Re: [Callers] Caller's Fees

Three of us volunteers run the Fermilab barn dance series about 30 miles west of Chicago. http://www.fnal.gov/orgs/folkclub/ The schedule is the second Sunday evening September through June, plus the third Sunday afternoon November through April. So, 16 dances per year. Admission is $6 ($3 for ages 12-18 and over 65, free under 12) We typically get 10 to 40 people these days. We've had ups and downs over the years. We get the venue free. It is a former dairy barn of peg and post construction that dates from somewhere between 1896 and 1910. Insulation, heating (but not AC), and plumbing were added in about 1970 when it was adapted to be a meeting and party space. We also have a disco ball. Caller and band split 80% of the door. Our 30 year old agreement (from when we charged $3, if I remember correctly) sets the minimum to be divided at $100. Over the past few years typically it has been $25 to $35 per person. We don't have a sliding scale based on band size, but sometimes band and caller agree among themselves on something other than an even split. We have a sound system and one volunteer runs it. -Dave Harding