District XI - 2008/08

MODEL AVIATION
RIDERS AND HITCHHIKERS: My
mentor and good friend Dick Carson and I
were discussing the loss of a club in our
area several years ago. Dick’s son Bruce
explained to me the theory of “Drivers and
Hitchhikers.”
Drivers are the people who step up to
the plate and get things done. They are not
always club officers, but volunteers who
keep things happening.
The hitchhikers are there for the ride—
a free ride. The only thing many of them
do is find fault and complain. Oh yes, they
come up with an occasional good idea but
leave that for someone else to follow up
on.
I can see it now. You are thinking, “I
know some of those guys.” Clubs just
don’t happen; they take lots of work. Good
clubs take more work and who is going to
do it? The drivers! The hitchhikers
complain and claim there is a clique
running things.
Some of you out there are going to say
“I have health problems and can’t do some
of those things.” This is understandable,
but there are other ways of helping.
Recently one of the oldest and biggest
clubs in our area folded. This came as a
shock to me because I had no idea that it
was in trouble.
Many clubs get top heavy with older
members and either don’t recruit younger
members or if they do, they don’t get them
involved in running the club. The new
members need to be included in the
managment so they can replace us “old”
guys.
Does your club recycle officers? Most
do. Last year our club elected a president
who had never held office in the club
before. He came to me and asked advice.
He had never done anything like this
before.
Not being afraid to ask for help and
listening to others has worked well. He is
doing a good job and is in his second term.
Clubs that survive get involved in their
community. This involvement is banking
goodwill. Many clubs have fallen on hard
times or lost a field, but have been able to
get help from their community and its
leaders because of the club’s community
involvment.
Public relations counts, guys. If you
don’t believe it or practice it, I will say
good-bye now beacuse you are on the road
to problems.
As I write this, the coming weekend is
another great event at Gary Weaver’s Field
at Othello, Washington. As much as I hate
to miss that, I will be headed to the Great
White North for a week of float flying and
some wonderful Canadian hospitality.
Saying that, I will quote from a note left
for me by a drug dealer and draft dodger
who was obviously a mental giant.
“So long kops, I have went to Canada.”
I hope they enjoyed him as much as we
did. Time to “went” to Canada, eh? Bruce
District XI
Bruce Nelson, District XI Vice President; [email protected]
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
Bruce Nelson
Vice President
807 E. Vicksburg St.,
Spokane WA 99208
Fax: (509) 467-1852
Cell: (509) 863-7096
[email protected]
Associate Vice
Presidents
Rick Allison, Issaquah WA;
[email protected]
Darrell Anderson, Great Falls
MT; [email protected]
Al Culver, Wilder ID;
[email protected]
Jerry Holcomb, Vancouver WA;
[email protected]
Gene LaFond, Wenatchee WA;
[email protected]
Reeves Lippincott, Wasilla AK;
[email protected]
Mike Mosbrooker, Oak Harbor
WA; [email protected]
Claude Tanner, Boise ID;
[email protected]
Frequency Coordinator
Phil Tallman, Medical Lake WA;
(509) 299-5102;
[email protected]
District RC Coordinator
W.T. (Bill) Smith, Seattle WA;
[email protected]
Web site:
www.yosemiteflash.com/
xiama.htm
District XI Volunteers
Each Memorial Day weekend, the Inland
Empire Soaring Society conducts the Ed
Huffman Soaring Classic at Farragut State
Park in northern Idaho.
Ed was a longtime member of the club
I belong to as well, and he was the kind of
member whom every club wishes they
had. Ed was always there to help and the
first to offer. He had a great sence of
humor and I for one was glad to call him
my friend.
This year at that event, the
Society honored the staff of the
park with plaques and thanks for all
the services the park provides for
many modelers who use this
facility.
Receiving the awards were the
park’s assistant manager and the
groundskeeper. Making the award is Rob
Kirkpatrick.
In addition to this site, the Society just
aquired a site southeast of Spokane,
Washington. They have contacted the
neighbors around the area, told them
about the Society, and explained what
they are doing. In short, the members are
being good neighbors.
178