted to because it makes
> for a better program, we know it does.

Where did that money come from?

In the case of SJAA's loaner program, any storage fees would
come from our general fund, at least initially.

A significant amount our income comes from donations, but I
doubt too many of the donors would want it to go toward a
storage locker, especially if there is free storage still
available from the membership.

If enough people think this is a good idea and are willing to
donate to it, that's fine.   I'm not against a storage locker
in principle, they can be very convenient, but it's expensive
enough to warrant exhausting other options first.

As for wants vs needs...  We may "want" a good solar scope,
or some other scope.  That's one thing.  It's related to the
club's purpose.  But "wanting" a storage locker is a lot
harder to justify.  That's the sort of thing that should fall
under the "need" category.

Gary