District VII
Bill Oberdieck, District VII Vice President; [email protected]
Recognition and appreciation sometimes go by the wayside. In this month’s column, I will attempt to show that doesn’t happen in District VII.
Roughly 10 years ago, when I became your district vice president (VP), I set out to make sure that our district was covered in case a problem arose and that an AMA representative would be available to offer assistance. I asked for volunteers to be associate vice presidents (AVPs). Three individuals stepped forward:
- Tom Pierce
- Larry Brannan
- Ed Bucki
Larry and Ed have since found it time to look into other venues and retired from the position. Tom has elected to stay on.
It has been my honor and distinct pleasure to present all three with the AMA Distinguished Service Award for their unselfish participation in promoting the AMA and aeromodeling. I’m confident that all who have known them will wish them well in their new pursuits.
I also had the honor of presenting the AMA Fellow Award to Mike Gretz, an unsuspecting individual who, over the years, has accomplished much as a modeler, award-winning pilot, and a person who is always involved in helping others and promoting aeromodeling without making a big fuss. He just does what he thinks has to be done. EAA’s KidVenture is just one such event.
Labor Day weekend gave me an opportunity to present the award at a major event: the Antique Aircraft Association’s annual meeting in Blakesburg, Iowa. It was also an opportunity to introduce Kent Woods and Lloyd Swanson, the two newest Iowa AVPs.
There isn’t enough space in this column for all the accolades that could be given to Larry, Ed, Tom, and Mike, but hopefully the awards will show the recognition and appreciation that this VP and the members of District VII have for them.
Photos by Kent Woods, Lloyd Swanson, and Bill Oberdieck.
I would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season and a healthy, prosperous New Year.
As always, get youngsters involved; aeromodeling will be our legacy to them.
C.A.V.U.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
