Executive Director View from HQ
Another month has gone by — I just can't believe how time flies!
Indoor Nationals
Since my last column, I spent two days at the Indoor Nationals, which drew more than 100 contestants in official events. As usual, the facility in Johnson City, Tennessee was excellent, and those who attended seemed to enjoy themselves.
At this year's Indoor Nats, 15 youths attended who are part of a church group from Smyrna, Georgia. They were there last year but were unable to participate because they could not meet the cost of AMA membership. This is one reason the AMA reduced the youth membership fee to $1. An article on this youth group will appear in a later issue, as will complete details of the Indoor Nats.
IMS Acquisition
My second trip for May was to Las Vegas, Nevada, to discuss a business venture. AMA has purchased the assets of the International Modelers Show (IMS). By "purchased the assets" we mean we bought:
- the name of the show
- the list of vendors
- contacts for the various aspects of running the event
After much discussion at the last Executive Council meeting, it was decided this is an excellent opportunity to generate non-dues revenue. Profits from the show could be used to enhance existing programs and maintain current services to members without increasing costs.
Many associations hold conventions — for example, the Experimental Aircraft Association's Oshkosh event. Such programs not only increase revenue but also expose more people to our hobby and sport. AMA plans to enhance the IMS by providing forums on issues such as keeping flying sites, and possibly including vendor participation on topics like covering models and fine-tuning engines. We will be limited only by the space at the convention center and the willingness of people to conduct forums. The Executive Council and Headquarters staff feel positive about this new venture.
Membership
Membership has increased by 2% over last year's figures. As of June 5, total membership in all categories was 142,630, with the biggest growth in youth membership. It appears that the $1 youth dues is working to bring more young people into this wonderful hobby.
RCHTA Media Awards Program (Reminder for Chartered Clubs)
A reminder to all AMA Chartered Clubs: the Radio Control Hobby Trade Association (RCHTA) is running its Media Awards Program again this year. If you are hosting a club-sponsored or hobby shop–sponsored radio control event between April 1 and December 31, 1998, you may qualify for reimbursement up to $500 per club.
For a complete set of rules and an application, write to:
- RCHTA, Media Awards Program
560 Bonner Road Wauconda, IL 60084
Remember this is a first-come, first-served program; the total dollar amount budgeted is $100,000.
Grand Event / Homecoming and Executive Council
By the time members read this column, the Grand Event/Homecoming will be over. As I sit in my office two days before the event, it is raining; we all have our fingers crossed that Saturday and Sunday will be sunny — or at least rain-free!
We will also have completed another Executive Council meeting. This is the time the nominating committee meets and decides who will be on next year’s ballots.
Elections
This year the office of president will be up for election. All adult members are eligible to vote. I hope every adult member will take the time to read the election information and candidates' statements for his or her district (which will appear in the November Model Aviation) and vote.
Scholarship
Once again, the Toledo Weak Signals generously donated $3,500 toward the Scholarship program. A big thank you to that group!
Happy flying,
Joyce Hager Executive Director jhager@modelaircraft.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
