In
my May column I began to outline several programs that AMA
has created and made available to our members and chartered
clubs as benefits of membership. I wrote about the AMA
Ambassador Program, our new Take off And Grow (TAG) Program
first released in 2007, AMA's Introductory Pilot Program,
our Flying Site Assistance Grant Program, and the AMA Youth
Education Stipend (YES) Grant.
This month I'll continue by discussing a number of
additional programs.
Mall Show Support Program:
Many AMA chartered clubs hold annual mall shows to promote
the club and model aviation within their local communities.
AMA makes available a free mall-show package to help these
clubs.
The package contains handouts, brochures, and
literature that you can use to help introduce model aviation
to those who visit your show booth. In addition, AMA will
provide mall-show pins to members who volunteer their time
to help make these events successful. Contact AMA's Programs
Department for materials or more information.
Disaster Relief Grant:
In October 2005, as a result of the extensive damage created
by Hurricane Katrina, the AMA Executive Council (EC)
approved a new program designed to grant immediate financial
assistance to AMA chartered clubs that have flying sites
damaged in a natural disaster such as a tornado, hurricane,
earthquake, or firestorm.
The grant is designed to assist clubs in the area of
clearing debris and such, so that the field is once again
accessible and usable to club members. It is not designed to
pay for repairs to structures or facilities, except as to
the extent to make the facility and runway adequate for
flying once again.
The grant is limited to $500 per club and you can apply
for it by completing a simple application and sending it to
AMA Headquarters in Muncie, Indiana. The application process
has been streamlined to allow for a quick turnaround to help
clubs begin the rebuilding process as quickly as possible.
Please note that this is a grant, not a loan.
AMA Scholarship Program:
AMA awards several scholarships annually to young AMA
members entering a college or university. Upward of $40,000
is distributed each year in various amounts based on AMA
modeling activities, scholastic achievement, and citizenship
activities. All applications are evaluated by the AMA
Scholarship Committee, which then makes its recommendations
to the EC.
In choosing the recipients for the AMA/ Charles H.
Grant Scholarship Program, many aspects are taken into
consideration. The most desirable applicant is one who is
academically superior and also is a participant in many
aspects of school, aeromodeling, and his or her community.
The applicants are rated in several major categories,
including grade average and test results. High achievement
in all of the categories is important for an individual to
receive the maximum amount of scholarship monies; however, a
person who is not necessarily at the top of his or her class
may win a significant scholarship award if he or she is
active in the community, in aeromodeling, or both.
To be eligible for a scholarship, the applicant must
have been an AMA member for the last full 36 consecutive
months prior to the application deadline; graduate from high
school in the year in which the award is to be granted; and
have been accepted by a college or university offering a
certificate or degree program. Applicants are eligible to
receive a grant only once.
AMA Club Recognition and Reward Program: New for
2008, AMA's Club Recognition and Reward Program is designed
to recognize clubs that promote model aviation while at the
same time organize events that support local charities. If
your club has received positive newspaper, magazine, radio,
or television coverage showcasing its involvement in
community events, AMA wants to know about it. For your
efforts, AMA will recognize your club in MA magazine
and reward your club's treasury.
Examples of qualifying activities include your club
hosting a fun-fly and donating all proceeds generated to the
local Ronald McDonald House. If your activity and donation
are highlighted by local media, that qualifies the club for
the AMA Club Recognition and Reward Program. If your club
decides to dedicate a certain number of man-hours to a park
for the purpose of picking up trash along the access road
every month and is recognized in a positive manner by the
media for its ongoing efforts, you would qualify for the
program.
Positive newspaper/magazine coverage of your event will
garner a $100 reward. Positive radio or television coverage
will earn $200 and $300 rewards respectively.
All your club has to do is send a completed application
and verify the publicity received by including the original
newspaper or magazine article or a CD of the radio airing or
television broadcast to AMA. Funding for this first-year
program is limited and will be awarded on a first-come,
first-served basis.
More information on
all of these programs I've mentioned in this and my previous
columns can be found on the AMA Web site at
www.modelaircraft.org.
If you prefer, you can call AMA Headquarters at (765)
287-1256, extension 272. MA
See you next time ...
Dave Mathewson, AMA president
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