Rules changes - NSRCA Register

Fri Nov 14 06:20:03 AKST 2003

Eric,

Great idea.

When the last survey was being discussed, several people on this list
including myself, brought up the idea of having non-NSRCA members
included in the process. We were shouted down by others and one NSRCA
officer, who had no interest in hearing from NON members. With that
mind set, the NSRCA can never be a SIG. As you stated, only when the
interests of all pattern flyers are represented, do we become a SIG.

Flame suit on.

Larry Ott - AMA 9872
            NSRCA 3381

-----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org
[mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]On Behalf Of Henderson,Eric
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 7:36 AM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: RE: Rules changes - NSRCA Register

Ref my previous note.  I can't state a problem with out at least a
possible solution.

There is a way to address the representation issue. That is to recruit
all of the pattern pilots into the NSRCA.

I fully believe that we have to focus more on being a SIG than being a
pattern society. A society tends to get focused on the number of
members etc. A SIG represents the special interests of its group. To
represent you need to capture the interest of all of the folks doing
pattern.

We should face that fact that we will never get everyone to join the
NSRCA. What we could do is REGISTER everyone that enters and competes
in a pattern contest. Then we would have a database of everyone. Then
we could send then the SIG (NSRCA) survey. The we would have polled
all known interested parties on behalf of the AMA contest board.`

We have a database of NSRCA members that could easily handle the
addition of non-members. All we have to do is get CD's to copy us on
the contest entrants list. The same one we (CD's) send to the AMA.

We would not send these people K-Factors nor would we include them in
NSRCA championships etc. BUT we would have the capability to send them
our rules proposal survey and get their vote. Bear in mind that survey
is designed to get data to support proposals to the (their) AMA RC
Aerobatics Contest board. We leave ourselves open to a lot of problems
if we do not include all of those with OUR special interest.

One side effect might be, that as "Registered RC aerobatic pilots"
they might be encouraged to become NSRCA members as well.

Especially when they see the good work that we do.

Regards,

Eric.

-----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org
[mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]On Behalf Of Henderson,Eric
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 9:04 AM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: Rules changes - NSRCA role.

Keith,
       When a Rules/maneuver proposal is submitted you are required to
state the logic for the proposal. This time around we split the
writing work between Tom Weedon and myself. Any proposals with our
names on were stated as voted for by the NSRCA membership. The
proposal has to actually come from an AMA member and be co-signed by
two other members in good standing.

There are BIG problems that comes into play once any NSRCA proposal
has been submitted to the AMA contest board.

1. Lobbying of the AMA contest board by those folks who are against
the proposals. You would think that NSRCA members would respect the
vote of their society. This is not the case and even though I agree
that we have the right to lobby our contest board with what we feel is
right, it is does get very illogical when one member can privately
lobby and destroy a proposal voted for by the NSRCA. I even saw an
NSRCA member who voted for a proposal subsequently go the other way
and lobby the whole AMA contest board!

2. AMA RC contest board members represent AMA members and often feel
that not all AMA members are represented in the proposals. Said
another way Non-NSRCA members are not represented. Charlie Reed, a
very conscientious AMA board member, went so far as to do his own poll
of his AMA district to see how they felt. The weakness of what he did
was that he only contacted who he knew flew pattern.

3. The AMA contest board can make or insist on changes or compromises
that the NSRCA membership never get a chance to vote on. Three years
of democratically produced and supported work can go down the tubes at
the hands of one man.

One problem that I also see is that this time the AMA contest board
Chairman, John Fuqua, submitted his own proposals for rules change.
None of which were NSRCA proposals.

Go figure how the board vote can be fair if the proposal is from the
chair?

Knowing how sausage is made has made it hard for me to enjoy my sport.

Regards,

Eric.

-----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org
[mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]On Behalf Of Keith Black
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2003 7:24 PM
To: discussion at nsrca.org
Subject: Re: Landings and Take-off's - The vote!.:

I would hope that the contest board members are privy to all the facts
so
they can make the best decisions. For example, if 80% of the NSRCA
members
vote against eliminating scored takeoff and landings, and we DON'T
include
it on our rules change proposal to the AMA, but an individual submits
their
own proposal for this change and gets a few friends to email the
contest
board I'd hope they would be aware that 80% of the NSRCA are against
it. If
they only knew about the one guy that submitted it and his friends
emails
then they my unwittingly vote for something that 80% of the NSRCA are
against.

Seems to me that the best way for the NSRCA to serve it's membership
is to
have an NSRCA poll of all private proposals not included on the NSRCA
rule
change proposal. This poll would be taken after the deadline to submit
proposals to the AMA, but before the contest board meets to vote on
the
proposals. The results of this poll would then be given to the contest
board
so they would know the NSRCA's opinion on all proposals, regardless of
originator.

Therefore, if I submitted a rule to drop half point scoring and I got
everyone in my flying club (sport fliers included) to send the contest
board
emails demanding this, then the NSRCA membership wouldn't get blind
sided by
this proposal. I know we can all do this individually if we make the
effort
to look up the proposals and send emails to our district rep., but it
would
be much more effective as a group and the participation would be
greater
than just expecting everyone to research and email on their own.

I guess you could call this the NSRCA "watch dog" approach.

Keith

============# To be removed from this list, send a message to
# discussion-request at nsrca.org
# and put leave discussion on the first line of the body.
#

=====================================
# To be removed from this list, send a message to 
# discussion-request at nsrca.org
# and put leave discussion on the first line of the body.
#