The secretary received the following email in response to a reminder that subscriptions were due. The email raises several points. Consequently, it was decided that the email should be published to members on a new Comment/Discussion page. Members who wish to comment on this, or any other issue, can do so using the contact form.
Email response to Secretary:
I won’t renew my membership. The reason being, I find the ‘fun bubble’ flying not appealing. That’s not a saying I just picked up. I’ve applied it for years when the pilots simply fly around the sky without having a goal or challenge or anyone guiding a program of aerobatic of basic flying skills to follow. I appreciate the work you put in but there is so much that is missing, in my opinion. MEETINGS – Basically, for a member to raise a point or put forward an idea, there is no scheduled meeting to do this. There is so much more to the hobby that could be introduced but you have no way to present ideas that can be discussed and voted on. Competitions for example. These don’t have to be extravagant to bring an element of flying skills to the group, thus providing another level of challenge and satisfaction. Previously, one popular competition I invented and ran, was for powered and non-powered gliders. We only had up to 6 participants with a monthly session over 6 months with points awarded and the winner each year got the perpetual trophy which I made myself. There is a myriad of little challenges to choose from to make each visit to the strip memorable. All that aside, I look forward to seeing you all from time to time in the future.
Responses:
Bill: When we set up the club in 1992 we very much followed the conventional mode, formal meetings using the traditional meeting format: proposals and observations through the chair, voting, the recording of minutes and the keeping of financial records. (The secretary treasurer continues to maintain financial records) But, for several reasons, as time passed formal meetings were dropped and business was dealt with at the field on Sunday mornings. Firstly, since the club is not an Incorporated Society, there was no legal obligation to hold formal meetings. Secondly since the membership tended to be geographically scattered it was recognised that special journeys just for a meeting was an imposition. Thirdly, since it was recognised that there was very little of import that could not be dealt with on Sunday mornings, formal meetings were dropped.
As to the other issues raised in the email above, in the 28 years of its existence there has been no evidence that the membership wished to engage in competitions. I guess that for many, simply completing a model aircraft and successfully flying it was competition enough. Each to his own. In essence, the Sunday morning meetings provide not only an opportunity to fly, compare, and enjoy, but also a congenial social occasion.
John: Have listened to the person from whence the email came and understand his concerns as he has come from a club that has a larger membership and caters for all the activities that he is interested in and has been use to.
We all fly different things and if we wished there is no reason as an individual to fly the NDC events associated with the classes we fly. It may need a helper on occasions to do it.
I have come from a club that has a very active program and enjoyed every bit of it including the gliding competitions but I enjoy what we do down here just as much. As you say, we come from a widely dispersed area and our numbers are small so any formal requirements are quite adequately for-filled with our Sunday meets . If anyone wants to talk us into doing something like a informal competition on an occasion or a group build etc, we would certainly listen and put our hand up if we were interested. I know the older guys at the CMAC have a lot of fun doing their builds and flying their Tomboy competition based on Vic Smead designs. Right up Richards alley.
Richard B: In reply to the lack of competitions and committee meetings.
I get great satisfaction from building and flying model aircraft. Usually from ancient plans that probably have not been built in years. To watch a model lift into the air and grace the skies and then coast in to a gentle landing, is a sense of great satisfaction. I don’t need to compete, though understand others might want to.
I think Bill has explained why we do not have official meetings. We can handle most issues on our Sunday meetings, but if anyone has any ideas, they will be readily listened to by all at the club. So if any member wants to introduce some new feature. We are all ears.
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