President's Perspective-2011/09

i folks! I hope you have taken
note that we now have a monthly
report to update you on our
activities in Washington D.C. We are
vigilant to make our presence known with
the FAA and other stakeholders. Although
the governmental issues consume a large
amount of my time, I want to discuss
other aspects of this great hobby of ours.
As some of you may know, my wife
and I moved to Arkansas roughly a year
ago and we’re “lovin’ every minute of it!”
Next to the climate, the best part of
Arkansas is the friends we’ve made.
People here are extremely personable
and friendly, which brings me to the topic
of this month’s column. I have been in
this wonderful hobby for more than 40
years and, although I truly love model
aircraft, the friendships I have made
throughout the years are what I enjoy the
most.
Maybe some of you can relate to this,
but I remember how I couldn’t seem to
get enough flying in at the field. And
competition was a big part of my life. I’d
travel up and down the East Coast to fly
in events from Canada to Georgia, but
over the years, I travel to these same
events to visit with my friends. Shoot, I
President’s Perspective
AMA Executive Vice President Mark Smith
H
used to not drink coffee in the morning of
the event because I thought it would
make me too nervous; now I have been
known to take a nap between rounds!
I have been fortunate to have a
complete workshop, and now it seems as
though building is just as important to me
as flying, but the real essence of my love
for this hobby is the camaraderie I enjoy
with my flying buddies.
I’ve said this often: “The first piece of
equipment I pull out of my trailer is my
lawn chair.”
The club membership throughout this
great country of ours is similar, regardless
of location. You have the “doers,” the
occasional fliers, and the modelers who
simply like to come to the field to
socialize.
I’ll make an observation here. Those
clubs that are most active seem to be the
clubs that are growing and this provides a
means for more social interaction! Too
often we get caught up in trivial club
issues when, in the big picture, it’s all
about friendships.
Many of us fly on publicly owned land
and it is critical that we show our
gratitude for this opportunity to fly on the
site. One of the best ways to do this is to
get involved in community activities. Not
only does this give us a chance to
socialize with our flying friends, but we
are giving back to the community in
which we live.
AMA’s Leader Club award program
encourages clubs to get involved with the
community in a number of ways. Some
suggestions include the club donating to
the AMA Scholarship Program or
donating a Model Aviation subscription to
schools or libraries.
A club could sponsor an annual public
event, such as a mall show, flying show,
or demonstration.
Some clubs create an informational
handout and provide it to the general
public. Others still participate in charity
programs or public fundraising events.
Earlier this month, I had the honor of
presenting my local club with the Gold
Leader Club award. Our president, Larry
Holcomb, artfully arranged for me to
make this presentation at the county
quorum court meeting at the county
courthouse.
We had several club members present
along with many county dignitaries,
which gave me the opportunity to explain
how only 5% of the approximately 2,500
clubs achieve this honor. Larry then
turned to one of the county officials and
gave him the Gold Leader Club award to
be displayed in an appropriate location in
the courthouse!
That’s it for this month. Be safe, keep in
touch, and have fun! MA
Mark Smith
AMA Executive Vice President
[email protected]
September 2011 5
Mission Statement
The Academy of Model Aeronautics is a world-class association of modelers organized for the purpose of
promotion, development, education, advancement, and safeguarding of modeling activities.
The Academy provides leadership, organization, competition, communication, protection, representation,
recognition, education and scientific/technical development to modelers.
The first piece of equipment I pull out of my
trailer is my lawn chair.
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