Rule Change cycle and bigger issues

[Henderson,Eric]

Let's try this again...

  FYI - from AMA site Comp. dept. (NSRCA process and issue at end of doc)

2002 Rules Change Cycle Information

The rules change cycle is a three-year cycle.  

Year One:  During the first year proposals are accepted and reviewed by the
appropriate contest board.  

Year Two:  At  the beginning of the second year,  proposals are first
published in the March issue of Model Aviation.  The contest boards then do
an initial vote on each proposal.  Proposals that do not pass the initial
vote are no longer considered.  The initial vote is completed by a postmark
deadline of February 28.   

During March,  the initial votes are tabulated and the results distributed
to all contest board members.  The final wording of all proposals is also
finalized between the contest boards and the original submitter of each
proposal. The July issue of Model Aviation contains all of the revised
proposals and comments on the proposals are accepted from all open AMA
members.   

During this time period cross proposals are also accepted.  Cross proposals
are alternate means of accomplishing the objective of a basic proposal which
has passed the initial ballot.  Although there is a broad latitude in
allowing alternative proposals, the original objective of the first proposal
should be retained.  Cross proposals are accepted until July 15 of year two.
The November issue of Model Aviation (in members hands in late September)
publishes all cross proposals.  On October 15 the interim vote is sent to
all contest boards.  This vote is to determine which cross proposals will be
retained.  The ballots for the interim vote must be returned to AMA HQ by
December 1 of year two. 

Year Three:  In January of year three, the ballots from the interim vote are
tabulated.  The final vote on all proposals and cross proposals that have
passed the initial and interim votes are sent to the contest boards by
February 28 of year three.  The ballots for the final vote must be returned
to AMA HQ by April 1 of year three.  The August issue of Model Aviation
publishes the final rule revisions.  During the rest of the year AMA HQ
generates the manuscript of the new Competition Regulations and sends it to
the Contest Boards for review.  In September through October the new
Competition Regulations are laid out, proof read and sent to the printer.
In November or December of years three the new version of the Competition
Regulations are available for distribution to all AMA members that request a
copy.

The current rules change cycle began  January 1, 1999.  At that time basic
rules change proposals began to be accepted by AMA HQ.  Proposals were
accepted until the postmark date of October 1, 1999.  It is very important
that if, a proposal concerns you,  make comments to your appropriate
district contest board member prior to him/her voting on the issue.  The
contact information for all contest board members may be found monthly in
Model Aviation or on this web site by clicking the button below. 


NSRCA Rule change pre-cycle process;-

Now you have to add the NSRCA process and insert it in front of the above. Our process is a little bit variable but basically we will try to do something like the following, subject to available time.

1. Form a Survey committee to come up with all of the questions we want to ask the membership.

2. Include the accumulated change questions from the NSRCA Judging committee.

3. Design any new schedules etc.

4. Assemble and actual survey.

5. Run it by the NSRCA board for verification 

6. Print it in K-factor 

7. Collect all of the responses and tabulate them. (Last time it was approx. 200 x 65 questions [13,000 and cost me multo-bribe money to son and girlfriend - took four evenings])

8. Turn all of the items into written proposals in the AMA format and documents. Match the change references to the current AMA book - triple sign each proposal. (30 plus last time)

9. Go to top of this page.

The NSRCA process can easily take two-plus years. It is well done, democratically processed and has lots of checks and balances built in. Many sub-votes take place to get content sorted out etc. rather than any one person dictating the whole thing. We had around  16 x 4 schedules (4 = 401-404) at one time, that we narrowed down to 2 x 4 for the big maneuver change survey. Huge amounts of time and huge amounts of work done by twenty plus volunteers.

The membership votes at around a 20% response - very strong in survey terms. Then it goes off to the top of the page process and then nearly dies half a dozen times. (A much longer story)

In my mind I see a major disconnect between AMA contest boards and the value of SIG's/societies. Dave Brown and many contest board members continue to state the validity of any ONE AMA member submitting a proposal. They also state that any individual proposal has equal value to that of any NSRCA proposal. I would agree if the individual had done the work that the NSRCA and its members had done. 

To be openly frank the system has a basic flaw when one individual can hold a society's or SIG's work to ransom - it happens, happened, and will happen again.

Regards,

Eric.
 
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