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SEPTEMBER 2005 DISTRICT 1 REPORT:
Andy Argenio, District I Vice President
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE district officer
meeting are presented in this column. The guests and AVP’s in
attendance came from throughout the New England area. Prior
to the meeting, a list of topics were mailed to the AVP’s and
guests to gather input from clubs and members within their jurisdiction.
Some of the hot topics of discussion follow.
Communication – The officers and
guests agreed that the area of most concern and essential for
good member morale was improvements in communication between
the Vice President, officers, clubs and members. Communications
builds confidence in members and a willingness to cooperate
in AMA district activities.
In addition to web based information
and discussion forums, we are planning to do the district newsletter
more often. How often depends on the cost. It was decided that
selling advertising space may be the best way to fund additional
publications. A district news editor will work with club newsletter
editors to acquire content for the district newsletter.
As leaders we not only have a responsibility
to convey information, but, we must provide a means to solicit
information and listen to what clubs and members are saying
in order to make decisions that best represent member views.
It was emphasized that more, face to face, meetings between
district officers and club officers at club meetings and events
is necessary.
Safety Coordinator Liability
– The district safety coordinator expressed the fear of some
club safety coordinators that they might be held negligent and
liable than other for accidents or violations of the safety
code. It was decided that a report would be written advising
clubs on how best to incorporate the duties and authority of
the safety coordinator into their club bylaws, as well as establishing
a safety committee embodied in the board of directors of the
clubs that would provide direction and authority for the coordinator.
These steps would help to insulate the safety coordinator from
personal liability.
Safety Code Violations –
The district officers acknowledged that the AMA Safety Code
provides for a system of “self regulation”. AMA head quarters
may become involved if the club doesn’t take appropriate and
adequate action for a violation. The district officers would
like to develop a plan to aid clubs in methods to provide for
compliance and impose adequate disciplinary action before regulation
becomes a head quarter issue.
Impact of park flyers “PF” – Nearly
all the officers and guests felt that the vast majority of people,
who buy the entry level PF airplanes, would have no incentive
to join the AMA.
Most of us believe that a number
of AMA clubs do not welcome the entry level PF to their flying
sites. The club members would rather have these smaller underpowered
aircraft not flown within the pattern of other traditional aircraft.
Clubs have approached these problems
in several ways. One method was to provide another flight area
and flight line away from the main flight line and flying area.
This has been done by a few clubs that have large enough flying
sites. Other clubs have provided specific times when these smaller
aircraft can be flown. Still other clubs, which have more then
one flying site, have assigned a particular site for small electric
use only.
We expect that within a few years
the traditional cubs and their members will have as many electric
powered aircraft as they do glow and gas. These clubs will provide
the entry pathway for the PF who wants to fly more advanced
and larger electrics. This is how we see growth in the AMA.
It will take longer to happen but it will. Park flyers are already
being restricted from certain flying areas because of the danger
to people and other area activity.
Tiered dues structure – Most all
of the district officers felt that a reduction in dues for smaller
aircraft as an incentive to attracting a particular group of
flyers into their clubs isn’t acceptable. They are of the opinion
that each member shares the same flying site real estate, flying
time and club amenities and should therefore pay the same dues
regardless of the size or type of aircraft they fly.
Membership issues – AMA membership
continues to remain flat. Year to date comparisons reveal that
the present membership is down by 1%.
There were numerous reasons expressed
for the lack of membership growth including; the diversity of
hobby products, which has lowered the R/C airplane share of
the market; reduced sales of glow engine trainers; influence
of park flyers; and the loss of flying sites and caps on membership
by some clubs.
There are clubs throughout the
district that have open membership but have little or no interest
in increasing their membership. The average age of club members
are going up. These long time members believe that more members
and additional flying site activity results in more crashes,
noise issues, flying site violations and a much greater chance
of losing their flying site. These are the same members who
will seldom welcome visitors to their flying site. They do this
because they have experienced the loss of numerous sites over
the years.
It was suggested that we need to
do a better job recruiting members. Before we decide how and
what can be done to increase membership we need to look at each
district area and create a survey questionnaire for gathering
additional membership data from the clubs to determine if they
have the capacity or interest to support additional members.
National flying site surveys showed that we lost 253 sites (21
for noise issues) and replaced 227. We need to know if additional
flying sites are required to support membership growth. We need
to know club membership conditions and attitudes within the
district so we can provide incentives and target those areas
that will allow for growth.
Flying site grants – Two clubs
in our district applied for flying site assistance grants and
were not awarded grants. There is a fixed amount of money available
for grants each year and when the application amounts requested
exceed this amount, a selection process is used to determine
who will receive the grant awards. The AMA grant committee uses
a system of ranking based on the answers the clubs supply on
the application forms. Unfortunately, the smaller clubs with
limited membership and event activity are ranked lower and are
often not selected.
The district officers feel that
the selection method isn’t fare to the smaller clubs that may
in fact need the grant money more then some of the established
more active clubs. They would like to see changes in the program
that would allocate grant money to each districts in amounts
based on the number of clubs in the district. Selection within
the district could then be determined by a system of ranking
and lottery allowing both small and large clubs an opportunity
to be awarded a grant.
District sponsored events – As
mentioned in last month’s column we will be having the first
AMA District 1 Fun-Fly & Air Show September 16, 17 and 18 at
the Gardner Airport in Gardner, Massachusetts.
We discussed other event items
including when, where and what type of events we will be planning
for in the future. Please make plans to attend this first gala
event.
The other items that were discussed
at this first district meeting including flying sites, UAV issues,
promoting aeromodeling, budget allocation, web site development
and education programs will be sent in a report to the clubs
in the next district 1 newsletter.
We attended the New England Scale
Championships at the Gardner Airport on Sunday and enjoyed the
competition. I will have a report on this event in a future
column.
Many thanks to all the officers
and guests for attended the district meeting. “The nice thing
about teamwork is that you always have others on your side”
District officers and guests in
the board room at
the Best Western Hotel in Marlboro,
Mass.
Cheers and dinner after a most
enjoyable and productive 1st district 1 meeting.
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