In January our Wisconsin Chapter was lucky enough to have Will Decker come up from Chicago to do his Structure Course. Since it was approved for Illinois CE we got the needed materials to allow Illinois inspectors to come here and do the course for CE. Only 2 came up from Illinois and only 1 passed the exam.
Since then we got a bill from the Illinois State Chapter (see attached). I am a bit confused as to why I got billed by the chapter, since the Illinois Education Administrator is distinct from any chapter. (Can you say co-mingling)?
The bill came in an envelope ($0.39 postage)with a one page invoice (“receipt” and another page explaining the “Illinois Continuing Education Event Procedures” (received after the fact).
I also received a follow up phone call from the sender to advise me that if we didn’t pay it, no mare Illinois CE would be honored in the event we do another “Illinois approved” course here in Wisconsin.
I promised he would “get it”, so I thought you guys might want to help me GIVE IT TO HIM!
I have a ton of things I could say about this. Nick asked me to post the pdf attachments so you could all help me out with this quandary :roll:
David. Don’t worry. We are taking up a collection. If 252 members will pledge to pitch in a penny each, we might be able to cover it. Just teasin’ ya Ken.
Just send you $0.01 or more (no more than $0.03 per member though)t o the Illinois State Chapter at the address on the invoice. Make sure to include info on what it is for. A copy of the invoice would do (if you can afford the extra sheet of paper).
Of course it is true that no member should HAVE TO spend money out of his own pocket to do something for another member. It makes sense that a chapter should pay for the CE certificates, printing and postage out of proceeds for a chapter event. Since we had just one Illinois resident pass the exam, I thought a little professional courtesy might have been in order her.
I put my volunteer efforts (and occasionally) a few bucks out of my pocket, not because I HAVE TO, but because I GET TO.
I consider it a privilege to contribute to the betterment of other inspectors and the rewards far outweigh the cost. I value my time enough to know that i the situation was reversed, there is no way in God’s little earth that I would ever send an invoice to anyone, anywhere, for any reason, for $2.52.
But then again … that’s just me!
Since this expenditure was not approved (in advance) by our board of directors, it will have to wait until our next board meeting to get authorization to pay it. Hopefully we will not accrue any interest, in the meantime. Maybe we could just take it out of PETTY cash (what a fitting term).
“I also received a follow up phone call from the sender to advise me that if we didn’t pay it, no mare Illinois CE would be honored in the event we do another “Illinois approved” course here in Wisconsin.”
I find the “threat” just a little bit disconcerting…
I spent 3 minutes reading this post and getting a chuckle out of it. I value my time at $110/hr so that works out to $5.50. Where should I send the invoice? Is the Waterloo, Ill address on the bill a good one?
I don’t have an issue with paying such costs in the future (should we do any other courses that also have Illinois approval). We can easily charge slightly more for Illinois participants to defray any additional expense. We did have to print out the exams, the answer keys and CE application forms as well, and spent extra time with the participants.
IMO, the best practice in such an unusual circumstance is to simply advise us of the policy and costs for future events. We don’t go to an inspection and then send an invoice for something we didn’t agree on in advance. I expect that we need to treat each other the same way.
I received a pdf copy of the exams, answer keys and CE application forms. For some reason the policy statement (that came with the invoice) was not included in the advance information.
Obviously the amount is small enough that it is hardly worth arguing about. By the same token it is hardly worth the time, paper, postage (and a phone call) to collect.
It is the thinking process that even put this in motion that concerns me. If you charge $110.00 an hour and spend 1 hour and 1 minute for a client, do you bill them $110.00 or $111.83? (Rhetorical question)
Since when does Russ Meyers’ make-believe “chapter” (the collector of these funds) have any say over whether or not the State will give credits for a course it has already approved? Am I reading this correctly? If you owe Russ $2.00, he can withhold CEUs?
The chapter is not a make-believe chapter. It is Non-for-profit Assoc. Registered In Illinois. I due contribute my time to NACHI for all the paper work it takes to give CEU in Illinois.
The chapter that gives the event is the one that collect the money and part of giving an Ill CEU is the cost of the mailing of the CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION along with printing out the exams, the answer keys and CE application forms as well, and spent extra time with the participants.
NACHI give me no funds to due the mailing. Will if you due not like paying for the mailing get Nick to give me funds to due it with.
NACHI Approved Policy: This policy was approved by Nick, Joe, and John.
The chapter/group that holds the event will pay all costs for printing and mailing of certificates of completion.
**Greg talk about a cheap a$$ (David posted we can easily charge slightly more for Illinois participants to defray any additional expense.)**That says a lot about the people from that chapter.
Just to be clear! this has noting to do with the Illinois State Chapter. It has to do with the NACHI Illinois State Education Administrator. Money for handling the affairs of administrator should come from or go to a chapter.
I know Russ had dreams of somehow getting the state chapter to become all powerful over other chapters, but that is just not a reality.
Since Ken decided to be a smart ***, here is the bottom line:
You want to talk principle over a $2.52 bill lets talk principle. $2.52 or $252.00 it makes no difference. The policy was disclosed AFTER the event was held and paperwork was sent in. As a matter of principle, we were entitled to that information BEFORE we held that course.
Regardless of any policy or who it is or is not approved by, nobody but a complete MORON would EVER send anyone a bill for $2.52, for any reason whatsoever or under any circumstances. Period. (Unless you are a computer for some medical office or utility company).
If you want to get me started BUCKO, go right ahead. I will EMULSIFY you!
I think NACHI needs to find another Illinois Education administrator who has not been hand picked and trained by Russ Meyers. But then again that’s just my lowly opinion.
Since it WAS already an Illinois approved course, it made sense to allow Illinois inspectors to take it here if they want. If I had known what it would cost I would probably just dropped a check in the same envelope with the graded exams and applications.
We did have a nice contingent of 9 Illinois inspectors at our Tuesday night seminar, though.
There is no chapter war here since the NACHI State Educational Administrator is not a Illinois State Chapter position. Just because Ken is the President of the chapter AND the state administrator, it does not make the two things any less distinct. It was inappropriate for the Illinois State Chapter to send a bill for NACHI state administrative costs, to anyone.
Ken told me the money came out of his pocket. To do a dance of our chapter paying another chapter who is then paying him back, is just plain lunacy.
I hope your chapter does well, I just hope chapter money isn’t being spent on administrative costs for other chapters events. It is important to keep those monies completely separate (no matter how little or how much it is).
I’m surely not the one to be giving advise on how to run things in Illinois. But it is obvious that some advise is needed from someone when bills for $2.52 are going out to anyone.
Just teasin’ ya Ken.
