It doesn't matter if they are rich or not. If they don't work, and you
don't charge them, they are free-loaders that are leeching off other
people's work and efforts. IMO, it's just not right to let these people
get away with not doing anything at the expense of someone else
having to cover for them. If they can't or don't want to work, make
them pay the difference in money. If they get mad, let them go to a
commercial operator where they will be served by others the way
they want, but then they will have to pay for those services anyway.

RO

I hope I wasn't misleading because I agree, Mike. The attitude I have encountered numerous times is that a club member should not be allowed to pay the difference in money if they don't contribute their time. Having been at clubs that took somewhat different positions, I can see both sides.

My personal view (having used commercial operations for 20 years) is to encourage members to work while allowing them to pay. One reason soaring is declining (IMO) is all the things that compete for our time these days, from jobs that are nearly 24/7 to family to other sports and leisure time activities. For a lot of people, soaring is just not the #1 thing in their lives that it was for me for many years. But we need all kinds. And some members who don't want to show up one day a month for ground crew duty might be very happy to do some pro bono legal work defending against a community effort to put the gliderport out of business, for example.

Chip Bearden