Are dues required?

I'm hoping to get a good turnout of people who want to try Dagorhir. I planned on telling them about Haven and encouraging them to consider joining, but I'm afraid that if dues are required, it will turn them away.

Also, what do we use dues for anyway? It seems like most of the stuff involved in Dagorhir along the lines of weapons, armor, transportation, event costs, etc, is the responsibility of individual members.

Dues are required to become Haven citizens. If you want to be a Man At Arms, you must A) Pay dues, B) Have garb, and C) Choose a vocation.

Here in Rolla, dues are very important. We use them to buy any sort of equipment we might need for a practice (we've bought ropes and tent stakes to set up boundary lines for various scenarios, for example). We're planning on using some of the dues to possibly help pay a couple of members' way to Gates if people can't come up with the full amount as well, I think. Dues can also help possibly pay for gas money, food rations, maybe a tent if we can't come up with enough room, etc. Whatever we decide to use them on as a Province, as long as it's not like "buy a pizza after practice" or something equally silly. -.-

Honestly, I can't see who would be turned away by a $5 a year joining fee. Clubs on campus ask for way more than that.

If all they want to do is fight, then technically they don't have to pay dues. We won't come knocking on their doors with collection baskets. However, if you explain to them that the money does not benefit the realm or sport, so much as themselves, they may reconsider. As Kairi said, we've used our dues here to buy things like rope for bridge battles, loaner weapons (basically given away to new members), and garb.

If they want to become any more involved with the realm (vote, ect) then they would need to pay the $5. One problem we have had however, is that our dues are sitting in a box gathering dust. So I would recommend creating a committee of sorts to finds things to spend the dues on, otherwise they may be forgotten.

Yeah, I can see where you guys are coming from. I just wonder if there are people who would be like "Psh, I don't want to pay money so some other kid can have a sword or go to Gates or have gas in his car." Especially if they don't plan on being very dedicated to Haven, which is a distinct possibility. I can't think of specific people like that, the people I've met seem cool enough to pitch in for group supplies. And you're right, $5 a year isn't really a lot, and with enough people pitching in it could go a long way. I'll see what the people think about it tomorrow.

I'd say (and I don't know if my opinion matters) that if you wait until you have people coming and fighting who want to join Haven and start a group there, you'd have people that you could use the dues directly for, making loaner weapons etc, and I don't think anyone would have a problem with paying.