One of the first League memberships generated by the new Manufacturer Membership Program (ICOM) was turned in to the ARRL booth at the Dayton Hamvention while I was there [See ARRL-ODV:8791]. Actually, the would-be member showed it to Larry Price, W4RA, who asked me what it was and what to do with it. Since neither of us knew what it was, we got it into the hands of one of the ARRL Sales staff across the aisle. I did take the time to read the certificate/application; it is a little misleading. I suggest each of you (at least the Directors) get a copy from HQ to see for yourself. The certificate is marked in two corners with the figure 15 preceded by a dollar sign, so it must have a face value of $15, as Rod Stafford says in his message. All around the edges of the certificate are the words--A GIFT FROM ICOM--repeated 20 times! This implied to me, and I think it would to most people, that the applicant for membership is getting a $15 donation to ARRL from ICOM to supplement his own $24, as a reward for his spending $200+ on ICOM equipment at his local dealer. This is the way President Haynie thought it was going to work, when I queried him later in the day. When I talked to Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, our Sales and Marketing Manager later, he said that was not quite correct. As you saw from Rod's e-mail, if you read the fine print, ICOM is not paying a dime in cash to the ARRL to redeem these certificates. On paper only, ICOM will give ARRL $15, but ARRL will return this same amount to ICOM as a Finders Fee (?). This is justified as being just like the $15 Finders Fee we give to ARRL affiliated clubs today. This reasoning fails to take into consideration that when a new member joins through a club, he pays the full amount of $39, out of which we can well afford to let the club keep $15. In the case of the ICOM promotion, the new member is only paying $24. What can you call it but voodoo economics! 73, Frank Butler, W4RH