I BELIEVE volunteers are the most
important and essential part of this hobby.
There would be no clubs, no AMA, and
basically no hobby without the thousands of
volunteers who give countless hours of their
time for the benefit al all. The AMA
recognizes all of its volunteers, but once in a
while they honor the best of the best with
special awards.
Two of District X’s volunteers were
honored with one of these awards, the
Fellowship award, at this year’s AMA
Convention in Ontario, California. Following
is a little information about both recipients, so
as we say, ladies first.
Betty Bliss began volunteering in 1990
because of her husband Jim’s interests in RC.
Shortly after he soloed, she actually built and
flew her own airplane. She said “I have never
known such a thrill as it was to see that little
thing up there and me flying it.” Betty
continued to fly until Jim was no longer with
her. He always started her engines.
They both joined the Orange Coast Radio
Control Club and within two meetings she
was the club secretary. A short time later, the
newsletter editor quit and she was asked to do
that job as well. That was in 1992, and except
for a two year hiatus, she continued writing
the newsletter
monthly until
December 2008.
Betty was
also the club
contact for
AMA. As club
secretary, she
started the swap
meets and told
me “that was a
real job.” She
did the mailing,
organized the
workers, and
met many
people, and said
she thoroughly enjoyed it. She was
responsible for qualifying the club for the
Gold Leader Club status and continued to
upgrade and keep that status current for more
than 15 years. There were many other jobs
she did for the club.
Approximately six years ago, Rich
Hanson asked if there was someone who
would like to do the District X Calendar of
Events. He had just created a Web page and
wanted to have publicity for the events that
the clubs planned and Betty accepted the
responsibility. Some of you might have
talked with her in the District X booth at the
AMA Convention.
Betty said she was overwhelmed at the
honor of receiving the award. In her words,
“It is the most wonderful honor that has ever
happened to me. I just can’t thank the AMA
enough for this honor. I shall cherish it
always. I will still do the District X Calendar
as long as my fingers will work.” Don’t
forget to send her event information!
Our next award recipient is Bob Reynolds
from Tucson, Arizona. As I write this, I am
looking at a copy of an original letter dated
July 19, 1978, from JR Scarborough, then the
vice president of District X. Written to the
AMA executive director, at that time it was
John Worth, stating that Bob was being
appointed as an associate vice president
(AVP) for the district. It was more than 30
years ago that Bob started volunteering for
the AMA! Not many can say that they have
done that. The following is a bit about Bob.
Born in Flint, Michigan, Bob first built
Strombecker wood kits, as he put it “with a
crusty old German.” After college and while
in the service at Carswell Air Force Base,
Fort Worth, Texas, Bob met a B-58 weapons
operator who needed another modeler to
attend the Strategic Air Command (SAC)
model airplane championship contest. Later
Bob was placed as the 11th man on the SAC
team and went to the USAF world-wide
competition team going to the AMA Nats.
After the service, Bob moved to Texas
and worked on many interesting projects such
as Echo, the 100-foot-diameter space balloon;
the 200-foot-diameter radio antenna used to
listen in to Cape Canaveral; black boxes on
Huey helicopters; the radio antenna on the
Apollo space ships; and the 200-foot whip
antenna designed for the Minuteman silos.
In 1968 Bob married his wife Nancy Barr,
and in 1969 he received his degree in
business administration from the University
of Arizona and went to work for Hughes
Aircraft as a tool engineer.
Along with their two sons, Mike and
Dave, they went to many Nats and other
events. They entered Scale, Carrier, indoor
hand-launch glider, and some FF. In the early
1990s, Dave wanted to learn how to fly an
electric RC glider. Roughly this same time he
was
developing
and flying
CL ductedfan
models.
They took
the fan
technology
into an RC
jet for
Dave after
he learned
to fly the
glider.
From then on they concentrated on RC
ducted-fan aircraft. Along the way they
became involved with electric-powered
ducted fans through the Electric Jet Factory
(EJF), and soon Bob was involved in the
design and construction of several of the EJF
kits. Bob says he is still an active electric,
ducted-fan aircraft designer who has
progressed in flying skills. He is now able to
land on the runway—sometimes. Dave flies
Bob’s high-powered airplanes for him.
In addition to work and flying, Bob’s
AVP activities have kept him active, helping
clubs obtain and retain flying sites, and
providing clubs and individuals with
information about AMA. Bob says one of the
functions of an AVP is to go and represent
AMA where and when the district vice
president can not be present.
The Fresno Radio Modelers will be hosting
The Memorial Day Giant Scale Fly-in,
Memorial Day weekend May 21-24 2009.
Contact John Lockwood @ 559-298-1606 or
[email protected].
District X
Jim Giffin, District X Vice President; [email protected]
Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah
Jim Giffin
Vice President
Box 494688,
Redding CA 96049
Tel. (916) 760-8291
[email protected]
www.ama10.org
Associate Vice
Presidents
Tim Attaway, Chula Vista CA
(619) 427-6392
Darwin Barrie, Chandler AZ
(480) 946-8955
Mike Brown, Bella Vista CA
(530) 549-3005
Greg Clemensen, Las Vegas NV
(702) 870-6242
Wayne Hamada, Honolulu HI
(808) 521-7733
Marc Karpowich, Logan UT
(435) 752-3639
John Lockwood, Clovis CA
(559) 298-1606
Rick Maida, Morgan Hill CA
(408) 778-6885
Scott Malta, Merced CA
(209) 723-4202
Bill Malvey, Ladera Ranch CA
(949) 481-8624
Jerry Neuberger, Santee CA
(619) 258-4477
Bob Reynolds, Tucson AZ
(520) 296-8183
Jon Wilson, Ryde CA
(916) 776-2797
Frequency Coordinators
George Steiner, Sacramento CA
(916) 362-1962
Eloy Marez, Santa Ana CA
(714) 540-4935
District X Volunteers
Dave Mathewson presents
Betty Bliss with the AMA
Fellowship award.
Bob Reynolds was awarded the
AMA Fellowship award at the
2009 AMA Convention.
April 2009 169
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