District VII — Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Tim Jesky — Vice President
Although you'll read this at the end of May, I wrote this column on the eve of the 61st Toledo Show: R/C Model Expo hosted by the Weak Signals R/C Club. The Toledo Show, as many of you may know it, is the world's largest "selling" show of RC products. It, along with the AMA Expo in Ontario, California, and the Westchester Radio Aero Modelers (WRAM) Show in Secaucus, New Jersey, make up the "Big 3" of aeromodeling trade shows in the US.
These shows are where many major manufacturers debut new products and have staff on hand to answer questions and offer tips on how to best use these new offerings. Most of all, it's the chance to see items up close, hold them in your hands, and actually see how they operate. If a picture is worth a thousand words, seeing them in person must be at least 10 times that. Try to put one of these shows on your calendar for next year.
In the past several columns, I've discussed tips for holding successful air shows and the sanctioning process. This month, I've asked Len Todd of the Lake County Modelers and Flyers Association in Baldwin, Michigan, to talk about ideas to increase club membership. Under Len's leadership, his club has grown from three members to more than 65 in less than three years. Check out the following and see if what the club does might work for you.
Len Todd — Lake County Modelers and Flyers Association (Baldwin, Michigan)
I was again asked how our club grew from three pilots sitting on the local airport's tarmac wondering how to best protect our field, into a 66-member AMA-chartered club in less than three years.
The Lake County Modelers and Flyers fly at the Baldwin Municipal Airport. Lake County is one of the poorest counties in the US. There are many reasons for our club's growth. If your club is trying to grow, there are a few areas to consider:
- Public: We first negotiated a long-term license to operate on the local airport. We established a public RC park, including two turf runways, an outdoor pavilion, an RC car track, and an asphalt pit row and taxiways off the airport's asphalt full-scale runway. We welcome the incoming public to the point of dropping what we are doing and getting them involved, hands on, either with an airplane or car. The public knows we will be on-site Sunday and Wednesday evenings, and that they are welcome. Parents know that they can drop off the kids, and we will teach them new skills while keeping them safe.
- Partners: We partner with local businesses, other flying clubs, schools, local government, and other nonprofit organizations. How else would three guys put on a first-year, first-class, 35-pilot event? Figure out what your partners need and help provide it. In turn, they will help you.
- Programs: School programs bring youngsters to the club. They also bring grants and supporting spokespersons from outside the hobby. This year, we have four events scheduled. We market throughout western Michigan. We tailor events to bring people to come and stay overnight in our community. And we maintain diversity by offering all facets of model aviation.
- Positive: When club members suggest ideas, we try to see how we can accomplish them versus looking for ways to shut them down. We welcome new technology and modify the field and rules to accommodate and promote new ideas, and new and old technology.
- Politics: We meet periodically with the airport's regulators. We recruit and train critical people to fly, such as the airport manager and the village president. We get involved with the Rotary Club and other civic organizations.
- Propwash: Our club has members from across the state. Our periodic newsletter, Propwash, keeps members apprised of what is going on, when we need help, and what other members are doing.
Take a kid flying.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
