District XI - 2006/12
Public relations and your flying field: is it really an issue?
Many of you may be tired of hearing me say that there are two kinds of clubs—those that have lost a flying field and those that are going to lose a flying field. It is all too true, and the loss of a field can be the demise of a club. I was in that position with our club many years ago, and I have seen it all too often.
I think one of the best investments a club can make in its future is good public and community relations. I know of a club that was at risk of losing its field because of a safety issue. The members' history of working with and supporting their community is what saved the field. It earned them a second chance.
There have been several other examples of this in our district in the past few years. I know of a club that lost its field but was offered a replacement site based solely on the members' community involvement.
Clubs can promote themselves in several ways:
- Donate manpower to community projects.
- Get involved in an adopt-a-school project.
- Host an open house inviting the community to learn about the hobby while being entertained.
The open house is the easiest thing to do since we all like to show off our models and skills, but there are other ways to promote your club.
I recently went to the area around Kalispell and Whitefish, Montana, for the Glacier RCers' annual open house. The number of people who came out for this two-day event was considerable, which is not surprising. The club has hosted this event for several years. The crowd was entertained by all manner of aircraft, from CL models to jets. I hope to have some pictures of this event in the near future, but this is just one way to help ensure that your favorite pastime will endure.
It is a lot easier to keep a site than it is to find one.
Happy trails... contrails, that is.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
