View from HQ - 2003/01
Joyce Hager — Executive Director
Here we go! The weather in Muncie has been pleasant; modelers can still fly and not freeze to death. I would love to see it continue, but I know winter is coming.
Again this year the Muncie site was very busy with activities going on every weekend. Comments I hear from members who attend these events are positive. They are impressed with the continuing improvement to the site and the expansion to the museum and museum store. Now we even have a place where donated artifacts can be restored.
I know many members will never have the opportunity to come to Muncie, and that is a shame. Some think that too much is done at the Muncie site and that we should be spending time and money in other places. If you would take a moment to think about it, you will realize that most successful associations have pleasant facilities at which to work. This is not only for the employees; it presents a positive image for the association. We have created that positive image for AMA. All members should be proud of the Muncie Headquarters. The buildings are pleasant, the flying site is excellent, and the National Model Aviation Museum offers beautiful displays of the history of aeromodeling. AMA employees are friendly and courteous and welcome visitors with personal tours.
By the time you receive this issue, the elections for 2003 will be history. As I write this, there have been some interesting e-mails going back and forth on the Internet.
After working in this business for 32 years, one thing I have learned is that many people like to make statements without first asking questions. The statements are followed by 30 e-mails on the subject; people are talking back and forth and guessing at the answers. Some do take the time to learn the facts, but others just speculate. What does this say to those who just read and do not participate in the e-mail dialogue? It gives members doubt about whether or not the selected Executive Council (EC) is doing its job. Are the members of the EC really looking out for the association’s best interests? Why all the secrets? (I hear that a lot.) Doesn’t AMA communicate?
Each month I sit at my desk and try to decide what I should write about in my monthly column. Do members want to know that I spent hours working with the Human Resources Department on a personnel issue? How do I explain the time that each department head spends on planning his or her budget for 2003 (right in the middle of flying season)? Do members want to hear of the time spent preparing and getting price quotes for products, answering the phone, replying to snail mail and e-mail, giving tours of the new building, etc.? Help me help you; let me know what you want me to write about. I receive roughly 50 to 80 e-mail messages a day, each person expecting an immediate response. I not only have a cell phone, but I take a laptop with me when I travel, whether on AMA business or vacation, so that I can stay on top of what is happening on a daily basis. The majority of the Headquarters executive staff also have laptops. We can be reached almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The members who take the time to ask questions, whether it relates to business or membership, receive a response within a day or two.
Communication is a key word. In this day and age we have the ability to communicate much faster than before. The Internet allows us to post important items immediately. The Executive Council agenda is posted approximately four weeks prior to the meeting; the minutes are usually posted within 30 days after the meeting. We communicate through the magazine. The President, Executive Vice President, and I try to cover issues that are “hot topics” so we can get feedback. Some council members have very active websites, where topics are discussed so that they can receive input. What I am trying to say is that we have many ways to communicate with our members; some take advantage of them and some do not. If there is a subject you would like to see me write about, drop me a line. If it is not my area and I feel the President or Executive Vice President should address the issue, I will let him know.
Whatever the outcome of the election, I trust that your representatives will do the best job possible. The volunteers who run for office have reasons: they want their association to succeed; they want to represent the membership. You have to remember that we have a duty to look at the organization as a whole, not just one piece.
Continuing from my last column, I want to recognize chartered clubs with between 145 and 159 members.
Happy flying,
Joyce Hager Executive Director jhager@modelaircraft.org
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
