What We Did With
Your Dues in 2007

Accounting is tasked with protecting the assets of the organization. Diana Garza, our new comptroller—AKA "bean counter"—coordinated the annual audit with independent certified public accountants to assure members of our commitment to sound accounting practices and safeguarding the organization's financial assets.

     Diana and her staff have continuously streamlined accounting procedures and processes to cut costs and improve financial operations. They have processed, categorized, and accounted for all dues and non-dues revenue—roughly $9.3 million!

     In addition, Diana's accounting expertise is available to clubs for questions regarding not-for-profit status and other tax-related club issues.

Administration/Operations director, Mary Lou Vojslavek (you get extra credit for pronouncing her name correctly), is responsible for ensuring that things flow smoothly at headquarters. From paper clips to permits, travel arrangements to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training, safety to switchboard coverage, it all flows through this department.

     Officer support between and during the quarterly Executive Council meetings—supplies, travel arrangements, hotel rooms, agenda items, new-officer orientation, and election information—is crucial. Meeting arrangements, staff travel policies, and purchasing are critical to the success of any well-run organization.

     Tasked with a number of other projects as well, Operations ensures that safety measures and practices are in place. This includes updating the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) equipment, organizing CPR/AED classes for staff members in the event of an emergency, and monitoring the office for safety issues. (Jim, get your model boxes out of the hallway and don't leave the arm up on the paper cutter!)

     The staff is committed to acquiring non-dues revenue. Mary Lou pulled together a sponsorship program for 2008 called "Flight Team Advantage," in which local companies or other entities purchase a level of sponsorship and advertise AMA and various events at their establishments. AMA offers reciprocal advertising depending on the level of sponsorship. Mary Lou also updated and distributed a new conference-room rental brochure to advertise use of our facilities.

     This department saved roughly $5,000 in 2007 by taking advantage of discount prices and shipping specials from various suppliers.

Custom Products falls under the supervision of Jack Frost. This department provides trophies and plaques for on-site events and club needs. T-shirts, hats, and jackets can be ordered for your club contests or fly-ins as well as AMA-sponsored events. Last year the department screen-printed 13,500 T-shirts and 1,385 event trophies.

     Would you like vinyl decals of your club logo for your car window? Do you need a club logo designed? Want a customized windsock for your field? Name badges? Engraved frequency pins? Ribbons or medals for your next contest? Yard signs? Club hats or golf shirts? This department can do it all!

     Another source of non-dues revenue, the Custom Products Department offers competitive pricing—with AMA member discounts!—and will work with you to determine what we can do to serve your club needs. Visit the AMA Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/products.aspx  for more details or call (800) 435-9262.

The Education Department is also managed by Jack Frost. Under the direction of AMA's Education Committee, this department oversees the AMA Scholarship Program, which awarded $46,000 this year through the Charles Hampson Grant awards, the Sig award, the Toledo Weak Signals award, and the Telford Scholarship.

     The department manages the Youth Education Stipend, or YES Grant, that is awarded to clubs or organizations to help fund aeromodeling-oriented youth education programs. This year $3,000 was awarded to four applicants. Information about YES and the scholarship program is in the Education section of the AMA Web site.

     Using Alcoa grant funds, the Education Department purchased a new booth to set up at trade shows and education conventions. The booth was used to present workshops at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Convention in Saint Louis, Missouri, and NSTA Area Conventions in Detroit, Michigan, and Birmingham, Alabama.

     Thanks to the generous support of the Alcoa Foundation, the Education Committee produced AeroLab: a DVD/CD featuring activities developed by science teachers for teachers. To date, roughly 1,025 copies have been distributed generating more than $6,000 from sales.

     The Education Committee sponsored the Wright Stuff and the Balloon-Launched Glider events at the Science Olympiad in the 2006-2007 season and committed to sponsor both events for the 2007-2008 season.

     The Education Department supplied 98 trainer aircraft, simulators, and resource materials to clubs selected for the Take-off And Grow (TAG) program. TAG is designed to help clubs with a hands-on flight activity designed to introduce newcomers to the sport.

     The department staff has committed many evenings and weekends to local and state events, seminars, and workshops, sharing with attendees the educational programs AMA has to offer.

Facilities/Maintenance is run by John Hawley. What site—especially one that hosted approximately 50 events in 2007—could function properly without someone overseeing everything from mowing the lawn to maintaining site and facility security? This department's responsibilities include two office buildings, Nats Headquarters, five rental houses, three maintenance barns, and a 1,000-plus-acre site.

     John and his staff worked tirelessly, weekends included, all summer to ensure that site preparation and equipment needs were met for all events on-site. Whether it was painting CL circles, grooming the grass flightlines, or ensuring that there was adequate water and power available for contestants and spectators, the maintenance staff was on the job.

     Landscaping, signage, running electrical lines to the camping areas, maintaining restroom and shower facilities, and graveling and raking the parking areas helped make a visit to the flying site a pleasant experience for competitors and visitors alike.

     The work doesn't stop when the summer is over. Equipment requires maintenance, tents need cleaned and stored for the following season, rental properties need managed, and something always needs repaired.

     A wayward vehicle detoured off the road and through a storage garage last spring. Stored files and garage walls were spread across the lawn, and the maintenance crew had to salvage what it could and rebuild the garage. Winter brings its own chores when the snow flies and parking lots and roads need plowed, sanded, or salted. The maintenance crew generally clears much of the county road in front of the building to help ensure that staff members get to work safely.

Human Resources is run by Mary Hurn, whose desk overflows with exciting reading material that includes Payroll Law, OSHA General Industry Course, Human Resources and the Law, and Communicating with Tact and Finesse. She keeps us in compliance with current employment laws.

     Mary conducts interviews and corresponds with potential employees, updates the policy manual, monitors vacation time, administers all employee benefits and annuity/retirement programs, and posts legally required information. She creates and updates job descriptions, coordinates evaluations, and manages employee insurance and COBRA plans.

     One of her more enjoyable tasks is to coordinate the monthly employee newsletter, making sure employees' significant accomplishments, birthdays, and employment anniversaries are recognized.

     We are fortunate in that of those directly employed at AMA Headquarters, nearly half have been here more than 10 years. I consider that pretty good for a company that has only been located in Muncie, Indiana, since 1992.

What do you say about Information Systems (IS)? Is there an abbreviation that hasn't been used by department head Greg Minch? SSL, CSS, CMS, FTP, TCP/IP, etc. I felt I have been learning a new language!

     IS is responsible for AMA's in-house and remote communication systems. This includes computers, software, and telephone systems; POS (that's point-of-sale) systems for the museum store, Supply and Service, and remote sales venues; and the company's Web site.

     One of IS's most important functions is to safeguard member information and financial transactions. An updated SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate and frequent systems testing and analysis ensure that your transactions—renewing your membership or purchasing a hat from the online store—are secure.

     Primarily the work of the IS Department, AMA launched a new Web site in 2007 utilizing Web 2.0 and CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) technology and a CMS (Content Management System) that allows staff members to update their own areas of the site without relying on other departments.

     Through the AMA Web site, 2,792 three-month trial memberships, 32,017 renewals, 11,559 new full memberships, and 7,300 address changes were processed.

     An enhanced club locator system added by the department includes GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates, restrictions, multiple flying sites, and Google mapping functions (satellite, directions, etc.). Also added were video, picture gallery, and streaming video capability.

Marketing's Tom Schwyn and his staff were deeply involved in the Park Pilot Program launch, including two DVDs, four ads, the licensing station, brochure, rebate program, and promotional material for the AMA Convention.

     The ongoing Introductory Membership Program has generated more than 2,700 members. The department was responsible for the buddy-box program that generated 3,000 new members in 2007.

     Another program Tom is responsible for, the AMA/DVD series, has generated between $100,000 and $120,000 in non-dues revenue, and the Affinity Visa program has produced $150,000 in non-dues revenue.

     Marketing designed, produced, and launched the 2007 "Got Wings" advertising series, which is AMA's focus on members and how aeromodeling has affected their lives and careers. The staff designed and assembled the AMA booth and graphics for several events including the JR Indoor Electric Festival.

     The 2007 Extreme Flight Championships (XFC) was held at the International Aeromodeling Center and the department created the television, radio, newspaper, and billboard advertising.

AMA's Membership Department maintains club and individual records. You've no doubt contacted this department if you've ever had the opportunity to call the Academy to renew your membership, change your address, ask "When should I receive my card?" or "Where is my magazine?" or say "Last weekend when I was at the field I left my card ... "

     Supervised by Colleen Pierce, the Membership Department maintains the records for roughly 150,000 members and nearly 2,500 chartered clubs and 14 chapters.

     In the past year, customer service staff in the department fielded approximately 39,000 telephone calls, 11,000 of which were membership renewals. That comes out to roughly 155 calls a day, or 20 calls per hour—and that does not include handling mail or E-mail requests for information, applications, or online renewal processing!

Museum Director Michael Smith supervises the National Model Aviation Museum, which houses the largest collection of model aircraft in the United States. There are roughly 8,000 artifacts in the collection, including model airplanes, radio systems, engines, building tools and equipment, and memorabilia such as patches, stickers, and clothing.

     In the past year the museum staff has created four new exhibits including the Ingenuity Corner, one dedicated to park flyers, another to Peanut models, and the fourth to RC skydivers. Five current exhibits—helicopters, the Pan American Airlines Payload event, the RC Pylon Racing area, the RC Pattern aircraft exhibit, and the area dedicated to Scale aircraft—were updated.

     A huge bonus to the museum and the staff was the construction of the new archival storage area that roughly doubled storage space. The staff moved 645 boxes of material into the new space. Forty-nine new collections were donated to the museum in the past year and the staff cataloged 738 artifacts.

     Planning a Scale project and need documentation? A huge asset to anyone researching full-scale or model aircraft is the Lee Renaud Memorial Library. In this past year, 771 books, DVDs, and journals were added to the collection. Roughly 4,500 books were cataloged with a new numbering system, and the magazine-article database was increased to more than 3,000 listings.

     If you plan a vacation to the AMA facilities this coming summer, please be sure to check out this tremendous tribute to model aviation.

Longtime employee Sheila Tweedy oversees the retail aspects of the organization. The Cloud 9 Museum Store and the Supply and Service Department cater to members and visitors, offering AMA-logo clothing and accessories and aviation-related souvenirs, gifts, collectibles, and memorabilia through the store, catalog sales, and the online store.

     The museum store serves as AMA's welcome center for members and visitors. Often a visitor's first stop, those staffing the store greet people, supply information about events on-site, register campers, and even accept memberships on weekends and holidays.

     Through the catalog or online store, you can find the same things that are available in the on-site store. Did you realize that we offer everything from windsocks to airplane Christmas ornaments? You can find club-related items including pins, patches, caps, and jackets, as well as DVDs and books!

     The store sets up a tent on-site or operates at Event Headquarters during the Nats and other special events, supplying visitors and competitors with souvenirs and often much-needed items such as rain gear, sweatshirts, sunscreen, portable chairs, and hats.

     An addition to the retail sales is the AMA Plans Service. After purchasing the John Pond Plans Service and combining it with the published plans from MA, the Academy can offer you roughly 15,000 plans to browse and purchase. The listing is available online, and catalogs can be obtained through the Plans Service.

     New this year, foam wing and stabilizer cores are available through the Plans Service. Please call (800) 435-9262, ext. 507, for information and pricing.

The Programs Department administers various programs that AMA sponsors, including Flying Site Assistance, the Flying Site Grant program, providing assorted handout materials for hobby shops, mall shows, AMA awards and certificates, the Hobby Shop Incentive Program, Kit Stuffer Programs, and Leader Clubs.

     Director Jay Mealy and his staff are responsible for the annual AMA Convention, which draws roughly 200 exhibitors and approximately 8,000 attendees. The staff coordinates attendance at various trade shows, responds to insurance and legal matters, processes medical and insurance claims, serves as liaison to the Federal Aviation Administration, and includes the Technical Department. They address aeromodeling safety issues, process experimental aircraft permits and turbine waivers, answer Safety Code questions, and handle event sanctions.

     AMA's Flying Site Assistance coordinators are proactive in helping clubs find, acquire, and retain flying sites. Highlighting economic benefits of partnerships between clubs and communities and developing a partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been instrumental in this endeavor. In conjunction with the EPA, there is even a promotional video in the works!

     The Programs Department ensures that your event makes it onto the Contest Calendar online and in MA. CD reports are logged and the Contest Director's guide and rule book are kept up to date. Special-wording insurance certificates are another service handled by the department.

     One of AMA's "Did you know?" programs administered by this department is the Flying Site Development/ Improvement Program. In 2007 AMA gave away more than $32,000 to clubs that participated. Does your club qualify? Visit www.modelaircraft.org/PDF-files/712.pdf  to find out!

The Publications Department is headed up by Rob Kurek. The staff is responsible for the Academy's flagship publication: Model Aviation. In addition to the monthly magazine, the department produces a bimonthly electronic newsletter for clubs and newsletter editors called The Insider.

     The department is responsible for the E-zine Sport Aviator ( www.masportaviator.com), which is updated weekly with new articles. Last summer's NatsNews, coverage of the AMA Nats that is posted online daily, ran nearly 300 pages and included roughly 1,200 photos of the event.

     Various staff members update the AMA Web site as needed and maintain the MA portion of the site. A number of publications and forms, including the Membership Manual and the annual club kit are produced and posted online.

     The annual Product Guide is produced by this department, including the photography. Even this year's models were provided (read coerced into helping out) by the staff!

     The department is responsible for additional new publications including the Guide to Membership Services, the Newcomers Guide, and items supporting the new Park Pilot Program such as Top Tips to Keep Your Park Flyer Flying.

     From concept to production, Publications launched Park Pilot, a quarterly magazine with the premier/winter issue published in early 2008.

     Staff members are also tasked with providing editorial, photography, and design support to the rest of the headquarters staff. More than $1.3 million in gross advertising revenue (non-dues revenue) for MA and Sport Aviator was attained in 2007.

Staff Director is a new position at AMA. Joyce Hager, an AMA employee for more than 37 years and formerly AMA's executive director, fills this role. Besides assisting me in my job, she fills in for me when I need to be out of the office. She has eased the transition between her leadership and mine, as well as effectively stepping in and carrying out many other important functions.

     Joyce scheduled and coordinated more than 50 events held on-site and played an integral role in the 2007 Nats management. She filtered and responded to E-mail and correspondence for various employees who were on leave or had departed, and she assisted the Human Resources Department in its responsibilities.

     FAI programs are recognized internationally. Members participate in the programs to become members of teams that compete in World Championships held in various countries. A Team Selection Committee (members elected from each district), chooses participants for world teams.

     Joyce helps manage the distribution of information, vote tabulations, etc., and she monitors guidelines and procedures for each, supporting the various teams monetarily and administratively.

     Joyce helped develop the AMA Host and Hostess Program, ensuring that visitors to the facility would have an on-site resource for help 24 hours a day. She worked at Event HQ during XFC/Summer Heat and the International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA) Jamboree.

     A familiar face at numerous conventions and trade shows, Joyce has represented AMA several times in the past year. She also helped with the preparation of the 2008 budget and the strategic planning meeting. Joyce's wealth of organizational experience and knowledge will continue to be a valuable resource as we move into the new year.

So there you have it: the first "what we did with your dues last year" report. This is not to be confused with a boring "annual report." Have you learned anything new? I hope you have a better understanding of what your organization does to support the membership and hobby.

     We are fortunate to have a dedicated staff working across the nation to serve the membership. Many work behind the scenes and never get the recognition they ought to have.

     One staff person who needs a well-deserved "atta-girl" is Liz Helms. She took the input from all the departments and compiled this report.

     This and every other month Liz is tasked with getting 11 vice presidents, one executive vice president, one president, and one executive director to submit their columns on time and in a usable format. She has taken many poorly written articles and made them intelligible, informational, and readable.

     Thanks, Liz, for your dedication and service to the AMA.  MA

In the spirit of flight. 

Jim Cherry, Executive Director