Leader Members (LM)

by Jim Rice, Chairman Leader Member Committee

The membership manual says:

“The Leader Member is the most important of membership categories in terms of the operation of the Academy.” It goes on to say, “The Leader Member is identified as an individual performing an above average interest in the Academy and its functions. There is a provision in the bylaws which gives the Leader Member the right to vote in such cases as bylaws changes. Nominating procedures for national officers also require that a nominee be a Leader Member. ... The Leader Member is the highest level of membership and as such will be noted on the membership card.”

There are three categories for LM: Administrative—requiring administrative model club experience and ability, Scientific—requiring a model aviation background of a scientific nature, and Industrial—for those with principal income from the model aviation industry.

Administrative is by far the most common and is the easiest to document when applying for LM status. Go to the AMA Web site at: www.modelaircraft.org/files/907.pdf for the LM application. The form is relatively simple to fill out and requires endorsing signatures from three current Leader Members or open members with an approving signature from the district vice president.

We have made several changes to the Bylaws in the last year and while the work to do that is accomplished by the Bylaws Committee, the Executive Council reviews that work and approves, forwarding the changes to our Leader Members who are then the only members who vote to ratify all changes for the Academy.

Several years ago our LMs numbered nearly 7,000, but that has now withered to about 2,500. These key people help us get information out to the membership, keep us focused, provide us with a pool of candidates for associate vice president, district vice president, and other positions besides ratifying bylaws changes.

We need to canvass friends and club members trying to find, as the Marines would say, “A few good men (and women),” to replenish this important resource. Please review the requirements and help us in this important area. Q