A lot of posters in this thread have asked what benefits the chapter members get from the national. Here are two benefits:

(1) many --any maybe, most-- new members of the chapters come to the chapters after first joining the national and then learning about the chapters through the national (newsletter, conventions, internet, etc.). So the the members of the chapter can thank the national for the members (new and old) they trade and confer with at chapter meetings.

(2) having and supporting a large national gives added clout to a national organization that represents all chip collectors and deals with the public, casinos, chip manufacturers and regulatory agencies on matters of chip concerns. Even if the Club doesn't do much of this lobbying work now, it is nice to know that a large national will be there when lobbying issues are dealt with. That has to help individual chapter members......

Robert