WAS - KFactor Now "Members"

[Mark Wendt]

Joe,

         Welllll, lets take a little closer look at membership 
reasons.  The K-Factor was the biggest reason I originally joined the 
NSRCA.  The closest pattern contest to me, and the other pattern fliers are 
at least 70 miles away.  Maybe you're luckier than I, but over the past few 
years, due to one reason or another, I've given up the quest of 
competing.  Number one, I just don't have the time to get out and 
practice.  Number two, I just don't have the money to tie up in trips 70 - 
80 miles one way, for two days.  I still like building and flying pattern 
ships, but just don't have the motivation to compete.  The K-Factor, up 
until I left the NSRCA about a year ago, _was_ the only reason I kept my 
membership.

         This morning I "collectively" was called a leach, because I've 
basically lurked on the board for the past year, not renewing my 
membership.  There really is no reason at this point in time for me to 
renew.  I'm not being competitive, hence not attending contests.  Since I'm 
not attending contests, I could give a rat's fart about contest results 
(didn't really care much about them even when I was actively flying), so I 
didn't really read the K-Factor.  The only issue I looked forward to was 
the buyers guide.  Was it worth $38 a year?  Nope, not to me anyway.  I 
stuck around on the list because I knew some folks here, and just enjoyed 
reading their posts.

         I just balanced what I was paying in dues, against what I 
considered were the "derived" benefits that I was getting, and the balance 
tipped the wrong way.  I'm a CD, have been for almost 7 years, and other 
contests that I've put on, I could really care less whether or not I got my 
"name" in the district contest report.  My "pay" for doing the CD's job was 
to get my AMA dues for free the next year.  That, plus the fun I had 
organizing the contests, and the thrill of watching everything come 
together for all involved, was worth all the work put into it.  Dunno, 
maybe I'm an oddball, but this stuff really is supposed to be fun, and fun 
was what I had when I was actively CD'ing.

         Frankly, I could care less whether you cared if I remained a 
member or not.  One thing to remember, even if those folks are only in it 
for the K-Factor, like our overseas friends, the membership is still 
getting money to try and do things it wants to do.  With an attitude like 
yours, go ahead and drive off income that could be used.  I've got a pretty 
thick skin, had to have one flying in the fighter community in Uncle Sam's 
Great Fraternal Flying Club (sit in on a fighter debrief and you'll know 
what I mean), but it's comments like that, that tend to get under my 
skin.  You look a gift horse in the mouth when you say something like 
this.  This is money you wouldn't have gotten for any other reason, other 
than the perceived quality of the K-Factor.  You want to drive off that 
money, be my guest.  Just don't come whining when all of a sudden the NSRCA 
has to start working in the red, because member's attitudes such as yours 
have driven off the folks on the side who, for whatever reason don't 
participate, but like to know what's up in the world of pattern.

         Attitudes like that _will_ kill memberships in any organization.

Mark


At 12:09 PM 11/2/02 -0500, you wrote:
>As Rick has pointed out, the benefits derived from dues covers more than 
>just the K-Factor. People just seem to forget. In addition to the Web Team 
>there is also the Judging program we benefit from, as well, with its many 
>volunteers. There are other things as well.
>
>Frankly people. If your only in the NSRCA for the K-Factor, I personally 
>could care less if you remained a member or not in the future. Your 
>membership to me will have very little impact in the existance and future 
>of Precision Aerobatics.
>
>On the subject of contest reports. I think they are very important, 
>especially to the CD(not all necessarily). I believe there are over 80 in 
>the membership. Without them, there are no contests. For a CD it is a form 
>of free advertising for future contests  and sort of an acknowledgment to 
>the amount of effort and time they have given to successfully run an event.
>
>There must be a people side to our event, not just the technical issues.

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