Columbus Torch Club dues for 2023-24 Program Year

As we begin the new year in Torch, it is time to pay dues, and this year the Board decided it was time to raise dues, the first tme since 2011.

In August, the Board voted unanimously to raise the dues to $360 ($375 if paid after November 2, 2023).  All of us have seen costs rise and memberships become more expensive.  Sadly, after twelve years of keeping the dues at $300, the time has come for us to raise them to $360 for individual members. Households of two members will pay $670 if paid before November 2, 2023. ($700 after November 2, 2023)

Two factors prompted the increase. One was the International Association of Torch Clubs (IATC), which had not increased dues since 2008. At the annual meeting of IATC in Baltimore in June, we heard our Rich Davis give an informative presentation about the finances of IATC, past efforts at cutting costs, and the financial peril it faces. IATC provides our club with numerous services, including the magazine, web services, membership registration, a Zoom license, and handbooks on recruiting and best practices for clubs to be successful.   All clubs, including Columbus, voted to approve an increase of $15 per member of each club. So, our dues, paid by Torch Columbus to the international association will increase.

A second factor was that our club has had a declining financial reserve in recent years. It cannot absorb additional costs from IATC or elsewhere without increasing dues.   For several years, the club had a healthy financial balance sheet, from the time when it had more than 90 members.  That enabled us to maintain membership costs at the level of twelve years ago.  However, as our membership declined to less than 60 members (credit Covid and the aging process) our revenue from dues declined, costs rose due to inflation, and the financial reserve shrunk.  Last year, the Board discussed raising dues but chose to reduce costs by ending the cheese and vegetable trays during the social hour. No one complained. Still, the club drained its financial reserves by $5600 in the last year alone.  This cannot continue without erasing the financial reserves and potentially bankrupting the club within a year or two.

Guests are always welcome. The price for non-holiday dinners will be $35 for each; the holiday dinner in December is $45 for each guest.

To pay your dues, make your check payable to:  Torch Club of Columbus and send to our Treasurer, David Lenz, 1926 Lake Shore Dr., Columbus, OH 43204.  Or bring your check to the first Torch Club meeting on October 5, 2023 at the OSU Faculty Club. 

New options for club members not attending Torch due to COVID

Although most Torch Club members have attended the in-person monthly meetings that resumed in October 2021, there are a few members who have been reluctant to attend in person due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. These members or persons in their households may be at greater risk for the illness for a variety of reasons. As a result, the Torch Club at its March 3 meeting set aside an area of socially distanced seating for members particularly concerned about COVID-19. This will permit them to hear the Torch paper. In addition, the Faculty Club will prepare a take-home dinner for these members. If you require a takehome dinner, please indicate that in your RSVP to Thom Seelbach’s monthly Evite.

Presentation by Anne Croskey on May 2, 2024 

Anne E. Croskey, Ph.D., will deliver her Torch paper, “How Does Psychotherapy Work? Clearing the Way for Success,” on May 2 at The Ohio State University Faculty Club. Her paper won’t focus on psychological theory, but what she describes as “the how’s and why’s of everyday practice – helping people overcome the issues that obstruct their goals.”

Anne is a licensed clinical psychologist who has offered psychotherapy in a solo practice for more than 35 years. Prior to entering private practice, she directed the Children’s Mental Health Center Northwest for 13 years.

“With such a lengthy career, there aren't a lot of people's problems I haven't encountered along the way,” Anne says. “I work with children and adults in individual, marital and family therapy. I am also a licensed chemical dependency counselor, dealing largely with adults struggling with alcohol problems.”

Torch Club’s monthly meeting agenda:

4:30-5:30 p.m. Board of Directors meeting

5:30-6:15 p.m. Cocktails and conversation

6:15-6:35 p.m. Business matters

6:35-7:30 p.m. Speaker

7:30-8:45 p.m. Dinner and table discussion

Torch papers for the 2023-2024 Program Year

The Columbus Torch Club meets monthly from October through May, typically on the first Thursday of the month. For a list of the Torch papers to be presented during the 2023-2024 program year, please click HERE.

Torch papers for the 2024-2025 Program Year

Our website says “ Join us for intelligent and respectful discussion in challenging, even chaotic, times.”  The starting point for discussion has always been a presentation of a Torch paper by a member of our Torch Club. Currently, Torch in Columbus is beginning the work of planning for a new year of programs. If you would like to give a talk, recommend a speaker or topic, or be involved in planning the schedule of talks, please contact Don Larson ( larson.4@osu.edu) or Rai Goerler ( goerler.1@osu.edu).   At this early stage, many dates are available. (Note: A speaker can bring one guest free of charge.)