Newcomers
Bob Underwood
32 Hollandbush Ct., St. Charles, MO 63376
A subject I've mentioned many times—but never really delved into—is clubs. Let's spend some time identifying the "whys" and "wherefores" of this interesting aspect of AMA.
At the time this was written (November 2000), there were approximately 2,564 clubs and chapters chartered with AMA. They range in size from the minimum number required to charter (five) to more than 400 members (such as the Arvada Associated Modelers in Colorado). Somewhere in between lies the "average" club.
I researched this subject by asking AMA Club Administrator Lois Pierce what the average number of members in a club is—we settled on 30.
How scientific was the research? Lois searched her memory and visualized the club papers sent in; I relied solely on my experience. An honest answer may be that we guessed!
Using that number yields a figure of a little more than half of the total AMA membership (165,000) as club members. That probably isn't exact, because some individuals are members of more than one club. It seems safe to say that approximately half of AMA's membership belongs to one or more clubs.
Some individuals are not enamored with the concept of belonging to a club. Sometimes past experiences feed this feeling; other times it's because a person is not a joiner. It's also true that in more remote areas, there may not be enough activity to warrant the creation of a club.
Why join a club?
As a newcomer, you will probably be a little curious about clubs. I recommend you check in with an AMA-chartered club; the reasons are straightforward.
- You can receive help and get started by learning techniques and equipment selection. The club often has an instruction program that will help you learn to fly. You almost always have an experienced modeler willing to answer your questions and concerns.
- Flying sites are more often than not attached to a club, either because the club owns or leases the property, or the club is given authorization by a public entity to operate the site. If the club is AMA-chartered, you can be more certain that those flying with you—and the club and site owner—are protected with liability insurance.
- Clubs often provide a variety of events beyond flying, such as swap shops, social gatherings, demonstrations, and more. They tend to provide a more structured flying-site atmosphere.
Types of clubs
Clubs not only come in a variety of sizes, but also in different organizational styles.
In the simplest form, some clubs are little more than a loose collection of individuals. These groups may not have formal meetings or much structure, but they provide vehicles for maintaining a flying site and the important liability coverage. You may not find formal programs of flight instruction, but individuals can be called upon to help you. The responsibility of seeking them out will be yours.
The largest percentage of AMA clubs fit into a middle-ground area. They have monthly meetings, formal bylaws, elected officers, and a variety of events and programs. Look for meaningful demonstrations of techniques during the meetings. Even if these are short, simple explanations of materials and techniques, they can be very helpful. These clubs often run balanced meetings of short business sessions, informational presentations, show-and-tells, etc. Films or videos are often used. Generally, these clubs will publish a monthly newsletter.
A third level is the larger membership group. These clubs are often operated in a high businesslike fashion. Various committees manage the affairs of the group, and to keep business matters brief during meetings they employ a board of directors to oversee activities. In many cases, these clubs derive income from one or more major events held during the year. The club may require participation in these events as part of membership, but is able to provide higher levels of help.
These three levels are general categories; there are many subsets. You may find clubs that limit membership in some fashion or have other unique rules.
Finding a club
Another way to gain information about clubs is to contact Lois Pierce in the Membership Department at AMA headquarters: (765) 287-1256, ext. 291. You will be provided with a listing of the clubs in your district, then you can locate clubs in your immediate area. The listings are by state, with cities in alphabetical order.
Go through the entire state listing; a club contact in a large metropolitan area may live in a smaller surrounding city or vice versa. A contact for a club flying at a site in St. Charles, MO may actually live in St. Louis.
Seek out one or more clubs in your area. Spend some time with the members at the meetings and at the flying site. There are some real advantages to being able to "speak models" with others who have common interests.
Far more often than we will note, model airplane clubs suffer from divisive political overtones. They are a microcosm of humanity, subject to the same ego trips and mistakes as other groups. By and large, clubs are a positive influence and they often provide valuable services—not only to their members, but to the community as well.
A few "club laws"
Following are a few "laws" relating to clubs that I penned a decade ago, while serving as the AMA Technical Director.
- All clubs are subject to the 10% theory. This states that 10% of any group will be... Fill in the blank with any word you want as far as group dynamics are concerned, and it will be true. Try words such as helpers, workers, complainers, etc.
- All clubs have at least one self-styled "expert" who knows about every subject, and is ready at a moment's notice to share this information—whether it's correct or not. Some clubs have two experts. They may be identified by the small group of individuals who cluster around them at club meetings or at the field. No club has three experts! If a third springs forth, one of the original two will move down the street and start a new club.
- All clubs subscribe to the seven-year-itch syndrome. Clubs will peak with a high level of interest, then gradually decline until someone scratches the group in the seventh year and the cycle starts over.
- Most clubs are like Sunday school classes; they reach an optimum size, usually close to 100 members, then level off in membership growth. If you take 10 of the members and start a new club, within a few years you will have two clubs with 100 members.
- All so-called "club laws" are inaccurate and cannot be relied upon as factual.
Cheers! Find a club, and have fun!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
