[NSRCA-discussion] Growing Pattern for 2017 - Part 2 - Culture - What are we missing?

Sat Jan 14 09:35:26 AKST 2017

In my limited experience, the majority of club flyers haven't even heard of
NSRCA or pattern flying..

Jay Marshall

From: NSRCA-discussion [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On
Behalf Of Anthony Romano via NSRCA-discussion
Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2017 1:32 PM
To: blotch44026 at mypacks.net; General pattern discussion; Randy Forbus; David
Harmon
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Growing Pattern for 2017 - Part 2 - Culture
- What are we missing?

This is great incite to an area I know nothing about. The NSRCA has had a
lot of discussion about promotion with little result. The idea of a committe
to focus on promotion is a great one and we will be reaching out to both of
you shortly. 

Anthony

Sent from my Galaxy TabR S2

-------- Original message --------

From: blotch44026--- via NSRCA-discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>

Date: 1/14/17 12:01 PM (GMT-05:00) 

To: Randy Forbus <Rforbus at hotmail.com>, General pattern discussion
<nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>, David Harmon <k6xyz at sbcglobal.net>,
General pattern discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org> 

Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Growing Pattern for 2017 - Part 2 - Culture
- What are we missing? 

>From my perspective charging for it does not seem to be increasing
membership either.

Offering the K-Factor as an online free resource is an opportunity to open
up the NSRCA community to a potentially larger audience via content
marketing. Its an opportunity to promote the sport and the NSRCA in ways
that are not possible at this time.

The ability for sharing information from the site to site via article
postings, article feeds to other marketing channels such as social media and
email broadens your reach into other markets you might not reach otherwise.
The ability to reach an audience from desktop, tablet and mobile brings a
rich experience to the reader. Articles are still easily printable if that's
your preference.

Search engine marketing is another way to help push out your brand to an
audience that's unreachable currently. Paid search marketing would be
another marketing opportunity. Its simply getting as many eyeballs on your
brand as possible.

It offers a broader market for your advertisers, and allows you to feed real
numbers to them from site analytic's to track advertising success. With site
metrics you can determine how much traffic is coming in, and with that you
can determine what its worth to an advertiser to place an ad on your
site....etc. More traffic brings more opportunity for a sale to them and in
turn you can charge appropriately. Remember your going to reach many more
readers than current K-Factor closed membership provides. 

Having said all of this, the success or failure with this approach will be
the content providers, the editors who publish articles. The content has to
be what the market wants to read and needs to be of good quality. With no
real publishing deadline it will make it easier for content writers to
publish information at their own pace allowing them to spend more time on it
and will take pressure off of the monthly deadline. You really do not need
to have an article written once a month from each district. As long as you
have at least one or two new articles published per week you are going to
satisfy the readership. Your pushing out information that is of interest to
your potential market, it really does not matter what district it's coming
from. Contest results can have its own category per district for those that
are interested in that.

This is definitely a big step and a new approach for the NSRCA. It would be
prudent to survey the current membership and determine if this makes sense
to them before adding this strategy to a committee.

Rick

-----Original Message----- 
From: Randy Forbus via NSRCA-discussion 
Sent: Jan 14, 2017 7:30 AM 
To: David Harmon , General pattern discussion 
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Growing Pattern for 2017 - Part 2 - Culture
- What are we missing? 

Why not give it free for 30 days, if people want to join the NSRCA, they
will or they wont, don't think a free Kfactor will increase membership.

  _____  

From: NSRCA-discussion <nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org> on behalf
of David Harmon via NSRCA-discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2017 12:36 AM
To: 'General pattern discussion'
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Growing Pattern for 2017 - Part 2 - Culture
- What are we missing? 

I understand the intent..but as time goes on I hope we will have enough
members to pay for the free to the world K-Factor.

David Harmon

Sperry, OK

From: NSRCA-discussion [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On
Behalf Of Robert Campbell via NSRCA-discussion
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2017 3:54 PM
To: General pattern discussion <nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Growing Pattern for 2017 - Part 2 - Culture
- What are we missing?

+1 to Providing the K-Factor to everyone for free.  I'm certain the K-Factor
advertisers will appreciate it as well.

Rob

On Fri, Jan 13, 2017 at 3:21 PM, blotch44026--- via NSRCA-discussion
<nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:

I have to agree with Larry's point concerning patterns popularity at a time
when growth was based on "we wanted to be one of them". And I also agree the
problems faced is defining and selling the product and ourselves. 

My first year of competing was the first year of all turn-around so I only
have a historical perspective from that time forward. NSRCA membership at
the time was well over one thousand members. It was a feel good, positive
experience to support our Sig. Membership had a real sense of forward
movement for the most part even though pattern had just taken a hit when
turn-around was introduced. As someone who never experienced the old
patterns, I was well aware of them as I followed pattern a few years before
I entered the arena. Marveled at Hanno and so forth.

For me, I found turn-around pattern a refreshing change as it introduced new
and exciting technologies, schedules, and still does in my opinion. 

The culture through the years seems to have changed somewhat and that
positive forward momentum or perception of it, has faded a bit. I re-joined
after a 12 year lay off and the membership seemed disgruntled for various
reasons and most notable, a feeling of being closed out, even some officers.
Bad deal, bad for NSRCA. 

All we need is a few good men...The NSRCA has to be a positive experience
for membership. Voices need to be heard and discussion needs to be open and
honest.  A creed, if you will.  NSRCA members need to feel that it's worth
giving up some time for, a worthy cause. Members need to feel that being a
part of the NSRCA is something special again. 

Once you fix the culture, there is no better marketing tool than word of
mouth. NSRCA members will once again spread the good word and discuss our
sport and the NSRCA in a positive light to others, and that is contagious.
It worked on me.

My early pattern years were influenced by guys like Dave Von Linsowe, Jeff
Combs, Dave Patrick, Bill Cunningham, Ivan and Chip, just to name a few. Top
flyers at the time. In the early days meeting and listening to them at
workshops or the Nats or discussing pattern with any one of these guys left
you with a sense of professionalism and integrity to the sport, and you
wanted to be a part of it. I remember when getting prepared for the Nats was
a huge deal for me, and wanting to do well in front of these guys and others
like them was a driving force that I enjoyed very much. It was a real sense
of pride when I got a nod from one of them. 

I am not seeing a magic bullet here, it's gonna take time to re-build. Make
positive change one step at a time and keep the membership in the loop at
all times. Make membership feel a part of it. Grow together.

Now, let's get the K-Factor in a FREE for everyone, open online market,
allowing discussion and free flowing ideas. It's our best tool to promote
and grow pattern again in a positive, professional light. It's our biggest
marketing tool besides the members themselves.

If there is interest, it's what I do for a living, Online Marketing, be glad
to help out. 

Rick Sweeney

-----Original Message----- 
From: Larry Diamond via NSRCA-discussion 
Sent: Jan 11, 2017 10:37 PM 
To: 'General pattern discussion' 

Subject: [NSRCA-discussion] Growing Pattern for 2017 - Part 2 - Culture -
What are we missing? 

Before Christmas, I posted an email challenging our culture as a concern
that prevents or limits growth in pattern.

My intent here is to spark discussion by offering my opinion, which is only
an opinion. A healthy debate on our culture as a SIG may be a good thing.

I stated that our culture hasn't changed since I joined the NSRCA in 2003.
Peter's e-mail below and the Hardcopy K-Factor thread is a perfect example
of how our culture has not kept up with the times.

Peter's email below, and Ron Hansen's, in the discussion ask a very basic
question that I don't believe we as a whole have come to terms with:

What is in it for "me" to be a member -and- participate in contests?

It is too easy to say, "it's the people. They aren't willing to put in the
time, they aren't willing to invest, they are not competative in nature." 

For me, that is not the answer to the problem. I'm not sold that this is the
reason. It is a symptom, but not the root-cause. The problem we face in
growing pattern is selling our product, "Pattern". Yet, before we can sell
our product, we must understand what is it today.

When pattern was popular, it was because many of us were struck by somebody
who was flying pattern and "we wanted to be one of them". I don't see this
happening today other than hit and miss.

Culture. Example. We want to take the hardcopy K-Factor away and only limit
access to a server base distribution mechanism that further limits our
audience. Why?, to save money for the NSRCA. I am perplexed and I say
what??? Is not the NSRCA a non-profit organization? Is increased membership
not the most stable way to generate funds? No?, its advertisers you say.
Didn't somebody state that we are losing advertising dollars because the
businesses are not seeing the benefit from members? Is this concern not
related to the NSRCA membership population as a whole?

>From my point of view, it is all connected to our culture.

My recommendation is for the NSRCA Board to pull a committee together to
address the growth issue. We seem to discuss this every year. We also seem
to hover around the same membership population issues. Other than some
select folks giving a different spin at their contest, there is not much of
a push.

I am a bit skeptical about the premise of another club class being the
answer to the growth problem. I am in agreement with those that believe that
is why we have the Sportsman class.

Only my opinion, I could be wrong.

What are your thoughts?????

Larry Diamond

From: NSRCA-discussion [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On
Behalf Of Peter Vogel via NSRCA-discussion
Sent: Thursday, January 5, 2017 3:13 PM
To: Ron Hansen <rcpilot at wowway.com>; General pattern discussion
<nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org>
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Hardcopy K-Factor

The "What are the benefits" question comes up a lot.  So much so, that
Charlie wrote an excellent article which you can find on the NSRCA.us web
site in the "new pilot info" section.  The important stuff is reproduced
below:

We are a Special Interest Group (SIG) in the AMA. The NSRCA advances our
interests to the AMA. The AMA represents all modelers within the
organization, but without our voice being heard, our segment of the hobby
would be forgotten, or at the very least not addressed. Many of you who
attend the Nationals (NATS) may not know that the AMA had initially assigned
the 2016 Precision Aerobatics NATS, to begin on July 5 th . Because of the 4
th of July holiday, and because of the usual travel involved by many to
attend the NATS, this date was not acceptable. The NSRCA immediately
protested, and the contest date was changed to July 10th. 

Our purpose is best stated by the following:

"a. Act as a focal point for rules development and progression. Gather
intelligence from the AMA precision aerobatics community to provide the
basis for AMA rules change proposals." 

You may recall that last year the NSRCA made rules change proposals to the
AMA, concerning telemetry, safety, specifically, electric motor arming,
transmitter impound, transmitter failsafe, and weight. These rule changes
were accepted by the AMA. These changes enhanced the safety of flying
precision aerobatics.

" b.  Promote precision aerobatics in the general R/C community by providing
leadership in all of the objectives of the society."

" c.  Enhance model precision aerobatics as a recognized sport."

" d.  Develop and provide high standards in judging for competitions and
provide qualifications and achievement recognition for judges." 

The NSRCA sets standards for judging. Judging precision aerobatics in
District 1 is the same as in District 7. It is through the NSRCA judging
committee that the yearly judging review is published. Judging
recertification is free to members. (Of course non-members can also certify
for a nominal fee.) 

The KFactor magazine - The KFactor is the identity of the NSRCA. It is
published once a month. It is the life blood of your pattern community. The
magazine can be downloaded directly from the web site, or mailed directly to
you. The advent of digital download has greatly decreased publication costs.
And because of this digital capability, our editor, Scott McHarg, has
delivered the KFactor on time for several years. If it's April 1st , the
KFactor is available! 

There are many interesting articles in the KFactor, whether how to build a
particular pattern plane, or how to paint, or which color is best suited for
good visibility. The KFactor also provides a means by which your DVP's can
communicate with their district members. Yes, they usually publish contest
results as part of their reports. However, contest schedules are published
before the beginning of the season. They may also offer a building article
from time to time. If you have an interesting article that you would like to
share with your pattern buddies, submit it to your respective DVP for
publications. 

The NSRCA web page - The  <http://nsrca.us> nsrca.us web page is your source
for nformation in our pattern community. It offers contest results, KFactor
access, sequences, judging, district news, and links to industry
manufacturers. Your Board of Directors are in discussions on how to enhance
our web page, and make it easier to navigate. Also, it has been suggested
that a separate link on the web site be dedicated only to building articles.
These articles will remain in this location indefinitely, for reference by
our members. So, in summary, it is to your advantage to join (renew) your
membership in the NSRCA. As you can see, there is a lot "in it for me".

On Wed, Jan 4, 2017 at 5:18 PM, Ron Hansen via NSRCA-discussion
<nsrca-discussion at lists.nsrca.org> wrote:

What are the benefits of being a NSRCA member?

You don't need to be a member to participate in contests?

I originally joined to get the Buyers Guide and the K-Factor.

I didn't start competing for several years after that.

Couple of ideas I have is to go to quarterly newsletters and change our
model for advertisers.  Perhaps each issue has coupons rather than just
advertisements.  This would give companies feedback on how many people read
and buy products advertised in the K-Factor and our website.

From: NSRCA-discussion [mailto:
<mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org>
nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On Behalf Of James Hiller via
NSRCA-discussion
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2017 7:02 PM
To: 'General pattern discussion'
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Hardcopy K-Factor

Wow: I spent many years sitting in a desk chair in front of a PC. I'm happy
with reading the K-Factor on my monitor.
Paramount to my continuing is the notice Scott sends every month telling me
it's ready for download. I save them in a folder and leave them open until
I'm finished reading them, sometimes as long as 10 days.
I wouldn't like to see a dues increase to cover hard copy cost for those
that still want it and agree that a free copy may reduce membership.
I'm here for the long run regardless of what is decided.
Jim Hiller
Spokane WA

-----Original Message-----
From: NSRCA-discussion [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org] On
Behalf Of Tom Simes via NSRCA-discussion
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2017 2:53 PM
To: General pattern discussion
Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Hardcopy K-Factor

On 01/04/17 12:37, David Harmon wrote:
> Tom...that is an interesting twist that I had not considered....but
> then I have always been a proponent of a 'members only' email list.
> However....I like the idea of letting other modelers know of our long
> term existence....but not to give away the farm.
> Perhaps a second email list for NSRCA members could be considered for
> K-F push distribution only....keeping the open 'chat' list as it is
> that does not support attachments.

As far as list server support, I'm more than happy to accommodate whatever
the community and BoD decides to do.  A minor point of clarification, the
current NSRCA list configuration does allow attachments, but is size limited
to 500 KB per message per community request.  Note that the request dates
from when dialup was still common and people didn't want to wait 10 minutes
to download a single message.

That limit is easily configurable and I would have no issue bumping it up to
allow low resolution .pdf distribution of the K Factor either on the
existing -discussion list or on a dedicated list for K Factor distribution.

--
Tom

======================================================================
    "Z80 system stack overflow.  Shut 'er down Scotty, she's
          sucking mud again!" - Error message on XENIX v3.0

Tom Simes                                       simestd at netexpress.com
======================================================================
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-- 

Director, Fixed Wing Flight Training

Santa Clara County Model Aircraft Skypark

Associate Vice President, Academy of Model Aeronautics District X

Treasurer, National Society of Radio Control Aerobatics (NSRCA)

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