No, I didn't like it either, but we ran out of options. By vote of the Directorate (5-1) Dues are increased to $15 for US members, $18 for Canadian and Mexican members, and $25 for members residing elsewhere in the world. The difficulty is simple. For years, I have been using a local printer, and paying $65 an issue for printing. The local printer was a husband and wife operation; they retired. The next cheapest printer, for fewer copies, is about $115. We are paying about $1.40 a person to sent an issue to each US member. With the dues increase, we are getting $1.25 per member per issue. That's not really quite break even, but it's close, and your humble Treasurer will cover the difference.

If anyone has a local club willing to collate, fold, and mail issues, in a town with cheap printing, I will propose cutting dues of its members to the marginal cost of printing the issues for which they will not need postage. We'd pay a real printer for the same service; why not keep the money in the hobby? Other ideas are welcome.

Finally, the Directorate approved putting out-of-print issues on www.magweb.com, and holding a sale on old issues: 10 for $10.

Congratulations to our new officers: Greg Schloesser, Richard Gutenkunst, Brian Train, Paul Meyer, Scott Boyd, David Maye, Andy York, Richard Kramer, and John Kula. The future of the SGS is indeed in good hands! We have outlasted one Millenium, and will I trust be good for another! Forward to the Third Millennium!

I expect that this will be the last issue of Strategist that I edit, at least for some number of years. Up to the vagaries of three printers, issues have come out on time, month after month, at 12-page length. The voice of the members shows that I have not been very successful at delivering what people wanted to read, as witness that membership is about back where it was when I became Editor. I do get nice notes on occasion, which I much appreciate.

We have a new crew of officers coming on board. The new crew has as their mission motivating our members to Serve the Hobby! and Contribute to the SGS!

As outbound Editor, I shall float two final ideas:

First: We're no longer college students. Most of us are reasonably well to do, and could afford to contribute to the SGS for advertising purposes. I therefore propose to establish a special Fund for the Propagation of the Society, to be based on donations, whose purpose it is to advertise the SGS.

Second: We need an organized means of folding, stamping, and mailing Strategist. This is hackwork, not officer work; I propose we give a group of volunteers who does this regularly and on time reduced-cost memberships in the Society. It's no different than paying the printer to feed the Xerox machine.