PRESIDENT TO PRESIDENT
A Club in Need ...
by Dave Mathewson, AMA President
“Help! We’re losing our flying
site.”
AMA gets calls that start like this almost every
week. Most of the AMA vice presidents will tell you
that this is the type of call and request for help
that they receive most. When I was a district VP,
the very first thing I would ask of the person
making the contact was, “Tell me what your club has
done over the years to become an asset in your
community.” If the answer was, “Well, we haven’t
done much, but we’re thinking about doing XXX ...,”
it’s almost always too late.
The very best way to protect your flying site is to
be proactive in preparing for the day when losing
your site might become a possibility. Site loss can
be attributed to several factors; losing a site to
things like soccer fields account for some. Other
times it’s an unhappy neighbor who, for whatever
reason, is opposed to your field being where it is.
In all of these cases having the support of the
local community, especially when local town boards
become involved, is invaluable. Most local boards
will listen to its constituents, especially when
they express their feelings strongly in one
direction or another. A club standing before a town
board pleading its case is one thing. That same club
standing before that same board, but having members
of the community standing right alongside, is
something entirely different.
So, how do clubs become a welcome asset in its
community? They become involved. There are a number
of simple things that each of our clubs can do that
have the potential to pay large dividends. Things
like collecting canned goods at events or meetings
and then donating the collection to the local food
pantry. Hosting an event and donating a portion of
the proceeds to a local charity. With the holiday
season fast approaching, maybe this would be a good
time to collect toys for the Toys for Tots program
that almost all communities have.
Parents appreciate groups, like model aircraft
clubs, that run outreach programs that their
children can participate in. Getting involved with
local Scout groups, community recreational programs,
or running an after-class program at the local
school for kids interested in modeling can be
extremely effective.
On the other end of the spectrum, consider
contacting your local senior center and ask if they
would be interested in someone coming to the center
to speak about model aviation. Those of us who have
done this will tell you that this can be an
extremely rewarding experience.
And, finally, a very simple program your club can
become involved in that takes very little effort is
the Adopt-A-Road program that most communities have.
Participating in a program like this most often
results in a roadside sign, indicating that your
club is participating in the program and is
responsible for this section of road. This is like
having a billboard along the road, promoting your
club to motorists who travel this stretch of
highway.
Nearly all of these ideas, if approached by the club
as a group, can be fun activities. At the same time,
you’ll be building strong relationships with those
in your community whose help you may someday need.
Being proactive has the potential to pay off down
the road when you just may need it most.
See you next time. Q
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