President's Perspective: We need to preserve our sites
Most of us take our "right" to fly model airplanes as a given, but in reality that "right" doesn't exist. Flying our model airplanes is a privilege that has been "earned" by the hard work and efforts of those who have preceded us. Modelers in the past have fought for that privilege by fighting for it when it was threatened by legislation, and fighting for it by supporting their organizations efforts to get more frequencies. More recently, modelers in the northwest have had to take a strong stand against legislation in Oregon which would make model aircraft flying an excluded activity on all agriculturally zoned property in the state.
President's Perspective
Over the years, one of the cornerstones of the AMA has been the sanctioning of events. In recent years, the number of AMA sanctions granted has risen to nearly 2,400 per year; ironically, there is roughly the same number of chartered clubs. The system of managing all of those sanctions has evolved over the years, but the basic concept of sanction categories has been pretty much the same for four decades or more. A recent situation involving an AMA Special Interest Group has raised the question of just how appropriate our sanction system is in today's aeromodeling world. A close look reveals a system that is (was) geared toward the competitive world of organized aeromodeling of 40+ years ago. For example, it refers to the fact that contests in different categories of aeromodeling (i.e. Free Flight [FF], Control Line [CL], Radio Control [RC]) should not be in conflict with each other.
President's Perspective
It's funny how things happen. A couple of hours ago I was finishing up a late shift at work, banging my head against the wall trying to get a machine to cooperate. I knew that tonight was the deadline for the column, and I was wondering just how many members realize that the AMA officers are elected volunteers, and have regular jobs and duties just like any other member. In short, I was feeling bummed out and had no idea what to write about in this column. When I got home at around 10:30 p.m., I sat and read the mail, and found this letter from AMA member Nicholas Hallett. It says a lot, especially about the organization, and it made my day much brighter. I decided to share it with you.
President's Perspective
"Break's over, back on your heads," goes the punch line of an old (bad) joke. After getting last month off, the officers' columns are back. While we didn't have to write columns last month, it surely doesn't mean that we took time off! It seems like I sprint from one committee meeting to another lately. We have been slowly and methodically increasing our dependence on committees as a way of contending with increasing workloads. It's important that we are prepared to change the way we do business as the world in which we live changes. Only by having committees dedicated to particular areas of concern can we hope to stay abreast of the times.
President's Perspective
EXPECTATIONS VS REALITY: sometimes the line is an S-curve! As members of any association, you are likely to have particular expectations of how that organization is run, and how that organization serves you as a member. You are not only likely to have certain expectations, you are entitled to them. Expectations are not the same as desires; expectations would normally be based on past experiences, whereas desires are just that: desires, and they need not be based on anything.
