District VIII
Elections
It is election time for the AMA. Please acquaint yourself with the candidates and their campaign statements, and encourage your friends and club members to do the same. All applicants are qualified volunteers and deserve your time and attention in determining the future of our organization. If you don't vote, don't complain about the results.
Traditionally, voting is way down for the AMA. Roughly 10–15% of the membership is deciding the future for the rest of the organization. Please vote and encourage others to do so.
Events
The IMAA (International Miniature Aircraft Association) Rally of Giants was held in Waco, Texas, at the end of June. Weather preceding the event was terrible and probably kept attendance down some. I was there on Saturday with my grandson Ian, and the weather and flying were fine. At that point, 82 pilots were registered and everyone had a good time. Jets, Telemasters, 3-D, and scale aircraft flew comfortably together, and the pilots appreciated each other's skills and craftsmanship.
Ponca City's "Big Bird" meet, held July 14–15, was the first break in the weather for almost the entire district. My nephew, USAF Staff Sergeant Josh Green, came with me and renewed his membership after several years. Roughly 30 pilots enjoyed the day, with Don Lambring CDing a safe event.
Personnel changes
Bill Lee has stepped down as District VIII webmaster and associate vice president (AVP). He retains the contest coordinator duties.
Bill has served the district well and diligently for the past dozen years or more and has decided to step back and do some real modeling of his own. Members of the district, Dr. Frank, and I are lucky to have had his skills and expertise over these years to keep the district informed and running smoothly. We'll miss him as we move forward, but we can see his fingerprints on most areas of the district. If you see Bill, tell him thanks for the time and energy he has spent.
Replacements:
- Vince Schwartz (Helotes, Texas) — webmaster
- Jack Hogan (Chandler, Texas) — associate vice president (AVP)
I am thankful Bill will remain a valuable asset to the FF and CL CDs (Free Flight and Control Line Contest Directors) in the district. Watch for good things from these new volunteers!
Safety
Chuck Waller, the district's safety coordinator, has written some good safety notes on the district website. You can peruse all of the notes at www.ama-dist-8.org/Forums.
Have fun and fly safely!
— Jim
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
