Author: Bill Oberdieck
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/06
Page Numbers: 173

AMA News District VII - 2007/06

When I was elected to serve as the vice president for District VII, I wondered which club has been in existence the longest as an AMA-chartered club or even before the AMA was chartered.

I know of only three clubs that have reached the 50-year-or-longer mark. I’m not sure if there are more only because no one has come forward to let me know. If there are other clubs that have been around for at least 50 years, please let me know.

Oldest clubs I know of

  1. Indian City (later Indian City Model Airplane Club; now Indian City Radio Control Club)
  • Started in the late 1920s by Sam Lange of Wyandotte, Michigan.
  • Named for the city referred to as “The Indian City” because of the settlement of the Wyandotte Indian tribe.
  • The name was changed to Indian City Model Airplane Club in 1937 and later to Indian City Radio Control Club.
  • The club was still chartered in 2006.
  1. Radio Control Club of Detroit (RCCD)
  • Recently celebrated its 50th year.
  1. Twin City Radio Controllers (TCRC), Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
  • Celebrating its 50th year this August.
  • Hosts an annual open house called Model Aviation Day (MAD) where local residents can see what aeromodeling is all about.
  • The club owns a 40-acre flying site with paved runways called TCRC Model Air Park in Jordan, Minnesota.
  • Scott Anderson sent photos; please visit the club’s website at www.tcrconline.com.

Congratulations to the Twin City Radio Controllers.

Club problems and governance

I have received a few calls from clubs that seem to have internal problems and I’ve been asked to help resolve the issues.

In most cases, the affected clubs have not determined what they want to accomplish. I’ve heard comments such as “we don’t want to have rules; we just want to have a place to fly and have fun.” That philosophy is fine, but it doesn’t work if a club is to succeed.

Officers are elected to provide direction to accomplish the vision and goals of the club. Officers must have some guidelines to follow; that is the purpose of club bylaws and safety rules.

The AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org has PDF files that outline what a club should consider when making up bylaws. There is a wealth of information available to help clubs.

The three clubs I’ve illustrated are examples of what can be done when there is direction. There is nothing difficult about it, but it does require members to be involved to make it work.

Suggestions for better organization

  • The secretary must keep a written record of all meetings and elections.
  • The treasurer should be bonded and be able to show club financial statements at any time.
  • Conduct meetings using an established system such as Robert’s Rules of Order (parliamentary procedure) throughout the proceedings.
  • These suggestions help eliminate trivial disputes and improve club functioning.

I hope this helps clubs become better organized.

Til next time, fly safely, have fun and introduce someone to our hobby/sport. C.A.V.U.

Bill Oberdieck District VII Vice President [email protected]

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.