View from HQ
Joyce Hager, Executive Director
Have you seen the new Web site for beginners?
Leader Club Award
Some of you may remember that I wrote about the Leader Club Program in one of my columns earlier this year. Since that time we have increased the number of Gold Leader Clubs to 88, Silver-level clubs now stand at seven, and there is one Bronze-level club.
With roughly 2,500 chartered clubs, I know there have to be more that qualify for one of these awards. Details about the program and qualifications are located in the Membership Manual or on AMA’s Web site — www.modelaircraft.org — or you may contact Erin Dobbs at [email protected] for assistance.
Ambassador Program
Sign three and fly for free! The Ambassador Program is still in existence, and this year we have signed up 822 new members.
It doesn’t take much to participate. A current member can sponsor three people who are interested in flying models and encourage them to join AMA. The sponsoring member’s name and AMA number must be clearly identified on each new member’s application. In exchange, the sponsoring member will receive a free one-year membership to AMA.
Let’s see how many new members we can sign up through this program. Details are available on the AMA Web site.
Hobby Shop Program
The Hobby Shop Program that AMA has been involved in for the last several years has been a good source of new and renewal memberships. As I write this in June, 457 people have become members this way so far this year.
If you know of a hobby shop in your area that does not participate in the program, please contact Erin Dobbs at [email protected].
International Aeromodeling Center
Things at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana, are moving along nicely. The grass is growing, and the rain keeps coming.
The dedication of the Willie McCool Control Line circles will take place during the opening of the Control Line World Championships (CLWC). All areas are preparing for the visitors expected for the National Aeromodeling Championships and the CLWC.
Check out the Competitions portion of the Web site for a schedule of events.
Contacting AMA Staff During Events
During this busy time, members who don’t attend these events might find it hard to contact some of the staff at AMA Headquarters. If you can’t contact a particular staff member or department, please leave your message with the receptionist; we will try our best to get back to you in a reasonable amount of time.
If you have a real emergency, please direct your correspondence to me at [email protected] or leave a message on my telephone.
The Competitions Department staff will be the hardest to reach since they are heavily involved in both the Nats and the CLWC. Please have patience with this department; we do try to put on good events while servicing the rest of the membership.
Sport Aviator — New Web Site for Beginners
Have you seen the new Web site for beginners? It is called Sport Aviator and can be found at www.masportaviator.com/.
Here are just a few comments concerning this site:
- "This site is exactly what I was hoping the Academy would do several years ago when I suggested a 'Beginners' column for Model Aviation. The format is good, the articles seem easy to read, and the content is simple insofar as I have read. Congratulations!" — Bob Spivey
- "It's great. I learned more here in 10 minutes than I did with my instructor in 10 hours." — Ray Smith
- "I would have enjoyed a site like this when I first started to learn how to fly. All the information is right here." — Marguerite
This is only a sample of the comments I have received. I am pleased at how this site has turned out and want to thank Frank Granelli for the wonderful job he is doing.
Club Brochure Offer from George Jenkins
George Jenkins, one of our members from Florida and a member of the Sarasota R/C Squadron, has offered to help clubs develop a brochure that could be handed out at club functions — for free! This flyer can be passed out at mall shows, field events, etc.
George designed the flyer in Microsoft Publisher and has offered to modify it to include any information or picture a club would require. A sample of the brochure can be seen on the club’s Web site at www.sarasotarcc.com.
The club would need to send George the exact wording and maps needed for the individual club situation. It should be provided in Microsoft Word so he can copy and paste without having to do unnecessary typing. The club’s logo can be in a scanned format as an attachment in the same e-mail or a separate one.
The subject line of your e-mailed request should read "Re: AMA club brochure request" so it is not confused with spam or junk e-mail. A proof copy will be sent to the club in PDF format for approval and to make any necessary changes. It will take roughly four to six weeks to complete the project.
The completed artwork will be provided to the club in PDF format. The club would be responsible for copying the brochure or having it commercially printed.
George wrote, "I hope it will work to promote model aviation and be as good a communication piece as it has been for our club."
He will communicate by e-mail only. Please do not send faxes or call. His address is [email protected].
George, thank you for the generous offer to assist other AMA clubs; I am sure it will be much appreciated.
Happy flying,
Joyce Hager Executive Director [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
