District VII Report
I am pleased to announce that the District VII website has flourished. It has grown substantially in just a few months — from roughly 34 members to more than 125. There are separate forums for clubs to share information, a classifieds section, how-tos, and others.
This is a terrific start for the New Year. I expect this type of communication will continue to grow throughout our district. If you haven’t visited our site, please do so at www.amadistrictvii.org.
Solidarity and involvement
What I like most about the site is that it is getting members and clubs together to discuss issues. In essence, it is a form of solidarity. Most of us have belonged to a union or co-op at one time or another. Because of solidarity, there is strength in numbers. This is what we modelers need more than ever. One person cannot save a field, but 100 can really put up a fight.
We must get more involved in order to continue our hobby/sport. To grow, we must be more receptive to letting the public know who we are, what we do, and about our involvement with youngsters and philanthropic endeavors. Youngsters are the future of our hobby.
Get involved — a challenge to clubs and members
So here is my challenge to every club and member in District VII: get involved! If you need help, AMA has tons of ideas. Consider actions such as:
- Adopt a local youth group.
- Become active in 4-H or Boy Scouts.
- Introduce youngsters to the hobby/sport and teach them basics.
- Show kids how to build something instead of just playing computer games.
It's fun — I’ve done it and get a big kick out of it. Have you forgotten what it was like to see your first model fly? The following reports illustrate what I’m talking about.
Club reports
Jerry Buss from Madison, Wisconsin, sent in two pictures showing what a club can do. Unfortunately, I misplaced the rest of the information just before press time.
Walt Pruin from the Crossed Signals R/C Club in New Hampton, Iowa, sent this report about a gathering of 32 students from the Charles City School.
Students and teachers alike had a chance to fly on the buddy-box system. Club members involved included:
- Mark Bonzer
- Rich Grote
- Rich Tenge
- Bud Pruin
Till next time, fly smart and fly safely, C.A.V.U.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
