View from HQ
Dave Mathewson
Vote for your representative and renew your membership [email protected]
AMA’s annual renewal season is underway. By now, everyone should have received a renewal notice, which also includes a ballot for you to vote for representatives to the AMA Executive Council (EC).
AMA’s system of governance is unique in the membership association world. The members of the EC serve dual roles. Each of the 11 elected vice presidents are charged with managing organizational affairs within his or her district.
Concurrently, each vice president, along with the AMA president, executive vice president, and the representative from the National Aeronautic Association, serve as voting members of the AMA’s board of directors. In this role, all of our elected representatives set policy for the organization as well as guide strategic initiatives and define a course for the organization.
AMA’s method of selecting members to sit on the organization’s board is also unique in the association world. In some membership organizations, the members have little or no voice as to who serves on the board. Other organizations provide some interaction through a system of proxy voting.
In our association each Open member has an individual vote and the opportunity to cast that vote to select the individuals who govern.
AMA’s representatives are elected on a three-year cycle to ensure continuity and stability on the board. What this means is that not everyone votes for a district vice president every year. If there is a name or names on the ballot that you receive under “District VP,” then this is the year when your district is having an election.
There is also an election for AMA president this year. Because this is a national position, every Open member can vote for this office. As an AMA Open member, you have the opportunity to vote for the person whom you feel can best represent your interests, not only in your district, but from a national perspective.
If you’re unfamiliar with the individuals running for office, you can read the candidates’ campaign statements in the October 2013 issue of MA, or they can be found at www.modelaircraft.org/aboutama/organization/ec.aspx. You can also ask your modeling friends if they are familiar with the candidates. Please take the time to vote.
Beginning in January 2014, AMA will officially launch its digital version of Model Aviation magazine. Members will have the opportunity to choose between the traditional print magazine, the new digital version, or receive both for a modest additional fee.
The digital option will contain some enhanced features that are not available in print including additional content and videos.
Between now and the end of the year, members have an opportunity to “test-fly” the digital options. There is a desktop version as well as a version for Android and Apple tablets and smartphones. For more information, visit www.modelaviation.com/digital.
No matter which you choose, the print version of Model Aviation will continue to be available for those who prefer that option.
I want to thank every member and every club that participated in the inaugural National Model Aviation Day. By any standard, this celebration of model aviation was a huge success. It was far better than we imagined.
Although donations are still coming in, more than $50,000 was raised to support this year’s charity, the Wounded Warrior Project. As a collateral benefit of all of your efforts, awareness of model aviation and what we do as model aviation enthusiasts was raised. As a result of your work, we were able to show our friends and neighbors that, as modelers, we give back to, and are an asset in, our communities.
We introduced thousands of people to aeromodeling and as a result, we can expect new members for our clubs and AMA. We accomplished all this while being able to do what was most important: raising money that will make a measurable difference in helping injured military heroes recover and return to society.
AMA has already begun discussions on National Model Aviation Day 2014. More information will soon be available, as will the final results of this year’s fundraising efforts.
See you next time … ✈
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
