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Bar News - May 18, 2001 Membership Meeting Scheduled for June 4 Dues Increase Proposed A SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP meeting of the New Hampshire Bar Association has been scheduled for Monday, June 4 to seek approval for several proposals, including the first dues increase sought in seven years. The meeting will take place starting at 4 p.m. at the Ramada Inn, Amoskeag Bridge Exit, Manchester. The dues increase proposed by the NHBA Board of Governors would raise dues in most categories by $50, and is only the second dues hike sought by the Bar in 21 years. If approved, it would take effect for the upcoming 2001-2002 Bar year. Although the Bar’s membership has grown by more than 30 percent since the last dues increase, dues income has not offset the demands that a larger membership and a more competitive professional climate have placed on the Bar. The Bar, in fact, relies heavily on non-dues revenue—over 60 percent of its income comes from program fees, publications advertising, grants and other fundraising. Among state bars nationwide, the New Hampshire Bar has the fourth-highest proportion of non-dues revenue as a portion of its budget. However, steadily increasing costs and the expansion and improvement of member services and programs have heightened budget pressures. For the past few years, increasing expenses have been absorbed through greater reliance on non-dues revenue and conservative financial management. New revenue has been generated by increasing the number of NHBA CLE programs, which have grown from 45 to about 80 programs annually since the last dues increase in 1994. Since that time, Bar News has converted from a newsletter to tabloid format, providing more articles and court-related information and expanded advertising opportunities. Creating a Web site to provide more responsive member services required additional investments in technology and staffing for this entirely new medium. At the same time, as with other businesses, the Bar has had to invest in technology to replace its (vintage 1987) membership database with a Y2K-compliant program. The membership meeting is being conducted according to Article III of the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Constitution, which specifies that notice of a special meeting of the association must be provided at least 15 days before the scheduled date. Although the meeting will be open to all members of the association, voting is limited to active members (Section 4, Article III.) Since the amount of dues is specified in the NHBA bylaws, a vote of the membership is required to change that amount. The active members present at the meeting shall constitute a quorum. Another proposal that will be put to a vote will be a bylaws amendment that would give the Board of Governors authority in the future to adjust dues, within a certain limit. (Click here for related article on several unrelated bylaws and constitutional changes proposed by the Board of Governors).
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