Am 10.03.2013 20:45, schrieb Federico Leva (Nemo):
Chapters have fees because associations have fees; they should follow the laws and customs of their geography and a one-size-fits-all global regulation would be a big mistake. (It might even be illegal in some jurisdictions for some associative forms.)
I also question your secondary premise that interested people are left out by fees, and I encourage you to demonstrate this claim.
my point of view is that sometimes it just makes sense to have fees just as a principal: If you are a serious organisation you need serious people. Having to pay a (small) fee is a certain "filter" to get people who are more serious than those who would become a member just because it sounds fun and is free anyway.
/Manuel