Here are the two nominees for the office of President of the NSRCA. The two candidates have been asked to provide a resume to the Nominating Committee. I have been asked to put their resumes out to the list.<div><br></div>
<div><b><u>Jon Carter:</u></b></div><div><br></div><div><div>My name is Jonathan Carter and I am running for the office of the NSRCA President. My history in pattern actually stretches back to the early 1970’s as a “wannabe” kid reading every magazine that I could get my hands on about anything pattern related. After life took a hand (school, job, wife …) I was finally able to start actually flying and competing in pattern in 1997. I have been running pattern contests in NSRCA District 7 for 10 years and I have been the Chairman of the NSRCA Judging Committee for the last 4. It has also been my privilege to serve as the NSRCA District 7 vice-president for the last 3 years. I have attended the Nats 5 times as a competitor and once as both a worker bee (Scorekeeper) and competitor. As such I have some insight into the NSRCA’s relationship with the AMA and I believe I have an understanding of needed improvements. I have also served the NSRCA on multiple committees including the committee that has examined the potential future of the K-Factor and I believe that we have much work to do in that area. My goals as president would be to continue to promote pattern nationally, improve our relationship with the AMA (we are after all the AMA recognized SIG for pattern!), continue our work on judge training, improve the K- Factor and continue our work on sequence development. Another very important factor is to ensure that the NSRCA is managed as “transparently” as possible. There are several other areas where I have ideas for improvement but I don’t want to write a book here! </div>
<div> </div><div>Thank you for your consideration. </div><div><br></div><div>Jonathan Carter</div><div> NSRCA 2354 </div><div>NSRCA District 7 VP </div><div>AMA 56620</div></div><div><br clear="all"><div><b><u>Jon Lowe:</u></b></div>
<div><br></div><div><div>AMA: 7668, AMA Leader Member and Contest Director, District 5 Member of the Rocket City Radio Controllers (RCRC) Huntsville, AL NSRCA: 3612, District 3 </div><div><br></div><div> Background</div><div>
:</div><div> Modeling: Flying with my father since around age 7, including freeflight, controlline, and radio control. In RC I've flown everything from single channel with escapements, galloping ghost, reeds, and the early days of proportional. Flew pattern in the late 60's, one of the two Phoenix 5 prototypes being my last plane, before college, women and cars took over. Got back into RC about 2002, and flew SPA pattern for a couple of years, with an occasional foray into AMA pattern, and went AMA exclusively in the late 2004-2005 timeframe. I have worked my way from Sportsman to Masters since then. Became an AMA Admin Leader Member about 2010, and received my Contest Director certification about the same time. Was CD of two contests in 2012, one AMA, and the other a Ballistic Pattern Association event, and co-CD'd several past contests. Past Vice President of RCRC.</div>
<div><br></div><div> Professional: BS in Aerospace Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 1973. Co-oped at Wright-Patterson AFB during college, and worked there after graduation. Worked on the B-1A and B-1B bomber programs, B-52 mods, Air Launched Cruise Missile, Ground Launched Cruise Missile, Short Range Attack Missile II programs. Went to work for the Army, still at Wright Patterson AFB from 1988 until mid 1994,working on the then- classified Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile program. Moved to Madison, AL in 1994, and worked at Redstone Arsenal on the TOW and Javelin Missile programs as the Deputy Project Manager, and then as Project Manager responsible for over a $4 billion budget and 200 people until retirement in 2008. Those two missile systems were directly responsible for saving hundreds of soldier lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.</div>
<div><br></div><div> Platform: I have been increasingly concerned about the direction and lack of transparency on the part of the NSRCA board, particularly on rules proposals, the attempted bylaw changes by the board without a member vote, and finally the attempted vote for officers this year that did not follow the existing bylaws. While I understand the need for NSRCA to change with the times, we need to do it by the book, and ensure we don't disenfranchise members in the process. I realize that the K-Factor is the most widely read publication of the NSRCA, and important information and proposed changes or major NSRCA activities need to be discussed there, if no place else. We currently have a scattered web presence on the NSRCA website, the NSRCA mailing list and Facebook, which leads to confusion on the part of members. Important information needs to be gathered in one place, but also made available to members without web access. As long as we do not require web access to be a member, we must allow for participation by all members.</div>
<div><br></div><div> We need to be pro-active with AMA and particularly the AMA Competition board, to ensure the continued success of pattern, and to make sure that any NSRCA sanction rules proposals are well thought out, and hopefully will be accepted AMA wide,and not just by NSRCA board members. Proposed bylaw changes need to be published well in advance with complete text versions of both the original and the proposed change, along with rationale for the change.</div>
<div><br></div><div> I would work with the NSRCA board to establish, publish, and follow a bi-annual calendar of deadlines, rules processes, election processes, etc to ensure that we are on track and can act in a timely manner. The calendar would be reviewed at every board meeting to ensure things are being done on schedule.</div>
<div><br></div><div> We need to make sure interested modelers understand how flying pattern sequences, even just for practice, can improve their flying, and by making sure they understand that competing does not have to cost an arm and a leg. We need to continue to encourage production of entry level airplanes such as the Vanquish and Osiris, and point out to potential competitors those low cost ways of entering pattern. We need to work with the pattern column author in Model Aviation and provide articles geared to the new flyer on how to get into pattern. We also need to solicit more how-to articles for the K-Factor which seems to be turning into contest reporting, mainly of interest to the individual districts, and not to members at large.</div>
<div><br></div><div> I would make an effort to get the AMA sequence changes and the FAI changes on the same schedule to simplify the judging certification process and record keeping. This should be fairly easy to accomplish by delaying our sequence changes by one year, or having a one year sequence. NSRCA is in control of the AMA sequence cycle, so we should take advantage of it. </div>
<div><br></div><div> We need to make sure the AMA Executive Council understands the importance of competition both at the national and world levels. While recent EC member changes have somewhat improved the situation, many EC members don't understand or care about competition, and there have been rumblings about deemphasizing competition, and even pulling out of FAI due to the cost. I would make it a priority to discuss the situation with the EC members, emphasize our concern, and provide alternatives where possible.</div>
<div><br></div><div> In summary, I will work hard to ensure NSRCA represents all members, that it operates in accordance with our bylaws, and to advance the sport within AMA.</div></div>-- <br><b style="color:rgb(51,51,255)"><font style="font-family:'comic sans ms',sans-serif" size="4">Scott A. McHarg</font></b><br>
Sr. Systems Engineer - Infrastructure<br><br>
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