# Last Standing Charter Member To Win Great Prize **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 20, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623 "2009-07-20T14:22:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/21 "2009-07-21T14:14:58Z")
> [@bonitahi](#): > > Agreed. But the Laws of Nature states that in time there will be a winner. In the end, there can be only one. Please do not consider this as my advocating that we start chopping each other’s heads off. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/22 "2009-07-21T20:13:49Z")
What, the last one standing? I’m always sitting down when I post. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/23 "2009-07-21T21:32:32Z")
Whenever and for whatever reason the board turns the lights off for the last time, there will likely still be many Charter Members. In fact I can’t imagine a scenario where the Charter Member population shrivels down to 1. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/24 "2009-07-22T03:20:53Z")
I can envision a scenario where the board ownership decides to abolish charter memberships by allowing them to expire and no renewals. Then the question becomes which charter member has the latest expiration date, and is it shared amongst multiple members. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/25 "2009-07-22T04:52:09Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > No. Can’t inherit, can’t give away a screen name, can’t sell it, etc. > > Everyone must have their own individual screen name, one and only one. It’s not a commodity that can be bought and sold or traded or given away – or should be. Shit. There goes my latest retirement plan. Put my screen name and post count on eBay. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/26 "2009-07-22T06:52:37Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > I predict that everyone who dies will subsequently fail to resubscribe. > > Of course, everyone who fails to resubscribe will subsequently die, but the average interval will be much longer (unless there’s something very sinister afoot). zombie **dogbutler** will resubscribe from beyond the grave!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/27 "2009-07-22T13:20:08Z")
[Oddly, I anticipated this last month:](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=11290523&post11290523) > [@Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, shows his sincere grief by attending the BET awards gala](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michael-jacksons-father-joe-jackson-shows-his-sincere-grief-by-attending-the-bet-awards-gala/501301/41): > > Tontines between members are probably prohibited by the Registration Agreement ---
**Author:** ![straggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@straggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straggler)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/28 "2009-07-22T13:26:02Z")
What’s a charter member? ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/29 "2009-07-23T22:47:14Z")
> [@straggler](#): > > What’s a charter member? OK, now I feel old … People who signed up when the board first changed to a pay model, and have never let their subscriptions lapse since, are charter members. The perks are that you get a discount on the registration price when you renew, and you get the neat little ‘charter member’ title by your user name, which allows you to lord your regal status over mere ‘members’ and most especially the lowly ‘guests’. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/30 "2009-07-24T00:24:11Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > In the end, there can be only one. > Please do not consider this as my advocating that we start chopping each other’s heads off. Oh, you’re no fun anymore! :eek: eta: checks, yep, still a charter member. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/31 "2009-07-24T01:58:53Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Not to forecast doom and gloom and so on, but the board/CR/CL will probably be insolvent before the last Charter Member dies. Now you’ve done it. [Creative Loafing is in bankruptcy](http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2009/07/20/ben-eason-discusses-whats-next-for-the-reader). > [@](#): > > Creative Loafing, the company that owns The Washington City Paper and The Chicago Reader, is in bankruptcy. Creative Loafing bought both papers two years ago, in July 2007, with a $30 million loan from Atalaya Capital Management of New York City and a $10 million loan from BIA Digital Partners of Virginia. On August 25, there will be an auction at which the two papers will be sold. The only bidders are expected to be Atalaya and a partnership between Creative Loafing and BIA. If that’s true, the winner will be Atalaya, because Atalaya is now owed $31 million, and will receive any proceeds from the auction up to that $31 million, after minor debtors are paid. Therefore, Atalaya can bid up to $31 million without actually spending any money. Because of that, Creative Loafing is asking the bankruptcy judge to disqualify Atalaya from bidding, which would essentially make Creative Loafing the default auction winner. Creative Loafing’s CEO, Ben Eason, argues that the papers are his passion, that he’s the best caretaker for them, and that Atalaya is just in the deal for the money. That’s a sentimental argument; whether it’s a legal argument is yet to be seen. The judge is expected to make her decision and announce the auction rules on July 27. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/32 "2009-07-24T03:13:58Z")
Dooooooooooooom. ---
**Author:** ![straggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@straggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straggler)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/33 "2009-07-24T11:30:42Z")
> [@SCSimmons](#): > > OK, now I feel old … People who signed up when the board first changed to a pay model, and have never let their subscriptions lapse since, are charter members. The perks are that you get a discount on the registration price when you renew, and you get the neat little ‘charter member’ title by your user name, which allows you to lord your regal status over mere ‘members’ and most especially the lowly ‘guests’. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![bonitahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/34 "2009-07-25T16:23:30Z")
> [@straggler](#): > > Thanks. …And the last Charter Member gets to win a prize! By the way, what prize did they offer? ---
**Author:** ![bonitahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/35 "2009-07-29T02:32:28Z")
Ahh. To answer the OP’s question. I think the best SDMB prize should be… a lunch with Cecil! Paid for by the prize winner. Any better suggestions? Please? ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/36 "2009-07-29T12:11:41Z")
> [@bonitahi](#): > > Ahh. To answer the OP’s question. I think the best SDMB prize should be… > > a lunch with Cecil! Paid for by the prize winner. > > Any better suggestions? > > Please? If that was the prize, we would be whacking each other’s heads off for the win.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![cards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@cards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cards)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623/37 "2009-07-29T14:39:15Z")
Heading for Raleigh N.C. with my sword now… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-standing-charter-member-to-win-great-prize/503623.md?page=1)