AMA: News

AMA news

From AMA HQ, By the Executive Director: NO. 104

NOMINATIONS FOR 1975 ELECTION

The 1975 Nominating Committee Meeting of the Academy of Model Aeronautics was held in Burton Hall, McNeese University, Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Aug. 6, beginning at 8 p.m. Sixteen written nominations for AMA officers were received prior to the meeting including a slate (6) of last minute nominations submitted by Al Babe without supporting documentation.

The following persons were accepted by the committee for listing on the ballot for election of 1976-77 offices (except that those identified by "X" have since withdrawn so that only one name will appear for such districts.

Sec. Treas. Earl F. Witt (Only nomination rec.)

Dist. I Cliff Piper X-Al Novotnik * (withdrawn)

Dist. III Ron Morgan Donald T. Lowe

Dist. V Jim McNeill X-Dave Platt * (withdrawn)

Dist. VII William A. Rohring Hardy Broderson

Dist. IX Stan Chilton X-Charles Reed * (withdrawn)

Dist. XI Homer Smith X-Bob Stalick * (withdrawn)

* Nominations by Al Babe were accepted subject to the nominees qualifying for office and accepting the nomination. Note: Charles Reed is from another district.

Under current Nominations Procedures only two names are authorized to appear on the ballot for each position, with the nominating committee (composed of all district Vice Presidents or their delegated representatives) to decide which two in case three or more nominations are received for any one position.

On this basis, the nomination for John Cottle, district III, was not accepted, but he can run as a write-in candidate. Similarly, a district VP nomination by Al Babe for Claude McCullough was not accepted but he has since advised that he prefers not to run since he is deeply involved in Scale Contest Board activities. Likewise another nomination by Al Babe for Dave Brown as district III VP was not accepted and Dave has advised that with Don Lowe on the ballot he prefers not to run as a write-in candidate. All other positions had no more than two nominations.

As a result of the confusion concerning nominations as noted above the AMA Executive Council is to propose, for Leader membership vote, changes to the by-laws to require nominations to be submitted only for the district in which the nominator resides (except for national offices) and that the nominee from the district he is expected to represent — the current by-laws do not require these obvious conditions. Another probable proposal will be to require the nominee have given his acceptance prior to submission.

NO DUES CHANGE FOR NEXT YEAR

The AMA Executive Council voted at the Nats to retain the basic 1975 dues structure for 1976. This means an open member rate of $12 (with monthly AMA News reprint) and $17 (with Model Aviation magazine), as originally offered in 1975. The $10 membership (without AMA News) which was a temporary expedient for mid-1975 will be discontinued, in line with the long standing general policy of providing all voting members with the basic AMA News on a monthly basis—this arrangement was available only because AMA News reprints were not available for 1975 issues of Model Aviation magazine.

The council noted that the $17 dues structure was ample concerning magazine costs so that improvements in the magazine would be budgeted. It was pointed out that costs for producing four issues of the magazine had been held well within the original budget so that improvement is definitely possible, even with allowance for inflationary increases in paper, printing, and other costs. Sec. Treas. Earl F. Witt

DONATIONS LEAD TO HUTCHINSON PURCHASE

Several months of relative quiet concerning the possibility of property purchase at Hutchinson, Kansas, suddenly resulted in affirmative action by AMA's Executive Council when $13,000 in donations were added at the Nats to the previous $2,600.

Noting that only $4,400 (less than 25%) was needed to meet the $20,000 purchase price, the Council voted unanimously (*) at the Nats to pay the balance from general AMA funds and to seek additional contributions or that the entire purchase price would be covered by donations.

The purchase, which was expected to be completed by mid-September, involves three buildings and surrounding property at the former naval air station, now known as Sunflower Aerodrome. The buildings, which were described in the Feb. 1975 issue of the AMA Monthly Mailing, include a hangar, a 4-bedroom apartment building, and a single story general utility building.

Purchase of the property was contingent upon conclusion of a satisfactory agreement with the owner of Sunflower Aerodrome for use of the adjacent airfields for model flying events. At press time such an agreement had been drawn up and ready for signing. Simultaneously the purchase contract for the property was finalized and ready for signing.

In authorizing the purchase the executive council noted that final determination concerning use of the property had not been made. The purchase was approved as a property investment, either for further development or as the basis for purchasing other property in the future. The basic reasoning was that this purchase, particularly with over 3/4 of the cost provided by donations, was too good a buy to pass up and that nothing equivalent or better was known to be available in the same price range.

(*) All council members voted in favor except that AMA district IV, being represented by proxy, abstained. This district VP has since (see his column this issue) noted that he would also have voted in favor had he been present.

MINUTES, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

JUNE 21, 1975 IMPERIAL NORTH HOTEL DAYTON, OHIO

The following were in attendance: President John Clemens, Dallas, Tex.; Secretary-Treasurer Earl Witt, Chambersburg, Pa.; Executive Director John Worth, Fairfax, Va.; Vice-President, District I, Cliff Piper, Atkinson, New Hampshire; VP-II John Byrne, Bayside, N.Y.; VP-III Ron Morgan, Scotland, Pa.; VP-IV John Spalding, Lanham, Md.; VP-V Jim McNeill, Birmingham, Ala.; VP-VI Glenn Lee, Batavia, Ill.; VP-VII Jack Josaitis, Dearborn, Mich.; VP-VIII Murry Frank, Wichita Falls, Tex.; VP-IX Stan Chilton, Wichita, Kansas; VP-X Alex Chisolm, Fresno, Calif.; VP-XI Homer Smith, Seattle, Wash.; AMA PR Director Barry Bolich.

Also in attendance were invited representatives of local model groups: Tom Cavanaugh, Dayton Association of Model Airplane Clubs (DAMBAC); Harry Roe, Western Ohio Radio Control Society (WORCS); Jim Mills, Dayton Area Radio Thermal Soarers (DARTS); Dick Kastner, Dayton Wingsmasters. Note: not all local observers were present for the entire meeting. John Griggs, Associate VP, District II joined the meeting at 3 p.m., between agenda items 1 and 2 of I.A.

The meeting began at Noon, following a tour of the former Clinton County Air Force Base (near Wilmington, Ohio). President Clemens expressed appreciation for full council attendance. He also noted the presence of several invited guests from the local area as listed above. In particular, he praised the efforts of Tom Cavanaugh for leadership of southern Ohio efforts in recent months in support of AMA.

Clemens then initiated council meeting business by calling for discussion on the subject of:

1. AMA magazine status. A consensus of council members showed strong support for the current magazine effort. John Byrne, Vice President of District II, asked for a vote of thanks and appreciation to the HQ staff for its excellent execution of the magazine task. The response was unanimous in its commendation.

Further discussion on the subject of magazine finances indicated satisfaction with the magazine budget, especially since the actual cost of the first issue was noted to be less than had been estimated. Secretary-Treasurer Earl Witt commented that the very favorable magazine financial situation could be instrumental in avoiding dues increases for 1976; that the magazine profitability could offset some general operations deficits.

Homer Smith, Vice-President for District XI, advised that any future reporting of magazine financial matters should show the magazine as a single entity rather than with separate breakdowns for the Competition News or Monthly Mailing segments as had been done in the past. Executive Director John Worth advised that it was already being done and Earl Witt agreed that this was appropriate since the magazine now combined these previously separate efforts.

A general discussion of current advertising policy was also carried out and it was noted that AMA's claim of being able to produce the magazine without advertising income had been realized. However, it was also noted that such income was beneficial because it could enable expansion of the magazine effort and/or reduction in the amount of dues required for magazine production. A consensus of opinion, therefore, supported the continuance of advertising activities but noted that they should be non-aggressive and low key.

John Byrne asked the council to consider publishing a statement regarding the amount and nature of advertising, noting the limits involved, as an assurance to the membership that advertising would not be allowed to dominate the magazine. Some editorial discussion followed whether the council should dictate the size of the magazine (number of pages) and the amount of advertising. John Spalding, Vice President, District IV, spoke for avoiding the use of text (product reports and similar promotional articles) to promote advertising. Further discussion indicated a council support for a low-key selective approach to advertising rather than an aggressive take-anything policy.

1. Magazine Policy Guidance. Homer Smith then noted that Model Aviation publisher Carl Wheelock had asked the council for specific guidance in several areas so he called for item by item discussion and action.
2. Magazine expansion. General support was expressed for the idea of expanding the number of magazine pages only if additional income (from ad support and non-member sales) provided the funds to do so. Smith said that any surplus magazine funds should be used to support AMA as a whole. A consensus of comments indicated that only additional income, rather than cost savings, should decide expansion questions; the line should be held concerning magazine expenses to avoid or prevent a dues increase.

It was further agreed that the number of pages should not be increased beyond the current 80 unless or until the percentage of advertising reached some minimum figure. Initial discussion and a preliminary vote agreed on 30 percent, but upon some reconsideration this was felt to be too high. A motion to set the figure at 25 percent was made, seconded by Byrne and approved unanimously.

1. Officer mailing. It was noted that a considerable number of magazines were being sent to officers and contest directors with no direct payment by the individuals who received them. Upon motion and approval it was decided that magazines to officers (approx. 150) receiving the magazines by first class mail and active contest directors (approx. 500) receiving copies by second class mail would be supplied, the cost to be paid out of the officer service budget rather than be charged to the magazine account; approved unanimously.
2. Advertising policy. The current policy concerning the nature of acceptable advertising was discussed and it was generally agreed that the policy was desirable. Alex Chisolm, Vice-President of District X, moved, seconded by Smith, to prohibit certain kinds of advertising, with HQ to work out the wording with legal counsel. The motion was approved: 11 for, 2 opposed (II, IV), 1 abstained (VIII).
3. Editorial Control. Discussion was held concerning the amount of control of magazine contents to be exercised by the Headquarters staff with particular regard to inputs by executive council members. It was generally agreed that the magazine should not be subject to individual council member requests or suggestions, as this would amount to having fourteen additional editors. It was moved that input to the editor and/or publishing policy be only in the form of total council action rather than by individual council members. The motion was seconded by Murry Frank, Vice-President of District VIII, and approved unanimously.
4. HQ line of authority. A headquarters draft concerning duties and responsibilities of various staff members, in regard to the magazine, was discussed. Smith made a motion to accept the document as presented, seconded by Byrne. After further discussion a motion by Witt to amend the document by deleting the last sentence and also the words "basic policies" from item 3 was accepted by Smith, seconded by Byrne, and approved by all except one vote against (VIII).

B. Other Magazine Business.

1. Officer listing. Following discussion of the need to make members more aware of who their AMA district officers are, Byrne made a motion to have the names and addresses of Associate Vice-Presidents published in each issue of the magazine. The motion was seconded by Morgan and approved unanimously.
2. Competition News Ads. The current policy of the magazine was discussed with regard to the fact that the recent issue had carried a number of classified ads in the Competition News section. Following consideration of several alternatives, Glenn Lee, Vice-President of District VI, made a motion to reduce the number of classified ads and to hold the current price for chartered clubs; retaining the current price for others. The motion was seconded by Byrne and approved unanimously.
3. By-Laws Publication. It was noted that more membership interest than usual had been shown concerning AMA by-laws, especially since the council has been considering a number of possible changes and some proposals for change would be voted on by the Leader membership this fall. Furthermore, even though it has been published in parts, publication of the by-laws in their entirety at Headquarters for the membership was thought desirable. The council therefore agreed that the by-laws should be published in full in Model Aviation at the same time that they were distributed to members.
4. Letters for publication. Considerable discussion was held concerning the desirability of publishing a "Letters to the Editor" section in Model Aviation magazine. It was generally agreed that such a section should be included but there (Continued on page 53)

COUNCIL MEETING (CONT.)

was much debate about the nature of such letters. The question was resolved by a motion made by Smith that Model Aviation shall include such a section for objective, well thought out, letters of general interest, at the publisher's discretion. Chilton seconded the motion which was approved by a vote of 7 for, 6 against (S-T, 2,3,5,8,10), 1 abstention (Pres.).

A. Magazine Reprint. In connection with previous council agreement that those members who choose not to receive the AMA magazine for 1976 shall receive a reprint of the AMA News section of the magazine, the matter of how much of a section and at what cost was considered. HQ cost studies were discussed and it was noted that the current section now identified as the Monthly Mailing, consisting of from 12 to 16 pages, could be produced as a reprint and bulk-mailed at a cost of $2.97 per member. Murray Frank made a motion that the 1976 membership dues structure include, at a cost to the member of $2, for those who don't choose the magazine option, a reprint of the magazine section of the Monthly Mailing. Alex Chisolm, Vice-President of District X, seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.

III. Budget Review. Secretary-Treasurer Earl F. Witt explained a chart he had prepared, copies of which were provided to the council, which compared basic income and expenditure items from annual AMA audits. He noted trends and their probable effect on the current budget. Worth also assisted in the explanation of details. The basic consensus of their reports was that for 1975 the likelihood of a barely breakeven year, as budgeted, was still possible, but that much would depend upon whether cost controls during the latter half of the year could keep expense factors (which are still on a general rising trend) from getting out of budget. Some specific areas were noted:

A. Magazine. This is one bright area in that cost factors are currently operating at lower than budgeted figures. The possibility of savings from this area being applied to reduce losses in others was noted.

B. Insurance. A considerable increase in AMA membership insurance cost for 1976 was projected by Worth, based on a recent letter from the underwriters and also the fact that a previously scheduled increase for 1975 had been deferred until next year. The possible amount of increase was noted to be between 100 and 150 thousand dollars. Council discussion of the insurance cost problem produced a suggestion that AMA might pay all small claims and the insurance company all claims over some minimum dollar amount. Worth said he would investigate the possibility of cost savings under such an arrangement.

C. Nationals. The likelihood of increased expenses and reduced income for the 1975 event was noted so that the possibility of a breakeven Nats operation was regarded as slim.

Witt summarized his report by saying that pending further information on operations for the rest of the year, a dues increase for 1976 will probably not be necessary.

IV. 1975 Nats. Worth noted difficulties in recruiting a sufficient number of qualified officials from within 500 miles (a basic premise of the '75 Nats budget) so that some recruitment from further away—at higher cost of travel reimbursement—was unavoidable. Discussion reaffirmed a previous council desire to try to stay within the Nats budget as much as possible and to encourage all concerned to do the best they can to minimize any budget overrun. Worth noted that, in response to suggestions from Alex Chisolm based on 1974 Nats operation, plans for sale at the Nats would be increased although this involved a risk because greater purchasing expense was necessary and greater sales might not materialize if Nats entry was less than the year before.

V. 1976 Nats. Clemens noted a new site possibility—Wright Field near Dayton, Ohio. He said that site inspection the day before had indicated suitable size and facilities; also that Air Force hosting was likely; aided by strong Chamber of Commerce support. Worth then elaborated on other current possibilities: Los Alamitos, Calif. (now out of the picture because of Dept. of Defense rejection since the council meeting of an AMP request); Ellington Air Force Base, Texas; Wendover Air Force Base, Utah; Smyrna, Tenn.; Yuma; Lake Charles, La.; Hutchinson, Kansas; Reno, Nevada.

Clemens then noted that all of the site possibilities, with the exception of Wright Field, had special problems which might prevent their use and that it was becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable sites. In addition, the difficulty (and expense) of staffing the traditional type of National meet was pointed out to be another major problem. Both these factors together were cited as basic to current explorations in thinking regarding new or different Nats concepts. Clemens indicated, for example, that a more practical arrangement might be for AMA to work with each of the special interest organizations to produce separate national championships within each specialty; such as the U.S. Free Flight Championships, the RC Soaring Nationals, etc.

The question of such fractionalized Nats events was discussed at great length although without any particular action or decision-making. The council was also presented with the question of continuing the traditional Nats concept if substantial losses were involved. A consensus indicated that some subsidization was acceptable but no definitive indication was produced regarding how much. It was generally agreed that the subject of Nats alternatives should be explored further. In the meantime it was noted that a 1976 Nats in the Ohio area could greatly reduce the loss factor due to great population density which would act to increase entries (and income) and reduce costs (travel reimbursement for officials).

VI. PR Review. A one hour verbal report was given by AMA's PR Director, Larry Bolich; recently added to the HQ staff. He noted many activities since his joining the operation last October: special publicity efforts in the 1974 Scholarship program; participation in the national convention of the other "AMA", new AMA booth for trade shows, cooperative magazine articles and publications outside the model field (Southern Living, Travel, Youth, National Geographic World, etc.). Of most interest is a new program with the U.S. Department of the Interior, promoting the development of model flying sites in the national parks system—this program promises matching federal funds for state-initiated recreational facilities.

The development of model air show teams across the country for model aviation promotional purposes was described, with the good possibility of model industry support via the Hobby Industry Association (confirmed since the meeting) that an initial fund of $4,000 will be available—$1,000 from AMA, $1,000 from individual industry contributors, $2,000 from the HIA. Bolich showed a new AMA Bicentennial bumper sticker which will be available shortly. He also noted that an air cooler brochure would be produced, to promote model aviation to those not yet involved—as a means of attracting new members and to inform the general public about model aviation.

A need for films aimed at the general public was noted and council discussion resulted in Bolich being asked to submit specific proposals for consideration. Bolich suggested sponsoring Super 8 sound films as a more economical medium. Worth said that consideration must be given to coordinating film efforts regarding PR for membership benefits vs. promotion of AMA. Budgeting for 1976 films to be reviewed with a report to be submitted to council concerning what should be done for next year.

Council discussion of PR in general produced strong support for the concept of AMA involvement in charity and health drives, such as air shows, station displays, contests, etc. Frank made a motion for the council to officially endorse such activities; seconded by Byrne and approved unanimously.

Supper break at 7 p.m.; reconvened at 9 p.m.

Special thanks was extended by Clemens, on behalf of the council, for the local support given to the council meeting, Nats site, and Wilmington property inspection, by Tom Cavanaugh and other officials of the Dayton Association of Model Airplane Clubs. Tom and the other local representatives then left and the council meeting continued.

VII. Property Purchase

A. Wilmington, Ohio. The council consensus was that the Wilmington situation was no longer viable due to lack of available buildings, lack of control of airfields, high cost of property purchase, and an apparent lack of interest on the part of the owners in control of the property. A motion was made by Smith, seconded by Byrne, that the Wilmington property not be pursued further; approved unanimously. It was noted, however, that local AMA members and officials had spent considerable time in preliminary inspections and were thanked for their efforts.

B. Hutchinson, Kansas. Discussion indicated that this site possibility was still open, although the potential cost of the offers had been stretched about as far as reasonable and further contributions might be needed. Clemens noted that two AMA friends had indicated the possibility of donating sufficiently to purchase the property outright, use of AMA funds and that, in such a situation, AMA would be remiss not to pursue the matter further. He further noted that both potential donors were expected to visit the site shortly, with particular intent to evaluate the property on the basis of initial cost vs. renovation and maintenance expenses.

Chilton added that since the opening of negotiations last year; the housing potential at Hutchinson had improved: the new Kansas State dorms to be built on the property and a large hotel (previously closed) was available downtown. He also noted that if AMA was not prepared to act soon, the property being considered by AMA had a ready industrial buyer.

A straw poll of council sentiment indicated that purchase consideration should be continued, with particular emphasis on the possibility of a favorable report by the potential donors. Worth was asked to seek the extra time needed although it was noted that only a month or so delay might be possible. In the meantime, greater membership support should be sought on the premise of basic property investment rather than any specific use such as Nats, museum, or headquarters; even as temporary storage for the growing accumulation of AMA inventory.

VIII. Membership Representation.

A. State Representatives. John Byrne submitted a resolution for council approval:

"WHEREAS it is deemed to be in the best interests of the Academy of Model Aeronautics that its members, who have grown substantially in number since its inception, be more fully represented on the national level and, conversely, that the Academy achieve a greater degree of communication and a liaison with its membership upon the local level,

RESOLVED, that this Council forthwith undertake a detailed study relative to the feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of a "state representative" system which could either replace or modify the present Associate Vice-President program of the AMA; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that a report of its findings be made at the next regular meeting of this Council, or any subsequent meeting of the Council, should such additional time be required in order to arrive at a carefully-reasoned decision based upon a comprehensive consideration of the numerous complexities inherent in such a plan."

Byrne made a motion for acceptance of the resolution, seconded by Smith. General discussion indicated agreement with a need for further study by a special committee. Smith suggested presidential appointment of such a committee, but district I Vice-President Cliff Piper urged the council to take some more positive action, at least partially. Chisolm then asked that Witt, as a national officer, be chairman of the committee. The committee motion was then approved with all in favor except district I. Clemens then appointed Witt as the chairman, with all vice-presidents to make up the balance of the committee.

Following this action a council consensus was expressed which acknowledged the need to find ways to be more responsive to membership desires, although it was noted to be a difficult and complex subject which would require a review of the total structure of AMA representation. A basic concern was expressed to be a desire to increase the inputs to council decision-making without creating a situation where too many voices could result in unmanageable meetings and any moves in the direction of adding representatives would need to be structured carefully to continue the very effective current council operation.

B. Associate Vice-Presidents. Cliff Piper noted his intent, under current council authority, to appoint two additional Associate VP's, as an interim improvement of membership representation until the council took some further action on the state representative proposal. He also asked if any other VP's had any changes or additions to AVP representation. General discussion revealed several district situations which needed more AVP's than the current basic limit of four per district. Stan Chilton then made a motion to increase the number of authorized AVP's to 6; seconded by McNeill and approved by a vote of 12 for, 2 abstentions (VII, XI).

Piper next made a motion to table further discussion of the membership representation question until results of the new council committee study are known; seconded by Smith and approved with all in favor except 1 abstention (VIII).

IX. Status of SAC. This item concerning the RC Soaring Advisory Committee, had been tabled from the previous council meeting. Murray Frank spoke in favor of replacing the SAC, which is an unusual council approved committee regarding rules, in contrast to other rules advisory committees which are contest board created. Somerset agreed and made a motion to eliminate the Council authorized SAC in favor of a contest board soaring advisory committee to be composed of district representatives recommended by the National Soaring Society, with operation as other contest board advisory groups in that the committee chairman would be appointed by the contest board chairman; the committee chairman to select committee members from those recommended. The motion was seconded by Chilton.

In discussing the motion Piper made the point that his inputs from his present SAC member, Jansson, and also from an active soaring flyer, Bob Charron, that the NSS is still not truly representative of the Soaring flyers. He further stated that the SAC "Poll," which favored this move had not included his district, according to Jansson.

Following further discussion which indicated that the district I position did not have majority support, the motion was approved by a vote of 11 for, 1 against (I), 2 abstentions (IV, E.D.).

X. Contest Coordinator Item. Byrne noted a problem when new Contest Coordinators begin their duties late in the year or at the start of a new year, well after sanctioning activity had begun for the following year. No action was taken, however, when it was indicated that VP's already had the authority to begin coordinator terms at a time of their choosing — no requirement to begin Jan. 1.

XI. Contest Board Name Change. Worth explained that one of the contest board chairmen had proposed a name change from "Contest Board" to "Contest Rules Board". The purpose is to clarify, especially for those unfamiliar with board responsibilities, that its rules are the primary business of contest boards, rather than other matters involved in contests (organization, sanctioning, etc.). John Spalding made a motion, seconded by Glenn Lee, to recommend such a by-laws change to the Leader membership; motion was approved unanimously.

XII. 1974 Nats Problem. This agenda item related to procedures which had caused considerable post-Nats correspondence and confusion concerning the processing of some entries. Following discussion which indicated a council consensus of opinion, Smith made a motion to drop further action concerning the 1974 principals and to inform future Nats event directors of the need to follow rule book requirements with regard to model processing. Frank seconded the motion but proposed an amendment to emphasize the need for proper model identification as called for by the rule book and the entry form. Smith accepted the amendment and seconded same. It was then offered a further amendment, also accepted by Smith and seconded by McNeill that a letter of regret be sent to the individuals involved, advising that the further action was dropped but noting that the Contest Board Chairman and the Executive Director had acted properly in their pursuit of matter. The motion was approved unanimously and it was noted that Worth would write the letter on behalf of the council.

XIII. Award Nominations. The following were tabled and approved unanimously.

A. Fellowship to John Pond; nominated by McNeill in a joint motion with Chisolm; seconded by Frank. For promotion of model aviation to the public.

B. Distinguished Service Awards to the AMA Air Show Team; nominated by Morgan, seconded by Worth. For promotion of model aviation to the general public.

C. Distinguished Service Award to Jack Spalding; nominated by Morgan, seconded by Frank. For providing financial support to AMA projects and promotion of model aviation in general.

D. Distinguished Service Award to Dick Sherman; nominated by McNeill, seconded by Byrne. For preservation of model aviation history through his model museum.

E. Distinguished Service Award to Leo Shulman; nominated by Worth, seconded by Byrne. For promotion of model aviation through his contribution to a N.Y. Times major article.

XIV. Any Other Business.

A. Next Council Meeting. Agreed by council consensus to be at the 1975 Nats as usual; Wed., Aug. 6, immediately following the AMA Nominating Committee meeting.

B. Noise Reduction. Clemens detailed a letter from one of the prominent engine manufacturers requesting council support for Contest Board repeal of restrictions against performance improving devices which could reduce engine noise levels. Discussion indicated agreement on the desirability of encouraging manufacturer development of such devices where the noise reduction was probably effective. It was noted that contest rules were greatly influenced by engine manufacturers and that the board cooperation was needed to support such development which would ultimately be of benefit to all flyers, whether competition oriented or not, by helping to avoid the closing of flying sites caused by noise problems. Smith made a motion for Worth to advise the contest boards of the council's recommendation, as noted above; seconded by Byrne and approved unanimously.

C. AAAA Meet Rating. Council discussion indicated support for new guidelines for AAAA ratings with particular regard for meeting promotion material and charting rules for annual championship meets, etc. It was felt that the contest boards should take direct action on AAAA ratings rather than the council.

D. 1974 Nats Problem. Council discussion again reviewed the previous action and correspondence; no additional action was taken.

E. Adjournment. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

AMA: News

D. Junior Programs. Noting the lack of specific proposals concerning what AMA should be doing for juniors, council discussion indicated that there was a basic problem in that no budgeting is available for such programs and that any proposals should offer practical suggestions for how any improvements in services rendered to juniors should be paid for. It was noted that Bob Sargent of the Cleveland area had been particularly successful in leadership of Junior activities; Clemens advised he would seek Sargent's assistance, though possible appointment to a special advisory committee, concerning development of specific proposals for council consideration.

E. AMA Publisher Membership. Frank made a motion for AMA to apply to the Hobby Industry Association for Publisher membership; seconded by McNeill and approved unanimously.

F. AMA Historian. As a final item, President Clemens appointed McNeill as AMA's Official Historian and assigned him the task of writing a new AMA history from 1966 to present.

G. Adjournment. Following a motion by Frank, seconded by Spalding, noting that it was a half hour past midnight and that all original agenda items, plus many others, had been acted upon, the meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote.

OVER 60,000 FOR AMA MEMBERSHIP!

It's official—the hoped for 60,000 mark has been reached. It happened on early September so there was still at least half a month to go before memberships credited to 1975 are officially closed out (all after Sept. 30 are credited to the following year). What now for '76? We'll soon know the trend—membership renewal notices will be in the mail in October.

LIFE MEMBERSHIP FOR PROPERTY DONATIONS

In keeping with a long standing policy those who donate $1,000 or more to the Academy automatically receive Life memberships. At the 1975 Nats three such donations were received, in connection with the property purchase at Hutchinson, Kansas. Earl Witt, AMA Secretary-Treasurer from Chambersburg, Pa., Stan Chilton, AMA District IX Vice-President from Wichita, Kansas, and Jerry Bell from Mission, Tex., each donated $1,000 toward the purchase.

The night before Curt Sanford of Dallas had pledged $10,000 toward the purchase and as a result he will also join the Life Members.

The point to this is that those who are most interested will have made the purchase possible. The AMA Executive Council is therefore anxious to have all those who supported the idea of the purchase to come forth with donations. Any amount is welcomed and all who contribute will be listed on a Wall of Fame at the site. So whether it be for $1 or $1,000 now's the time to donate, with the added bonus of Life membership for those who can offer the larger amount.

NOMINATIONS FOR 1975 ELECTION

1975 Nominating Committee Meeting

The Academy of Model Aeronautics Nominating Committee met at Burton Hall, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana, Aug. 6 beginning 8 p.m. Sixteen written nominations for AMA officers were received prior to the meeting, including a slate of six last‑minute nominations submitted. All supporting documentation was reviewed and the following persons accepted by the committee for listing on the ballot for the 1976‑77 election, except as noted:

NO DUES CHANGE FOR NEXT YEAR

Available because AMA News prints later than Model Aviation magazine, the AMA Executive Council voted to retain the basic 1975 dues structure for 1976. The council noted that the $17 dues structure means an increase concerning magazine costs, improvements and reprint expenses. The open member rate of $12 monthly for the magazine would have budgeted costs producing four issues of Model Aviation magazine originally offered for 1975 $10 membership rate. It was pointed out costs producing four issues within the original budget were held; AMA News, as a temporary expedient mid‑1975 improvement, will be discontinued. Long standing policy, with allowance for inflationary increases in paper, printing and other costs, provides that voting members pay the basic AMA News costs. Sec‑Treas Earl F. Witt.

[Note: Specific nomination list and individual notations appeared on the committee record. Some nominees later withdrew or asked to be listed in other districts. Under current Nominations Procedures two names are authorized to appear for each position. The nominating committee, composed of district Vice‑Presidents and delegated representatives, will decide where two or three nominations have been received. In cases where candidates accept and wish to run as write‑in candidates, that option remains available.]

DONATIONS LEAD TO HUTCHINSON PURCHASE

Several months of relative quiet concerning the possibility of a property purchase at Hutchinson, Kansas, suddenly resulted in affirmative action by AMA's Executive Council when $13,000 in donations were added to earlier pledged amounts totaling $2,600. Noting $4,400 less 25% fees needed to meet the $20,000 purchase price, the Council voted unanimously to have AMA pay the balance from general AMA funds and seek additional contributions so the entire purchase price would be covered by donations. The purchase was expected to be completed mid‑September and involves three buildings surrounding property of the former naval air station now known as Sunflower Aerodrome. The buildings, described in the Feb. 1975 issue of AMA Monthly, include a hangar, a 4‑bedroom apartment building and a single‑story general utility building. Purchase of the property was contingent upon conclusion of a satisfactory agreement with the owner, Sunflower Aerodrome, to use adjacent air fields for model flying events. At press time such an agreement had been drawn up and was ready for signing. Simultaneously the purchase contract for the property had been finalized and was ready for signing, authorizing the Executive Council to complete the purchase. The council noted final determination concerning use of the property would be made after the purchase; the property was approved as an investment either for further development or as a basis for purchasing other property in the future. The basic reasoning for the purchase, particularly since over three‑quarters of the cost was provided by donations, was that it was too good a buy to pass up.

DISTRICT REPORT

Cliff Piper 1st Vice‑President Highland Avenue Athol, NH 01331

A Real Good Nats, is the word just received on the phone from John Worth. Some of the success was due, I am sure, to the involvement of guys like Al Buchard, who came down on his own, to do volunteer work at the Hobby Shop and in Tabulation. It was real great to see old friend Stu Richmond, now living in Cocoa Beach, Fla., with the other people from all over the Western Hemisphere who were met and talked to with warm and sincere feeling. It was really good fun to help Stan Chilton fly (and recover) his F/G gas entries. Ask me sometime about the airborne search, with walkie‑talkies, and Stan's apprehension by a Sheriff during this search and direction. Council member McNeill had a problem with a power line while de‑emphasized. This gave us a few more light moments.

The mail has only brought in one nomination for Maine AVP thus far, but I expect more in the next few days, and will be able to name this officer by the next issue. The council meeting was only about 4 hours long, for a change. We didn't cover all the items on the agenda, but all the important issues were covered. Further study is still indicated and needed on the State Rep. proposal. There is a lot more to this deal than just saying, "OK, let's do it." The voting privileges of these reps is questionable, and the initiative for involvement, mechanics of communication and deviation from presently acceptable by‑laws organization just have to be studied in a lot more detail. Earl Witt is chairman of the study committee, and I expect another meeting will be slated for late October to cover this and other considerations. As covered elsewhere, Hutchinson soon may belong to the AMA. This will be a big asset to the membership, and will not become reality unless a favorable vote on the donations is obtained. It would have been very difficult to say "No" to this proposal, with a man at the meeting to offer us $10,000, no strings, toward this purchase. There will still be some "flack" involving this decision, but hopefully, in the long run, it has been a good decision. Please note that the vote was unanimous, except for one abstention, which was an abstention because the proxy person did not have specific direction on the issue.

I'd hope to fly up to Oxford, Maine on Sept. 14th, to visit an RC meet, if the field is open to full‑scale. More news on this one in the next issue.

Conflicts? Of course there are. This is because when people "play" they often get emotions rather than sound reason to work out a solution. If there is a problem, or conflict, we'll find it a proper solution, or an acceptable one. The most important thing to remember is that we all are part of the team and we sometimes get in the way of progress by overemphasizing one point of view. More reason to talk and think before action. Let's plan on it. How about a volunteer for a host Club? We could combine it as a District meeting like the one we had this year, and I can assure you that Johnny Clemens will attend, if we can be assured of the quality such as we had with the 495th hosting.

I plan to compile a directory of District One flying sites. Please send me yours, with directions, availability, a map, and other pertinent information. This will be, hopefully, complete with all sites, including FF, UC, RC, and other specialized sites such as RC Sailplane, FAI, etc. CLUB OFFICERS PLEASE FOLLOW THROUGH ON THIS. Please give me inputs for the October Council meeting. Still not enough coming in from the field.

DISTRICT REPORT

John Byrne 1st Vice‑President 136‑29 21st Street Jamaica, N.Y. 11435

SECOND (DISTRICT) THOUGHTS—

It just doesn't seem possible that last week marked the holding of the 44th annual Nats, but there it was in all its glory—Nalligator and all (furnished by the Louisiana State Game & Fish Commission) and all of its 72 or so inches, exposing half‑submerged in a human‑type bathtub (furnished by a person or persons unknown) strategically located in the display area. I especially liked the way the President Clemens sought to befriend the amphibious creature but soon retreated to higher ground when the reptile chose to ignore protocol and made a pass at our venerable leader—the action by the authorities in providing the beast served to answer the challenging question by contestants from as far away as Hawaii: "Where are all of the Alligators we have been reading about in the magazines and which we fully expected to find here?" On the field they were there in full force and in all kinds of creepy forms and in soundings almost as good as those heard here—if one cared to be at Lake Charles, I must confess that I had shared too many afternoons with the "serious" FAC flyers of the "civilized" (HA!) community of our great land—after reading all of those lurid accounts of such eerie and less than hospitable critters as "Bottom-mouths" and "Fire‑ants", etc., menacing all of the runways at Chenault AFB and the streets of Lake Charles—be it that we did encounter?—an excellently put on National Model Airplane Championships in an environment of earnestness, mutual respect, friendliness bordering upon deep affection, understanding and appreciation, and of course many, many, many folks who felt that they could not do enough to make our two days of competition an ever‑to‑be‑remembered experience and, as so it was.

OTHER WORLDS—

Mahwah, New Jersey is quite different from Lake Charles, geographically speaking, but it is just as large, as witnessed by the many and deeply enthusiastic folks I have recently received letters from. A new MAJOR MODEL CLUB named Marc Karpowich—Marc is duly proud of his AMA chartered club and the great work which is being done for the community, and in particular, the young folks in our town, in general. Marc writes: "To begin, the most important goal our club works for is toward the children in our town, trying to give them the opportunity to learn about different types of model flying."

AMA: News

NOMINATIONS FOR 1975 ELECTION

1975 Nominating Committee Meeting — Academy of Model Aeronautics held a Nominating Committee meeting at Burton Hall, McNeese University, Lake Charles, Louisiana, Aug. 6, beginning 8 p.m. Sixteen written nominations for AMA officers were received prior to the meeting, including a slate of six last-minute nominations submitted. Al Babe submitted supporting documentation. The following persons accepted placement by the committee for listing on the ballot for election to the 1976-77 offices, except those identified (X) who have since withdrawn. Names will appear in the appropriate districts on a monthly basis — this arrangement available because AMA News prints the 1975 issues of Model Aviation magazine.

Only nominations received:

• Dist. I — Cliff Piper (X — Al Novotnik) *withdrawn
• Dist. III — Don Morgan; Donald T. Lowe
• Dist. V — Jim McNeill; (I) Dave Platt *withdrawn
• Dist. VII — William Nohring; Hardy Broderson
• Dist. IX — Stan Chilton; (I) Charles Reed *withdrawn
• Dist. XI — Homer Smith; (I) Bob Stalick *withdrawn

* Nominations of Al Babe were accepted subject to the nominees qualifying for the office and accepting the nomination. Note: Charles Reed was nominated in another district.

Under current Nominations Procedures two names are authorized to appear in each position on the ballot. The nominating committee, composed of the district Vice Presidents and delegated representatives, decides which two in case three nominations are received for a position. John Cottle, nominated in District III, accepted and can run as a write-in candidate. Similarly, District VII VP accepted the nomination of Al Babe; Claude McCullough accepted but has since advised he prefers not to run since he is deeply involved with Scale Contest Board activities. Likewise, another nomination of Al Babe, Dave Brown, was accepted by the District III VP; Dave has advised that Don Lowe prefers to be on the ballot as a write-in candidate. For other positions where there were not two nominations, no action was required.

As a result of the confusion and concern regarding the nominations noted above, the AMA Executive Council proposes that the membership vote on changes to the bylaws. Proposed changes would require that nominations be submitted in the district in which the nominator resides (except for national offices where the nominee’s district is expected to be represented under the current bylaws) and would require that nominees have given acceptance prior to submission.

DONATIONS LEAD TO HUTCHINSON PURCHASE

Several months of relative quiet concerning the possibility of a property purchase in Hutchinson, Kansas, suddenly resulted in affirmative action by AMA’s Executive Council when $13,000 in donations were added to AMA’s previous $2,600. Noting $4,400 less than the 25% needed to meet the $20,000 purchase price, the Council voted unanimously that AMA pay the balance from general AMA funds and seek additional contributions. If the entire purchase price is covered by donations, the purchase is expected to be completed mid-September.

The purchase involves three buildings surrounding the property of the former naval air station now known as Sunflower Aerodrome. The buildings, described in the February 1975 issue of AMA Monthly Mailing, include a hangar, a 4-bedroom apartment building and a single-story general utility building. Purchase of the property is contingent upon conclusion of a satisfactory agreement with the owner, Sunflower Aerodrome, for use of adjacent airfields for model flying events. At press time such an agreement had been drawn up and was ready for signing simultaneously with the purchase contract, and the property sale was finalized and ready for signing pending authorization from the Executive Council.

The Council noted that the final determination concerning use of the property will be made after purchase is approved. The property is considered a sound investment either for further development or for use as a basis for purchasing other property in the future. The basic reasoning for the purchase, particularly since over three-quarters of the cost was provided by donations, was that it was too good a buy to pass up.

AMA: News

AMA Academy of Model Aeronautics • 515 Fifteenth St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005 HQ Executive Director — No. 104

NOMINATIONS FOR 1976 ELECTION

The 1975 Nominating Committee meeting of the Academy of Model Aeronautics was held in Burton Hall, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana, Aug. 6 beginning at 8 p.m. Sixteen written nominations for AMA officers were received prior to the meeting, including a slate of six last-minute nominations submitted by Al Babe. Supporting documentation followed. The following persons accepted the committee listing for the ballot for election to 1976-77 offices. Except as identified with an X (have since withdrawn), names will appear in the appropriate districts on a monthly basis — this arrangement is available because AMA News prints only a limited number of issues.

NO DUES CHANGE FOR NEXT YEAR

The AMA Executive Council voted to retain the basic 1975 dues structure for 1976. The Council noted that a $17 dues structure for 1976 means an ample budgeted amount to cover magazine costs and improvements. Open membership rate and magazine reprint plans were discussed. The Council pointed out the costs of producing four issues of Model Aviation magazine and noted that during 1975 the magazine was produced within the original budget limits. Any further improvements will be considered with allowance for inflationary increases in paper, printing and other costs. The general policy providing voting members with the basic AMA News costs was noted by Sec.-Trea. Earl F. Witt.

Only nominations received:

Dist. I — Cliff Piper X — Al Novotnik * withdrawn Dist. III — Don Morgan; Donald T. Lowe Dist. V — Jim McNeill; Dave Platt * withdrawn Dist. VII — William Nohring; Hardy Broderson Dist. IX — Stan Chilton; Charles Reed * withdrawn Dist. XI — Homer Smith; Bob Stalick * withdrawn

* Nominations submitted by Al Babe were accepted subject to the nominees qualifying for the office and accepting the nomination. Note: Charles Reed was nominated in another district.

Under current Nominations Procedures two names are authorized to appear on the ballot for each position. The nominating committee, composed of district Vice Presidents and delegated representatives, decides on the two in case three nominations are received for a position. John Cottle, district III, accepted and can run as a write-in candidate. Similarly, for district VII, the VP-nominated Al Babe and Claude McCullough accepted; Al Babe has since advised he prefers to run as a write-in candidate since he is deeply involved with Scale Contest Board activities. Likewise, another nominee submitted by Al Babe, Dave Brown, district III VP, accepted; Dave has advised Don Lowe will be on the ballot and he prefers to run as a write-in candidate. In other positions where there were not two nominations, names will appear as appropriate.

As a result of the confusion concerning nominations noted above, the AMA Executive Council proposes that the membership vote on changes to the bylaws requiring nominations to be submitted from the district in which the nominator resides (except for national offices). The present bylaws require the nominee to be from the district; the Council feels this is an obvious condition. Another probable proposal will require that a nominee have given acceptance prior to submission. Only nominations received:

Dist. I — Cliff Piper; X — Al Novotnik * withdrawn Dist. III — Don Morgan; Donald T. Lowe Dist. V — Jim McNeill; I — Dave Platt * withdrawn Dist. VII — William Nohring; Hardy Broderson Dist. IX — Stan Chilton; I — Charles Reed * withdrawn Dist. XI — Homer Smith; I — Bob Stalick * withdrawn

* Nominations submitted by Al Babe accepted subject to the nominees qualifying for the office and accepting the nomination. Note: Charles Reed is in another district.

Under current Nominations Procedures two names are authorized to appear on the ballot for a position. The nominating committee, composed of district Vice Presidents and delegated representatives, decides on the two in case three nominations are received for a position. John Cottle, district III, accepted and can run as a write‑in candidate. Similarly, for district VII, the VP‑nominated Al Babe and Claude McCullough accepted; Al Babe has since advised he prefers to run as a write‑in candidate since he is deeply involved with Scale Contest Board activities. Likewise another nominee submitted by Al Babe, Dave Brown, district III VP, accepted; Dave has advised Don Lowe will be on the ballot and he prefers to run as a write‑in candidate. In other positions where there were not two nominations, names will appear as appropriate.

As a result of the confusion concerning nominations noted above, the AMA Executive Council proposes that the membership vote on changes to the bylaws requiring nominations to be submitted from the district in which the nominator resides (except for national offices). The present bylaws require the nominee to be from the district; the Council feels this is an obvious condition. Another probable proposal will require that a nominee have given acceptance prior to submission.

DONATIONS LEAD TO HUTCHINSON PURCHASE

Several months of relative quiet concerning the possibility of a property purchase at Hutchinson, Kansas suddenly resulted in affirmative action by AMA's Executive Council. $13,000 in donations added to AMA's previous $2,600 — noting $4,400 less 25% needed to meet the $20,000 purchase price — led the Council to vote unanimously that AMA pay the balance from general AMA funds and seek additional contributions. If the entire purchase price would be covered by donations, the purchase was expected to be completed mid‑September.

It involves three buildings surrounding the property of the former naval air station now named Sunflower Aerodrome. The buildings were described in the Feb. 1975 issue of AMA Monthly. Buildings include a hangar, a 4‑bedroom apartment building and a single‑story general utility building. Purchase of the property is contingent upon conclusion of a satisfactory agreement with the owner, Sunflower Aerodrome, for use of adjacent airfields for model flying events. At press time such an agreement had been drawn up and was ready for signing. Simultaneously, the purchase contract for the property had been finalized and was ready for signing authorizing the purchase.

The Executive Council noted final determination concerning use of the property would be made after purchase. The property is an approved investment either for further development or as a basis for purchasing other property in the future. The basic reasoning for the purchase, particularly since over three‑quarters of the cost was provided by donations, was that it was too good a buy to pass up. At AMA Executive Council meetings, these were the first to be invited by their District Vice President. Hopefully we (the Executive Council) can have more members sit in on future meetings and get a first‑hand view of the council proceedings. Sitting in on the council meeting also gives those members a first‑hand view of the effectiveness of their own District V.P.

I was very happy that Lou and Gerry were able to attend and I hope to invite other Dist. IX members as my guests to future Council meetings.

The second "first" at the Council meeting was the AMA purchase of the Hutchinson property at Sunflower Aerodrome, Hutchinson, Kansas. With over $15,000.00 in donations to buy the property, a balance of a little over $4,000.00 (at this writing) will be needed from the AMA treasury for the closing of the sale. With a recent income of over $500.00 per year and with no additional donations AMA will have the property at no cost out of its budget by the end of the first year. Continuing on with the $500.00 per year rental income, necessary repairs to the buildings should be accomplished with little, if any, subsidy from the AMA general treasury. In other words, the purchase of the Hutchinson naval property will be free of any cost to AMA membership.

The donations for the purchase of the Hutchinson site were anchored by a $10,000.00 contribution from Curt Sanford, a dynamic young Texan from Dallas, Texas and personal long‑time friend of many AMA Presidents, Johnnie Clemens. Contributions were also received from Jerry Bell, McAllen, Texas; Earl Witt, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; and Stan Chilton, Wichita, Kansas. Added to this $13,000.00 were twenty‑four other donations totaling $2,500 already donated towards the purchase of the Hutchinson site.

Although no site would be perfect and we are sure the Hutchinson area comes very close, its only detraction being that it is on the average a couple of miles per hour windier than other areas in the Midwest, some recent individually calculated wind averages published originally in a newsletter and then in last month's Competition Report seemed inaccurate. As an indication of wind velocities at the Hutchinson site, next month I will publish the actual every‑3‑hour wind velocities for the months of July and August, 1975. These will be actual and factual and not calculated to slant the averages either up or down.

Regardless, AMA now has property of its own which it can use and could use for many different purposes. Just knowing that our organization owns such a facility gives me a good feeling of internal pride in AMA.

Contributions are being solicited by the Executive Council and AMA to go toward the purchase and improving of the Hutchinson property. During the course of the Executive Council meeting in Lake Charles, Lou Crane pledged his personal donation of $100.00 toward the Hutchinson property. Donations will be solicited in any amount up to the $1,000.00 contribution for Life Membership.

I would like to see Dist. IX lead the way in donations to AMA for the Hutchinson site and urge that each of you give serious consideration to this worthwhile cause. The site is within our district and it would seem that we would have more to gain by its use than any other district. With enough donations we can improve the site so that over a period of years it can be a show‑place for model aviation. We have everything that we need to accomplish this, the big hangar, additional buildings, the airfield, and on‑base housing — so let's go, DISTRICT IX, and lead the way. Contact me if you have any questions concerning donations and pledges.

Alex Chisholm X Vice‑President 100 West Shaw Fresno, CA 93705 This appears to me to be a practical proposal. It should not be necessary for the Executive Council to have to request the Nats Executive Committee to act on this. Rather, the Nats Executive Committee should take immediate voluntary action to explore the Sakert plan and report their findings to the Council.

The Executive Council met again during Nats week at Lake Charles. Curt Sanford, AMA member from Texas, offered $10,000 in cash and backup funding for AMA to purchase the Hutchinson property, so the acquisition was approved. Dues are to remain the same as before — $3 for Jr. or Sr. and $12 for open. With the magazine, it's $10 for Jr. or Sr. and $17 for open. Consideration was given to reducing the additional cost for the magazine but it was decided to improve the looks of the magazine instead.

Hopefully, this will also include the space requested by the Council to also list names and addresses of Associate Vice‑Presidents in each issue for members' ready reference.

The "State Representatives" subject was discussed, but not enough time had really elapsed since the last Council meeting to generate any new decisions. We discovered the AMA Headquarters has a Zip Code list of AMA members. With this, we can find out where our members are located so that consideration can be given to proportionate representation of members.

Direct events that we had cancellations on. As though that wasn't enough, he was willing to give up a third (Wake, I think) to help us a third day. That is what it takes to make a Nats, AMA, club, and pride go! My hat is off to all those that stood in the sun, rain, and wind to make the Nats what it is. There has been a lot of talk about modifying or cancelling the Nats. As long as there are guys like Don around, I think such thoughts are ludicrous!

The short version of what happened at the Executive Council meeting is sure to be in this issue of the magazine so I won't try to do the same. Read what it says and if you have some comment or ideas, let me know. It is your organization, and it will be no better than we make it.

Election of officers will be coming up with the dues renewal notices very soon. I hope you are surprised by what you see there. There will not be a full slate of officers. The question is whether those running unopposed are doing a great job, or is it lack of interest? Draw your own conclusions.

Back to the Nats for a moment. There were a small but hardy band of northwesterners competing at the Nats. It is a long way down there and the showing of those that went was pretty good in many places. There were some weak spots but those are rather obvious to even the casual observer. If the Nats ever gets close to home again, I predict a better showing. Marty Phillips not only took a lot of hardware from Lake Charles, but won the $1,000 scholarship at the Boeing Management Association Contest in July. Congratulations, Marty and his fine support team!

Have you ever wondered why some people never seem to get out of the hobby/sport that we participate in that the rest of us seem to? Or turn in around if you fit the category. While driving home from work the other night, I heard a radio commentator tell a story that set me to thinking.

It seems that a certain minister spent a lot of time preparing a sermon for his weekly service. After delivering the sermon, he stood at the door to say hello to the members of his congregation. Most of them told him how they liked the sermon, and how much they got out of it. Finally, one person told the minister that he got nothing from the sermon at all, and was very disappointed with the sermon. The minister smiled, and replied, "Maybe that is because you did not bring anything to take it home in."

Think about it.

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.