CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIP FEES: J. Dan McAskill 
     
    
   
   
    
     Approximately two years ago, the Natural History Society of 
     
     Prince Edward Island was advised that the joint printing 
     
     arrangement with the Department of Tourism and Parks would be 
     
     discontinued. This arrangement allowed the Parks Division to print 
     
     the back cover of the newsletter to pass along news on P.E.I. Parks 
     
     special events to Society members as well as schools throughout the 
     
     Island in exchange for free printing of the newsletter. The 
     
     Society provided the editorial work for the newsletter, compiled 
     
     and recorded bird sightings to allow updating of the checklist, 
     
     participated in ecotourism promotional and training events, and 
     
     distributed the newsletter to schools and other environmental 
     
     groups. Thus both parties gained from the arrangement and the 
     
     costs were minimal to each. However, in 1992, the Parks Division 
     
     withdrew its financial support and the Society was charged the 
     
     costs of production and mailing of the newsletter on a cost 
     
     recovery basis. This forced the Society to review the arrangement 
     
     and subsequently increase the membership costs to $ 12 per year to 
     
     allow distribution of the newsletters to members (approximately 
     
     180), schools (75), other environmental groups (25), and those 
     
     interested in joining the Society. 
     
    

    
     This spring, the Department of Economic Development and 
     
     Tourism advised the Society that changes in the access to the 
     
     Queens Printer’s had limited the number of copies each department 
     
     can have made. Thus, the Natural History Society of Prince Edward 
     
     Island lost access to printing through the Queen’s Printer’s 
     
     Office. Exploration of the costs at private printers showed that 
     
     the costs of production doubled. The cost breakdown for printing 
     
     of the newsletter is now: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Description Double-sided printing of 
     
    

    
     3 pages 6 pages 8 pages 
     
     Printing $ .610 $ 1.130 ‘ $ 1.507 
     
     NHS Printed Envelope . 161 . 161 . 161 
     
     Label .010 .010 .010 
     
     Stamp .460 .738 .738 
     
     Total $ 1.241 $ 2.039 $ 2.416 
     
    
   
   
    
     To continue producing the newsletter in its current format of 14 to 
     
     16 pages per issue, the actual cost for member's copies alone would 
     
     be $ 14.50. This converts to an actual cost per member of slightly 
     
     over S 22 when the cost of printing and distribution to schools, 
     
     the environmental newsletter exchange, and promotional copies are 
     
     included. Clearly, as the present membership fees of the Society 
     
     are $ 12, the Society had to re-evaluate the entire system of 
     
     production, distribution, and membership fees. 
     
    

    
     The first step in this task was an evaluation of the necessary 
     
     changes in the system for the 1994 membership year as these are the 
     
     present costs. Thus, the schools throughout the province who have 
     
     received the Island Naturalist free were sent a questionnaire with 
     
    
   
   
    
     _3..