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Reach out for the survival of our
flying sites, our passion,
and our love of
flight.
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As
I am writing this, the “view from HQ” is not
looking very nice right now. It’s cold and
rainy, and tomorrow isn’t supposed to be any
better.
I hope during the holiday season you have an
opportunity to be with friends and family.
The New Year will soon be upon us, and with
it the challenges it brings to everyone.
If you have had an opportunity to
contact AMA Headquarters in the past four
months, you may have participated in a new
membership-satisfaction survey. Immediately
after you interface with an AMA staff
member, an e-mail is generated asking you
for feedback on your request for service.
This survey began with the Membership Department and is
being expanded to all AMA departments over a
period of time. The results of the survey
will help us fine-tune AMA’s membership
service and support.
This New Year also brings challenges
in the form of membership concerns. If
you’re a frequent reader of my column, you
have read of the concerns about decreasing
membership in past years.
It would be easy to blame the current economic times on
this decrease, but in reality, the decrease
began before the current downturn. Many
theories have been postulated for this loss
in members. Much time and effort and many
resources have been put into reversing this
trend.
In the management letter from the Finance Committee,
accompanying the proposed 2010 budget, was a
statement reflecting this effort. It read:
“Although we are forecasting a continuing
decline in membership that affects the
budget, we are hopeful for a membership
increase as a result of our expanded
marketing efforts. The committee encourages
all VPs to focus on membership development
within their districts.”
In 2009, the Academy launched its
first-ever membership drive. The results
were promising for an inaugural effort, but
more importantly, it laid the foundation for
us to build upon in succeeding years.
The grand prize—an AMA Life Membership—was awarded to
Binyamin Elkouby in District X for signing
up 16 new AMA members. Recognition and
rewards were given to clubs, hobby shops,
and even on a district level for those who
participated.
The complete list of membership drive winners can be
found at
www.modelaircraft.org/membershipdrive/leaders.aspx.
We are all ambassadors of the model
aviation community. We have a direct impact
on others who witness us at play, whether
it’s at the flying field, as a guest in our
homes, or during a casual meeting on the
street.
There was a time in my life when, if I heard the sound
of a model engine, I would jump on my bike
and ride toward it, seeking the source and
hoping to find another who has a love for
anything that flies. Those days are long
gone. In today’s society I would most likely
end up talking to a man with a weed eater,
but you get the point.
We all have the chance to influence another’s view of
aeromodeling. Will it be a positive
influence or are we “too busy” to take time
to concern ourselves with a nonmodeler?
We are all aware of the 80/20 rule: 80% of the work
gets done by 20% of the club membership.
Imagine what could be accomplished if we
could just shift those percentages to 100%,
with everyone pulling a share of the work?
As you and your club make plans for the New
Year, think outreach.
Reach out to touch those teetering on the edge of your
established modeling community and invite
them to join in the fun. Reach out to that
school system, planting an awareness of
aviation in a youngster. Although it may not
take root for years, that awareness can
start with you.
Reach out with that staged flying event which might
entice a spectator to come back and bring
new blood and resources to the club. Reach
out for the survival of our flying sites,
our passion, and our love of flight.
I started this column on a down note
about the weather. I also believe in that
famous show tune from the Broadway musical
Annie. You know the one …
The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There’ll be sun!
Just thinkin’ about
Tomorrow …
MA
The ninth annual J.W. Rice Memorial Fly-In
was held October 3-4, 2009.
Two of the participants were Colin Poitrast
and his dad, Dan Poitrast,
standing with host and District VIII Vice
President Jim Rice.
In the spirit of
flight.
Jim Cherry, Executive Director
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