Re: Rent-a-Realist

[P3D Gregory J. Wageman <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Dr. T. responds to my suggestion that club members pool their interests:

>Expecting the members to contribute an extra $100-$150 to buy an RBT camera
>is unrealistic.  There are more important things (like a better projector)
>that must be purchaced first.  Plus, how can those people agree on who is
>going to use the camera and when?  Too many questions, not enough money.
>That's life! :-)

The way the astronomy club does it is to have a sign-up list for
each 'scope.  Each member is allowed a fixed period of time to use
it, after which, if there is another member signed up for it, he or
she must return it.  If no one else has signed up to use it, they are
offered the option to re-sign it out for another period.  The order is
first-come, first served.  You might have to wait a while, but you
know in advance when your turn is coming, so you can plan for it.  I
see absolutely no reason why this couldn't work for a camera as well
as for a telescope.

As for $100-150 being "unREALISTic", that's about the going price of
a Realist 3.5.  Many (most?) of the people on this list have already
spent that at one go.  Many of us have spent that many times over on
multiple cameras, viewers, etc.  Given my example of a club with just
30 members, is it really "unrealistic" to ask them to contribute $10
a month for a year for the opportunity to use a fine piece of "otherwise
unaffordable" equipment like an RBT?  Once the purchase is made,
remember, the item can circulate indefinitely.  This benefit of
membership should help attract new members to the club, as well, providing
a larger pool from which to draw income.

I suggest that if your club members can't part with an additional $10
a month, then their commitment to their hobby is rather shallow.  Many
probably spend several  times that much on some vice they'd be better off
without (cigarettes, alcohol, candy... whatever).  That's less than the
cost of one roll of film with processing.  Gosh, if your members can't
afford that, they're in the wrong hobby!

	-Greg W.


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