ance figures do not always present a true picture but a close study of per- 

 centages based on attendance versus total membership cannot be disputed. 



Cost of Operation. The cost of operating a shell club can vary greatly, 

 depending on location, transportation, types of communities, simplicity or 

 elaboration of program and activities, and a host of other factors. Meeting 

 places may in some instances be a big cost factor. The Philadelphia Shell 

 Club pays 16 percent of its income for meeting rooms with always the pos- 

 sibility of a cost increase. In some communities meeting rooms can be had 

 without cost, and in others, where groups are small, meetings may be held 

 in private homes. 



Meeting Notices. The expense of sending meeting notices is much 

 greater when members are notified in advance of each meeting rather than 

 when furnished a program for the coming season. Yet, since the former 

 procedure is felt to be a factor in ensuring maximum attendance, the Phila- 

 delphia Shell Club has adopted this practice and spends 12 percent of the 

 annual budget on mailing costs. 



Speakers should be reimbursed for time and expenses incurred in giving 

 club members education and enjoyment; this varies from a meal and/or a 

 small fee to transportation, lodging, and an honorarium if the speaker comes 

 from some distance. Here we spend 19.5 percent of our annual income. 



Some other cost considerations include stationery, secretary's supplies, 

 bank charges, sales tax, rental of projection equipment and films, AMU 

 dues (most shell clubs are affiliated with this organization), producing and 

 distributing an annual report of club activities, maintaining a scrapbook, 

 and providing an annual picnic. The list is not complete and the demands 

 of other clubs may vary somewhat. Accurate records should be kept and an 

 annual audit will then determine the financial condition of the organiza- 

 tion. Pro-rating to the various types of memberships will show whether a 

 preponderance of any one class is an asset or a detriment. As mentioned 

 before, junior memberships at a reduced rate are almost certain to be "in 

 the red," but should never be discouraged or discontinued. 



The Future. Many new ideas will be investigated and some of them 

 tried out by the Philadelphia Shell Club during the coming seasons. These 

 will include more "shell-of-the-month" reports with possibly printed copies 

 for distribution. There will be more club offerings of books, shells, and 

 field trips and lists of good collecting spots near home and for use on vaca- 

 tion trips. A study is being made on the subject of setting aside a portion of 

 regular or special meetings for educational purposes with certificates issued 

 for achievements in fields such as identification, cleaning, cataloging, and 

 possibly nomenclature. This should appeal to the young amateur. 



As in the science of malacology itself, there will be no end to the seek- 

 ing and the searching — and the rewards are endless, also. 



(89) 



