What a beginning to the year!
The AMA Expo has taken place, and we are gearing up for Joe Nall, the Southeast Model Show, and so many local events that all of the associate vice presidents (AVPs) and I are busy with modeling.
One of our AVPs, Pablo Fernandez, was hospitalized and had one of his legs amputated below the knee. He called me to tell me he would be laid up for a couple of weeks and couldn’t cover the events in that time period.
What? I told him to take all the time he needed and get better. He’s already covering events! You go, Pablo!
Vern Horne, a talented, all-around pilot, has created a program that impacts troubled youth in the Columbia County Juvenile Court System in Georgia. The program is called Taking Flight in the Right Direction and its objective is to give young people a better understanding of the consequences of their decisions.
Vern has offered this 10-week program twice, and this past session saw seven nonviolent offenders ordered to attend the program. Their parents were also mandated to participate. The program allows the juveniles to build, program, and fly an RC model airplane.
The AMA donated simulators to this program and it has helped train these troubled youths. The program works! Participants get to collaborate as a team to build and fly. This creates a sense of accomplishment and success, and it introduces them to aeromodeling!
I received a letter from Margaret Tutt-Adams, Chief Probation Officer/Manager, Columbia County Juvenile Court, thanking the AMA for taking interest in the program that Vern has created, which introduces young men and women to modeling, changing lives, and making a difference.
This is a worthwhile program. We must remember that we were young once and we were also introduced to modeling by an interested modeler. What a great start!
This program is such a success that Vern, along with his participants, made the headlines in the local newspaper!
I want to thank Vern for being a caring AMA member, friend, and mentor to all of these young men and women. Introducing them to life lessons utilizing model aviation is probably the most gratifying action we can take with our young children! Kudos, Verne!
We have many new clubs popping up throughout the district. If you would like to be included in this monthly column, please write to me, and I will be happy to come fly with you and share it in this column!
See you soon.
