AMA Building Fund Update II
ON A FEW OCCASIONS AMA has had to assure those making contributions to the BUILDING FUND that their donated money would be used entirely for the new building. Everyone must be aware that the new building project is being funded by its own special BUILDING FUND drive. None of the projected operating AMA budget (money that comes from membership dues) is marked for the building fund project. The Academy of Model Aeronautics is in the business of supplying services to its members. These services are self-supporting through the payment of membership dues. Membership dues cannot, then, be used on projects not in line with their purpose. The dues increase announced recently is an adjustment in required income to meet the increased costs in providing those services. No dues money, no matter what the dues rates, goes into the AMA BUILDING FUND.
AMA Building Fund: Update XI
IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED that this report try to relay to AMA members some appreciation for the extent of all the preliminary paperwork, preparation, and legwork that was necessary just to begin constructing the new building. At this point, please realize that the Building Fund articles typically are written while riding a daily commuter bus. This month has been even more than unusually busy, so the article is being assembled late on a Friday night at the writer's old homestead (it being due Monday morning).
AMA Building: Update XIV
BY THE TIME you read this, the Building Fund Drive will almost be over. There are less than 250 Brick pins and charms, less than 200 Member patches, less than 250 Silver patches, and less than 100 Gold Member patches! These patches will not be reordered. They will not be available after December 31. Additionally, the Contest Certificate Awards for the Building Fund will not be available after December 31. (There are a few clever clubs now ordering the award certificates for next summer's contest while they still can.) As expected, these items are quickly becoming collectibles. They are precious mementos of a once-in-a-lifetime fund-raising effort to finally get a permanent home for aeromodeling.
AMA Building: Update XVI
THIS MONTH'S article will report on how the AMA membership renewals are helping the building project and how the project imparts a form of immortality to its supporters. AMA is alive and well! We had a good Nats. We had a record number of members (and clubs!). Certainly the new frequencies authorized for modeling by the FCC as a result of AMA efforts (plus a long list of other successes) have made 1982 a great year for aeromodelers and the AMA. As this was written, 1982 members were signing up for 1983 at a record rate. For the second year members are including Building Fund donations with their renewals-only this year there are many more who are doing so.
AMA Building: Update XVIII
BY READING the lists at the end of this month's report, you will see that there have been many eleventh hour donations! There were so many, in fact, that it was decided to publish the names of these donors here (as all the others have been), and not just add them to a final list. The new building has been completed. When this was written (in mid-January) the final inspections were being done. AMA and the contractor had done the first acceptance inspection. We were expecting to have complete county/AMA acceptance within two weeks and to move our AMA HQ operations into the new facility by mid-February. If all went according to schedule, we will be in these new quarters when you read this.
