2003 NSRCA Changeover. Welcome back Tony Stillman.

[Henderson,Eric]

 	As an FYI, I will be handing over the reins to Tony on Jan 1 2003.
There was no election because there was only one candidate per position and
thus no need to wait until the prescribed 15th to count all the votes.

Here is an excerpt from my final K-factor column to sum-up and close my term
as the 1999-2002 NSRCA president.

Best of everything in 2003 to you all.

	" I really wish Tony the very best of luck with the new NSRCA. He
handed it over to me at the end of 1998. I am giving it back with a lot of
changes that have been made since then. The environment for an NSRCA
president has become much more immediate with the increased effect/intrusion
of the Internet. The three-year AMA rules change process is a stark contrast
to the nanoseconds that it takes to blast off a new idea or concept of "what
should be changed immediately!" in the on-line electronic discussion lists.

	Day-to-day operation of the NSRCA now requires an on-line president,
(and on-line District-VP's), who has to use an on-line NSRCA board for
financial and directional/operational decision making. 
	Now the president has to electronically represent changes and sell
the idea to the 12-person NSRCA board, get it discussed and then get it
voted in by a 2/3 NSRCA board majority (8:4). The 2002 revised bylaws and
NSRCA charter now documents that ideas continue to be examined openly and
are well thought through before they are implemented. 
	Tony inherits the following: - an operational K-Factor editor and
delivery publishing system, an on-line NSRCA membership database, an NSRCA
web-site, a judging committee, an FAI interface, a healthy NSRCA bank
balance, reduced dues for 2003, two international NSRCA regional
vice-presidents (IVP's) in Canada, a completely new set of structured
schedules, Canada flying our top two schedules for encouraged cross-border
competition, a series of 2005 rules change proposals in AMA Contest board
review, and last but not least a revised set of bylaws that make it much
easier to do the job. 
  	Many people contributed to the above changes - I must say that I
have appreciated every contribution of every volunteer, every day, of my
time in this job. Sometimes it was an idea. Other times it was a challenge
or a question that made the idea improve or forged out a better idea. It is
not just the size of a contribution that counts, but the sum and impact of
all of the contributions. There are some really significant amounts of work
that have been done in the last four years and yet sometimes it was just a
spark of an idea or a short but significant contribution that created the
change.
	An example was the web-site that began with an offer from Lee Davis,
of Piedmont Models, of web-site space and that finished up with the
NSRCA.org web-site name being donated by Al Comber of Central hobbies. Tom
Weedon took a leadership role in building the web-site. Special mentions to
Ed Hartley, Marti Moleski and Steve Sterling for the hundreds and hundreds
of hours that they put into this project. Way to go the web-team!
	The judging committee had several contributors over time. Lamar
Blair got it all going. Lamar just keeps on contributing no matter what his
health keeps trying to do to him. A true trooper! This committee ended up
with the excellent leadership of Don Ramsey and depth of members such as
Earl Haury. They gathered all of the tough issues that cropped up in the 3
years between rules cycles and provided the main platform for that last
rules survey. They also produced a brand new set of training programs and
testing for judges to achieve an AMA national standard of judging. A
thankless task that I am thankful for!
	The latest and biggest one-time change of schedules, probably ever,
in pattern history was chaired by John Ferrell. He led the 1999 NSRCA rules
survey team and then the rules proposal team. A special mention must go out
to Jim Johns on his survey assembly work. Then all of the analysis and vote
counting. Then the actual proposal preparation work and submissions that he
did. Monumental and awesome. (I must also add that the secondary survey work
that Brian Clemmons did saved these proposals and helped them pass and be
rules today).
	In that change-exercise a leader emerged called Herb Kurlan. He led
a team that produced the flying schedules that we are using today. His
sophisticated and somewhat complex design goal was to produce a series of
building-block schedules that culminated in a Masters routine that allowed
"easy" movement between Masters and FAI. I have heard comment after comment
from Masters pilots, who have done this migration, that P-03 was not at all
daunting. They observed that the current 2002-2004 Masters schedule prepared
them well. Congratulations to Herb and his design team for their vision. 
	The 2000-2001 Masters schedule was also born in the John Ferrell
committee. This schedule was really designed by Verne Koester. He never
wanted the credit for this work. We did change his schedule a little but the
original was soundly thought out and gave us a Masters routine that produced
two masters Champions. It saved us from flying the same Masters schedule for
6 years. It also taught me the difference between an "Urgent" and an
"Emergency" rules change proposal. (You didn't think I would forget that one
did you Verne?)
	The NSRCA Nationals are the centerpiece of the AMA pattern year, Bob
Noll stepped up to the plate and gave us three years of well-organized and
great competition. He even tried, and pulled off, the almost impossible task
of merging the USA team-trials with an AMA 406 final. Most notably, while he
was doing this Herculean task he also took the time to groom his
replacement.  Enter Jeff Hill, who ran the next two Nationals at equally
high and enjoyable levels. I am so thankful for their skills and dedication.
These are really great people to have in our society.
	Derek Koopowitz became the NSRCA treasure in 2001. Derek is/was
perhaps better known for his work in the PASS scoring system. What a boon he
has been to NSRCA fiscal management. Thanks to Derek we know exactly where
we are, monetarily speaking, at any moment and can respond to financial
requirements electronically from anywhere in the world. (Want to balance my
check book Derek?)
	There are so many more people that I could salute but there is not
enough column space to do so. I cannot close without recognizing the endless
contributions of all of the District VP's and the NSRCA elected officials
who rode this roller coaster with me.  Without our district VP's the NSRCA
has no real substance. They are our intellectual infantry. They are out
there in the field. They do the meeting, greeting and beating of the weeds,
to grow our sport. They write their columns, they organize the contests
schedules, help the CD's, gather/write the contest reports, run the District
championships, slate and run the judging classes, and generally make it all
happen. Add to that the responsibility of governing of the society with
their vote. Phew!
	What a truly great bunch of volunteers. I have often wondered what
an incredible business we could form with all of their talent? Unfortunately
they could not afford the cut in their NSRCA pay! Next time you see a
District VP it would not hurt to shake their hand and thank them from you
and me.
  	Last but not least I publicly thank my partner, Michelle, for
staying the course with me. She supported me through eight Nationals,
proofed seventy-plus of my K-Factor columns and at least couple of dozen AMA
columns. And on top of all that she still married me despite through all of
the "ups" and "downs" of the last four years. It is not a "down" to step
aside and let a new guy take over because every flight needs to come in for
fuel sooner or later, so  

		"Landing, beginning now!"
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