Chief Financial Officer - 2009/08

AS MOST of you know, AMA’s
membership has been declining for the
past few years at approximately 3% a year.
It is difficult to determine why and we
have not been able to solve the problem.
We do not know what we must do to get
the membership back up to 150,000
members.
We want to continue the programs that
we feel are necessary for the benefit of the
membership and frankly the world
involvement of model aviation. As of June
14, 2009, the figures indicate a
membership of 134,439 as compared to the
membership a year ago at the same time
which was 140,578.
Although the Park Pilot Program has
helped generate sales of park flyer-type
airplanes, it really has not produced a
membership forum for AMA.
I think you can understand that most of
you would not join the organization just
because you have a neat airplane to fly. You
have to be looking for something else and
you can’t find it unless somebody tells you
about it.
That puts the responsibility for
generating membership through the Park
Pilot Program on our backs. You and I, in
order to share this wonderful hobby/sport
with people, must tell them about it.
Although you may not feel that you are a
recruiter for AMA, every member should
share what he or she can with other people
who can become good model builders in the
future.
We need to work together to share what
we have so that everybody can learn to
enjoy this hobby/sport.
As you know, there is a great deal of
expansion in park flyer aircraft are well as
indoor RC. If you are a regular AMA
modeler, you might have paid attention to
indoor RC which is expanding vigorously.
Many of these airplanes can be flown in
your living room if it is larger than 10 x 10
feet, and if your church has a fellowship hall
or gymnasium, there is plenty of room there
to fly these indoor models. They are all on
2.4 GHz, and of course that take the worry
away from flying with somebody else on
your frequency.
I am telling you this because the hobby
continues to grow but membership in AMA
does not.
One thing that is very important is the
continuation of the history of model
aviation. Because of this, we are making an
addition to the National Model Aviation
Museum in Muncie, Indiana. It is going to
be a very nice addition and we are looking
forward to the space being completed.
It has been a great experience for me to be
associated with AMA in the capacity of the
executive vice president. I hope you will
work with Mark Smith as well as you did
with me.