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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Good question Eric…. Come to think
of it the only promotion I’ve seen of pattern is the NSRCA add in Model
Aviation mag. (The one with the Eclipse in flight)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>How best to promote pattern….can’t
wait to read the responses. I’ve considered ideas about a lower
cost event, but SPA exists and that participation is limited. It seems
that IMAC attracts a lot of people, but in reality we have more pattern
contests within 6 hours of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tulsa</st1:place></st1:City>
than we do IMAC. I counted it up in 2004 and there were about 8 contests
available at that range. Cost to fly pattern is probably a
restriction to some, but I would guess that it just looks boring and expensive
to a lot of people. Pattern to me is the purest form of RC next to RC Soaring,
you would think it would attract all on its own. I think that maybe part
of the bad rap among club members is that some of us are pretty wrapped up in
getting practice time in on a time limited schedule. (A big factor for me
that probably leads people to believe that I’m snobbish or something…actually
I’m just focused and not very adept at multi-tasking</span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Wingdings;color:navy'>J</span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> )<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I guess if half the RC public was
interested in aerobatics, and got a chance to fly a good 2m airplane we could probably
recruit the half of them.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Chris<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces@lists.nsrca.org]
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Grow Pattern<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, April 04, 2006 7:58
AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> NSRCA Mailing List<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [NSRCA-discussion]
Participation</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I wanted to open up the subject of participation. There has
been a lot written about NSRCA membership numbers but I wonder if that has
anything to do with the participation at contest numbers?</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>My rough estimates are that we have around 30 active
contestants per districts. (The District VP's would probably know best how many
different individuals actually compete in their Districts). If you
multiply that by 8 NSRCA districts you get 240 pattern pilots who compete
nationwide.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>When we have an NSRCA national election we get about 250
voters and when we do a rules/schedule-survey we get between 100 and 200
replies. This would suggest that we have about 200 people who are
"active" in our sport and its administration.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>While I sincerely applaud any activity, such as the Grand
event in SC, to keep our participants interested and help them improve their
skills and enjoy their competitive flying even more, I am still looking for
that certain something that would help the participation grow.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I have seen some sterling efforts to run primers year after
year by heroes in our organization, but beyond that I don't have much of a
database of ideas or plans to grow what we do. I see nothing in or local
hobby shops that encourage pattern. I know that pattern competition and even
the pattern pilots themselves are not that welcome at the local club fields.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>We have a major image problem. No get-well strategy that I
can see. A shortage of tactics and tools that any of us can use.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Of course you may think that there is no problem and that if
it isn't broken don't fix it. I could be all wrong. In fact the general reaction
of the NSRCA board the last time I addressed this issue with them, was that we
didn't need a promotions and marketing person to focus on and coordinate this
activity</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>We often fall into the trap of trying to act like a ruling
body. We have the AMA for that and the AMA contest board for that, so I
still ask the question, if our mission is to promote and grow our sport, what
is the plan?.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Regards,</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Eric.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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