Chosen few get free ride at cost of others (for MSU only) -- RSQUBF discussion forum

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Date Posted: 15:32:20 09/09/04 Thu
Author: Jan
Subject: Chosen few get free ride at cost of others (for MSU only)
In reply to: former 's message, "No Free Ride That I Remember" on 11:50:43 09/08/04 Wed

My experience with MSU is this.. and mind you I've left UBF 5 years ago so I can't give you recent news.

There was the full conference rate, weekend rate, and daily rate, Youth rate, Missionary/delgate rate = $0.00 as of 1999 maybe earlier, Chicago (and any chapters that didn't have to fly in)rate. Those who drove to MSU were charged a much larger rate than those chapters that had to fly in from let's say California or some other state where driving was not possible and tickets were expensive. Since Chicago was a large chapter it helped cover a lot of expenses. These pro-rated rates depended on the chapter director asking for a break. If the chapter director did not ask for one, one was not given.

Outside of offering, the MSU budget was established to wash out or come in with a small profit for surprise expenses. That included all expenses they would need for not just MSU but expenses occuring before and after the conference. After conference expenses were high! Once I heard they chartered a plane to fly delgates to other parts of the US during their week long visit. They always had the boat tour on Michigan Ave on Sunday afternoon in the past.

Common expenses outside of housing and food, the translator walkman's rented here in Chicago, buses to bus delgates to MSU and back, hotel expenses where the delgates stayed (most paid by delgates but not all expenses), Kinkos/duplicating fees, computer related expenses, video equipment rental and other like expenses I haven't mentioned. There's a lot to put a conference together and it's no cheap. UBF also had to feed people arriving before and after the conference in Chicago. It all adds up.

The offering was not viewed at all in the figures. So if you include the offering. Yes there is a profit for sure. There was a time when the MSU budget had a deficit and Lee was ready to hurt someone for mismanagment of funds. That never happened again, honestly they were always trying to make sure they came out of it in the positive profit side to avoid getting in trouble.

Joe is right, there were the "register by faith" non-refundable deposits that were kept, those again helped defray the costs. Sometimes the registration ladies let you pool the money together to cover one person but again, you lost the number so you didn't do this until the last day of registaration when there were not going to be anymore meetings, or someone showed up with a larger number of registrations and you won't notice the change. If the money collected was enough you could ask for a refund. Most did not since they never asked for it but the few that would ask would get it.

Americans (white and all others residing in the US) pay no matter what, America is a rich nation. Foreign delagates paid a lot to fly here sometimes well over $1000. Especially those from 3rd world countries. Not sure if they were so nice to delgates from other more well off countries (Germany/Britan. The idea was they should not be punished with a registration fee after paying so much to fly over, American attendents would cover those expenses. Sometimes a fee was collected from the "richer" delegates but it was small not even close to what chicago paid per registration. Chicago was chosen to pay more than others since chicago was a larger group and asking a few dollars more from them would be easier than adding extra $20 on other chapters. I always felt they way the decided how much each chapter paid was odd. Just because someone didn't complain did not mean they were not suffering to cough up the costs.

Also,those who attend for a day or just the weekend, paid a bit higher rate than those who would be coming for the weekend. For ex: Let's say full registration for 4 days was $150, weekend rate was like $90-$100. Daily rate $50.00-$75. Punishing the "uncommitted" person. They got a better rate if they stayed the full time. I don't remember the costs anymore or I would tell. Maybe someone else can mention what they were doing this year.

All other conferences where Americans were sent were always expected to pay full price and leave a heafty offering, since "we can offered it".

Has UBF annouced what they will do with the MSU offering collected? I bet not.

Lee was a business man interested in the profit always (whether financial, spiritual, physical or whatever). No doubt about that. He always wanted to have the most people, the most registrations, the most number of marriages at one time, the better name, the best family, best fellowship etc... Many may say it was just striving to be the best he can be, but I think it reveals the fruit of his spirit--greed. I say this because it's true that he despised and punished you if you didn't help him with his tasks to make UBF #1. Especially when there was the possibility and pressure of being exposed as less than #1. Jesus told us to judge others by the bad or good fruit they give. Watch carefully UBF's fruit and decide for yourself. There are some good people in UBF unfortunately they are not in power. Most of UBF's problems are rooted at the top. No repentance for their sins has kept them from really making any progress as a church.

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