Well, this is just a suggestion. I know I've informed Darleen and some people at the IBM before but did not get a response.

Here in the Philippines, it's hard to convince professional magicians and amateurs alike to join the IBM. They will always ask for the benefits. Back then, the only major benefit that a member could really enjoy was the Linking Ring magazine. Now we have the free website, which is still not a benefit for members who are computer illiterate.

If you'll take a look at all the benefits that the IBM offers, it seems advantageous only, if you live in America or Canada. People from abroad can enjoy some of the benefits like the conventions if they are rich enough to travel.

Lately, former IBM members that I have convinced to renew, renewed without the Linking Ring magazine. I for one renewed last year without the Linking Ring magazine, for I am unable to read them and they take a lot of space.

I renewed with the Linking Ring this year to take advantage of the free website, which is really a great idea, and also, so I could open the LR on the members site.

My suggestion is to have an IBM Local Ring Benefit Fund for members outside US and Canada, wherein part of the membership fee that we are paying the IBM goes to the local Ring. With this fund the local Ring, would be able to provide benefits for its members like health and life insurance, which the IBM members in the US and Canada are enjoying.

I know I've e-mailed Steve Hart with this suggestion this year and again, there was no response.

I hope to get a response.

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

Ronaldo B. Moraleta, M.D.
Ring Contact, Ring 328 / Past Pres. Ring 322
12 Firstpoint St., Philips North Point Park Subd., P. Dela Cruz St.
San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City 1116
Philippines
Telefax: (632) 418-1538
Mobile No: 0920-2364131
rmoraleta@yahoo.com

Well Ronaldo...I understand your frustration with trying to get a response from the IBM. I have been down that road myself. It caused a bunch of us to leave the local IBM Ring and start our own magic club.

I'd like to say a lot more, but I was told long ago that if you can't say something nice...then don't say anything at all. So...with that...I'll just keep quiet.

Good luck is all I can say. Mark.

They always do answer me, except for this one. And it's been years already.

Rmoraleta -

I am forwarding your message to the appropriate IBM board members and am asking them to respond to you. I don't know if your suggestion is feasible, but you deserve a response. Please let me know if you get one.

Bill

Mrunge -

I would be interested in knowing what specific problems you experienced when you didn't get any response from the I.B.M. It may be too late to get you Charlestonians back into a Ring, but I would like to try to make sure whatever happen with you doesn't happen again. You may sent me a private message and say whatever you need to say. I am a good listener and I will try to help if possible.

Thanks - Bill

Hi Bill,

I'll send you a PM. We never felt comfortable, or wanted to, discussing those things in public forums. I'm sure you understand.

Thanks, Mark.

Thanks Bill!

If you don't mind Mark, I would also like to know. That is, if you just want to share it. By PM of course.

Ron,
Sorry you haven't got a response from the IBM HQ but the benefits of belonging to the IBM are many:
The Linking Ring magazine is a great bargain, especially for members outside the USA. In order to treat every member alike, IBM HQ has stopped charging a mailing premium for overseas members! This is not a trivial expense, and unlike all other magazines, the IBM does not impose an extra mailing fee for overseas members! The costs for such fees exceed $30,000 per year! You can even read it in another language if you use the online option (although translation of magic terms is very hard). The magazine alone is worth the membership fee!

The Free Website is another fantastic benefit that would cost you the full price of the membership fee if you were to purchase one!

Other benefits include your eligibility to join Ring 2100 online. International Fellowship of over 13,000 members (and brothers) is one of the greatest benefits going. Improving Magic Ethics worldwide is nothing to be taken lightly and the IBM is committed to improving MAGIC. Our IBM Youth programs are improving and allow our younger members to get their own newsletter along with helping them enjoy our art! Our IBM Endowment Fund is helping others enjoy magic as well as trying to help preserve our magic history! The Magic Conventions that IBM puts on are spectacular... don't forget the IBM British Ring convention is the best in Europe! The IBM also supports FISM by being a major member and participant!

The US & Canada also enjoy our health and liability insurance benefits. We are trying to include other countries, but have been unsuccessful in getting insurance companies to bid on those options.

The IBM will support your Rings by giving them information and advice, but can not subsidize their activities. It is just not fair to the other 300 Rings and would be impossible to audit the spending of those Rings who would get subsidized. If you can't encourage enough members to join the IBM with all these benefits, seek help from your TVP or Ring Coordinator for advice.

Your IBM TVP's have helped many Rings get on their feet. My advice is to use them to generate ideas that you, at a LOCAL LEVEL, can do to make your Ring a success. You can ask others for help, but the local magicians must be the driving force to make your Ring a success.

While my personal answer, as a Past IBM International President, may not be the one you wished for, I thank you for your passion to get new members for the IBM and to make your Ring a success! Members like you make us proud and are the reason we are the best magic organization in the world!

Thanks,
Mike Gorman

Hi Mike,

I personally built Ring 328 with a little help from a few guys and was instrumental in winning the Superior Quality Ring Award for Ring 322 as its Ring President. I have been a Ring Contact for 10 years already and I believe have recruited a lot and still continue to do so, here in my country.

I personally mail applications free of charge and renew memberships. Most pay me in full or installment upon receiving their IBM cards or notice. Some pay in advance.

I am aware of all the benefits. All computer related benefits, are somehow not considered major benefits here in my country, as I have already stated above.

As already stated, the only major benefit that is enjoyed at the moment, is The Linking Ring magazine. Members here enjoy very much when they appear on the LR (articles usually written by me- Thanks to Phil for all his help!). But they seldom read the magazine, so slowly some opted to renew without the magazine.

I'd rather have them as IBM members without receiving the LR than having no IBM members at all, and convince them later to renew in full, if benefits outside US and Canada improves.

My first post is just a suggestion. If their answer is the same as yours, then so be it. I just want to hear their side.

Sincerely,

Ronaldo B. Moraleta, M.D.
Ring Contact, Ring 328 / Past Pres. Ring 322
12 Firstpoint St., Philips North Point Park Subd., P. Dela Cruz St.
San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City 1116
Philippines
Telefax: (632) 418-1538
Mobile No: 0920-2364131
rmoraleta@yahoo.com

Ronaldo,

I just returned from a 10 days road trip.

You must have forgotten I found I did respond to the email you privately sent out on July 14th.

I addressed my concerns with you regarding the I.B.M. membership in the
Philippines. Your idea about a Local Ring Benefit Fund for foreign members was sent to the International Relations Committee for their thoguhts.

As chair for the I.B.M. membership committee we are openly ready to support
any benefits you can bring to the I.B.M so we may adopt them for our members
in the Philippines.

I appreciate your constant interest and support for the I.B.M. in the Philippines.


Steve Hart

Hi Steve,

Here's the whole history. After my July 15 letter, there was no response.

As I have said, if Mike Gorman's solution at the Café is the same as that of the IBM, then so be it. I'm just informing you what's really happening here and I'm just offering a suggestion, which I offered many years ago.

I just want to know, if it was discussed or not. But now, I know that you forwarded it to the International Committee and that's good enough.

Many Thanks!

Sincerely,

Ronaldo B. Moraleta, M.D.



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ronaldo Moraleta < ronniemoraleta@gmail.com>
Date: Jul 15, 2006 12:11 AM
Subject: Re: IBM FYI
To: Steve Hart < steve@magic2motivate.com>


Hi Steve,

We have communicated a few years ago when I was Ring 322 Pres. and Robbie Wilmarth was still the Membership Committee Chairman. She knows my work very well, as well as Phil and Darleen.

I am always aware of the benefits that the IBM have been bestowing, and the Free Website is one of my major selling points at the moment, aside from the articles I wrote for both Ring 322 and Ring 328 on TLR. The members of both Rings liked the write ups very much, but they just want to buy the issues they are in, and do not want to renew nor become a new member. But of course, I never stop convincing them.

I proposed many times, a Local Ring Benefit Fund for foreign members, wherein part of the membership fee goes to the Ring. Then the Ring produces benefits for its members. But this proposal fell on deaf ears a long time ago and until now. Well, I don't know if someone did propose this on my behalf because I have never received any response.

Sincerely,

Ronaldo B. Moraleta, M.D.


On 7/14/06, Steve Hart <steve@magic2motivate.com > wrote:
Hello Ronaldo,

Your email was passed along to through Don Wiberg.

As the International Membership Committee Chairman I want you to know that you have my support and will anything I can do to help you in your membership campaign to the I.B.M.

Have you heard? We are now offering a FREE Website for our members. We have also discovered that our member Website are ranking very high through the search engines the I.B.M. is so popular.

We are currently offering a voucher (Until Jan. 1st of 2007) for $50.00 off any new member's registration fee for a I.B.M convention. Because of travel this may not be an incentative for our members in the Phillipines. If someone was compete in our contests and win the cash money along with the voucher, that may make it more affordable to come. (Next Year we are in Reno, NV.)

If there was anyway we could help co-op and offer a special Liability Insurance for the members in the Phillipines would that help make a difference. Here in the USA that insurance discount is valuable.

We recently offered a new Liability Insurance for our Canadian members.

Let me know what we could do to help out.


Steve Hart
I.B.M. Membership Chair
Past Executive Committee Member

1-800-504-4800

http://www.magician.org/member/stevehart

324 Tyler Ave.
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920 USA


----- Original Message -----
From: Ronaldo Moraleta
To: IBM Secretary
Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:25 AM
Subject: Re: No July TLR


Hi Don,

I have been encouraging other magicians to become an IBM member eversince I became one. I believe I'm one of those who have recruited a lot in the past years here in the Philippines and tried to maintain their enthusiasm to continue their membership.

The main problem here is the bad economy. Another is that, Magic is easily and freely accesible on the internet. And most of the professionals here think that they don't need the IBM and it is an added expense. There are some pros who are currently using the IBM but are no longer active members (has not renewed for a long time). You could see the IBM logo or name on their websites, profile, flyers and calling cards.

I never stop recruiting. Next week I have one for you. What I do is I do eveything for them, all they have to do is fill up the form and give me the money after the IBM office receives the application. I pay for the postage, free of charge and use my credit card for processing. My only problem is finding time to mail their applications due to my busy schedule as a Medical Doctor.

I also do a sort of customer support for the members. Whenever they have problems, I solve it for them by communicating with the IBM office.

Our goals and intentions have always been good, and I believe with continued persistence, we will be able to push forward.

Thanks for the reply!

Magically,

Doc Ronnie Moraleta
Past Pres., Ring 322 (2002-2004)
Current Ring Contact, Ring 328


On 7/13/06, IBM Secretary < ibmsecretary@comcast.net> wrote:
Hi Doc Ronny:
Thanks for letting us know your journal arrived and thanks for being a loyal member. Many organizations are experiencing a decline in membership, ours included. If you know of anyone with an interest in magic, encourage them to join. Have them take a look at http://www.magician.org

Regards,
Don Wiberg, International Secretary
and Past International President, 1984/85
International Brotherhood of Magicians
http://www.magician.org/member/dewiberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Ronaldo Moraleta
To: IBM Secretary
Cc: IBM Headquarters
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 6:46 AM
Subject: Re: No July TLR



Hi Don and Sindie!

I just received my July issue this afternoon.

Thanks!

Magically,

Doc Ronnie

On 7/11/06, IBM Secretary < ibmsecretary@comcast.net> wrote:
Dear Rolando:

Sindie will look into this. Sorry for the delay.

Regards,

Don Wiberg, International Secretary
and Past International President, 1984/85
International Brotherhood of Magicians
http://www.magician.org/member/dewiberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Ronaldo Moraleta
To: IBM Headquarters
Cc: IBMSecretary@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 10:37 AM
Subject: No July TLR


Hi Sindie,

I still haven't received my July issue of the Linking Ring.

Hope you could solve this problem.

Sincerely,

Ronaldo B. Moraleta, M.D.
53235R

With the increase in membership fee, we are really in dire need of benefits to promote IBM here in the Philippines.

After 4 years, I wonder what happened to this proposal.