Ballots Are Out

[ICTHRMLS]

Voting for all applicable AMA officers will be done by ballot arriving with your membership renewal notice. If you do not receive a ballot it means there are no elections in your district. Ballots must be returned to the address ON THE BALLOT but they make it easy.... no envelope or postage required. Do NOT send it back to AMA with your renewal - it will be trashed (unless that's your statement vote ;) ;) ;) )

Above all - be sure to vote. Too bad this forum dried up after a few locked posts. I was hoping the cadidates had more stuff and less huff. :rolleyes:

[Don Sims]

Originally posted by ICTHRMLS


Above all - be sure to vote. Too bad this forum dried up after a few locked posts. I was hoping the cadidates had more stuff and less huff. :rolleyes:

I agree IC, they are missing an opportunity to reach a growing segment of the hobby.
Don

[Arbo]

Don, I agree with you. They are missing out on a fast growing segment of the hobby. And the lack of much attention to it is probably one reason their membership isn't up where it could otherwise be.

I used to fly gas long ago, at a sanctioned field... but then I went electric, and most of my time was spent in local school yards when they were empty with just a few buddies that also flew electric.

I have recently moved to Washington, and fly at a club again, that has over 100 members, though I doubt that many are active. I see the occasional zagi, but other than that, it seems I'm a loner out there. And some people seem to grasp electric and the potential, and how far it's come, but the majority of the old time gassers out there don't look my way, or seem to ever want to, sort of like I'm some sort of reject. Has the 'editor' of the ama magazine or anyone ever taken this up? How about adding some of the large electrics to the 'giant scale' part as they do qualify... electrics just seem overlooked as some sort of passing fad by the AMA, from my view.

And all this silly bickering certainly doesn't help.

Paul

[Hossfly]

Originally posted by J_R
Hi Arbo

There are two part to your post, both worth discussing.

The situation in D8 is far from silly. Two of the candidadates, in my opinion, violated the intent of the nominating process. The incumbent VP and the prior D6 VP running in D8 should have a higher standard than to try and stack the ballot by nominating others to run against them. The worst part is that they both flaunted it and did it over thier own signatures. Only thee candidates may appear on the ballot. The effect of being able to nominate who may run against you should be obvious. The one and only right each AMA member has is to vote. When anyone tries to alter that process, it offends me. Others may disagree, but, that's my opinion.

Model Aviation Magazine is undergoing a redefinition of itself. Unlike any other modeling magazine, it must act as a newsletter for the AMA to preserve the 501 (c) 3 IRS educational status and, at the same time, it must cover every aspect of modeling from indoor to jets.
//SNIP//.

JR


First, I have edited the thread "For Your Information" and added some of the Safety Presentation/Discussion that was accomplished at the SWAC this past Saturday. If you have an interest in the real AMA world, check it out.

In real elections things get tight among those that are really concerned. While there are those that will turn and run from any obstacle, there are also those of us that wish to remove those obstacles.
Like the LA times there are those that can find all kinds of dirty slush that never seemed to exist until someone discovers it at the approaching Zero hour for an election.

While Mr. JR uses multiple threads to present HIS *opinion* and states that an AMA member has ONLY ONE RIGHT, well that OFFENDS me.

The AMA Nominating Committee (NC), the 11 District elected VPs and the nationally elected EVP constituting that committee, have known these rules for some 15 years. If operating within those rules is offensive or less than proper, well my friends, the EC made those rules, lived with them for some time, and when there are more than 3 persons nominated, then the NC exercises their duties to select 3 persons for the ballot. They have performed that duty before this year.

One right that Mr. JR forgets is the right of an Open AMA Member to nominate anyone he/she so desires for either their specific District VP or for a national office. That nominee then goes to the Nominating Committee and if certain qualifications are complied with, then the NC determines the names for the ballot. Just because a person is nominated does not secure a place on the ballot. That is the NC's job.

If a nominee, himself nominates others, then that is his right within the rules. The NC will determine who runs against who. No rules established by the EC/NC have been broken.

Mr. JR complains about the "INTENT." If the "Intent" was not established within the EC/NC's rules, then they must have wasted some 15 years in NOT changing them. Mr. JR certainly must not have much faith in the EC/NC's judgment only his own *opinion* of INTENT! :rolleyes:

Where was all this "Ethics Ranting" last year when a person from the same area as the incumbent EVP was placed on the ballot and that person's campaign statement stated that he did not want the job and supported the incumbent?

I believe an AMA Member has many rights:

Right to petition AMA officers,
Right to the protection of AMA Insurance,
Right to be informed of ALL AMA business
Right to expect AMA to PROMOTE ALL model aviation as a
worthwhile recreation, sport, hobby and competition events.
Right to expect and receive help in establishing flying facilities,
Right to expect AMA to protect his/her activity from all
governmental intervention.

In addition, an AMA member has the right to be a responsible member and remain active in exercising that responsibility to assure that those rights are retained for his/her enjoyment.


Horrace Cain
AMA 539

[H Hand]

Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like the nominating committee rules are set up like a 1950's Old Boys Club and are subject to the whim of its members and not the general membership.

Perhaps it is time for a re-evaluation of such arcaic rules but from what I'm picking up here, the EC sets the bi-laws and the bi-laws allow members to nominate themselves???

I'm asking myself, have I really shelled out money for this???

You gents really don't get it. There is going to be a huge influx of members that are very savvy and have no tolerance for Enron type operations, especially from non profits. Look at what happened to other organizations like the United Way over similar unethical behavior. It's gonna happen to the AMA, eventually someone else will offer the same benifits at a percieved value and members will leave in droves or there will be a generational change because the majority of fliers profile change and the AMA as we currently know it will cease to exhist.
HH

[easytiger]

Originally posted by H Hand
Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like the nominating committee rules are set up like a 1950's Old Boys Club and are subject to the whim of its members and not the general membership.

Perhaps it is time for a re-evaluation of such arcaic rules but from what I'm picking up here, the EC sets the bi-laws and the bi-laws allow members to nominate themselves???

I'm asking myself, have I really shelled out money for this???

You gents really don't get it. There is going to be a huge influx of members that are very savvy and have no tolerance for Enron type operations, especially from non profits. Look at what happened to other organizations like the United Way over similar unethical behavior. It's gonna happen to the AMA, eventually someone else will offer the same benifits at a percieved value and members will leave in droves or there will be a generational change because the majority of fliers profile change and the AMA as we currently know it will cease to exhist.
HH

I respectfully suggest that you really do not know what you are talking about. You asked to be corrected if you are wrong, so I'll say it: you are wrong.
You still cannot nominate yourself, for one thing. The nomination thing may be flawed, it did not take into account the fact that someone might try to bend it for their own purposes. I think the NC made a decision. They put the three candidates they thought had the best chance of winning on the ballot, and the three that were properly nominated. I can't see how all the extra people nominated matter at all. They are not on the ballot.
And you can STILL run as a write in candidate, as Jim Branaum is doing.
As far as Enron, corruption, all that nonsense...may I suggest you go take a look in the parking lot at Muncie and see what people drive there? I don't see a single Rolls-Royce in the whole place.
NOBODY is getting rich off of the AMA. The EC gets NOTHING. They are VOLUNTEERS.
It has happened before that "watchdogs" came in and thought they were going to "clean the place up" from corruption and all that...when they got there, they found NOTHING.
So, if you want to accuse, back it up with SOME sort of proof, not just jive you picked up on the internet.

[Jim Ryan]

Originally posted by Arbo
Don, I agree with you. They are missing out on a fast growing segment of the hobby. And the lack of much attention to it is probably one reason their membership isn't up where it could otherwise be.
(SNIP)
Has the 'editor' of the ama magazine or anyone ever taken this up? How about adding some of the large electrics to the 'giant scale' part as they do qualify... electrics just seem overlooked as some sort of passing fad by the AMA, from my view.


Paul, some factors to consider: First of all, Model Aviation DOES have electric flight content. They have the longest continuous running electric flight column of any magazine in North America; they were covering electric flight before most of us had ever SEEN an electric model. They have Paul Bradley's very nice Small Field Flying series, which is for all practical purposes a second electric column. They have published two of my designs in as many years, and they'll be publishing a third shortly. For that matter, over the last four years, they have AVERAGED more than four electric construction articles per year! Note that construction articles are sort of the crown jewels for most modeling magazines; they take up more space and cost more money than nearly any other type of content.

I've discussed electric flight content with Bob Hunt, the editor of MA, on many occasions, and he's made it clear that they would publish more construction articles and other electric content if they could get it. And as for covering large electrics in the same vein as other aspects of giant scale, they have had features on George Maiorana's magnificent Tu-4 and Chinese AWACS models and on Bob Benjamin's ground-breaking FAI scale models. Dave Grife and his giant scale Mystery Ship were featured on a recent cover. I could go on like this, but I think you get the general idea.

The editors at Model Aviation have the unenviable task of trying to cover all aspects of a very diverse hobby; everything from fragile indoor freeflight models weighing a few grams to sophisticated giant scale warbirds. On the whole, I think they make a good faith effort to accomplish this nearly impossible task. If this was a control line forum, I'm sure fellows would be complaining about the lack of control line content, and if it was rubber free flight column, I'm sure we'd be talking about that. In my opinion, the fact that everyone feels a little neglected probably means that Bob is doing a pretty good job. ;)

I'm sure this makes me an oddball, but I think it's rather neat that Model Aviation covers such a diverse range of aeromodeling activity. And I would also note that when I first approached them about publishing my work, far from being dismissive of wimpy little electric models, they were very enthusiastic.

As JR noted, Model Aviation is undergoing some significant changes under Bob Hunt's leadership. I think they're making very good progress, and I fully expect this to continue.

Jim

[H Hand]

Originally posted by easytiger
I respectfully suggest that you really do not know what you are talking about. You asked to be corrected if you are wrong, so I'll say it: you are wrong.
You still cannot nominate yourself, for one thing. The nomination thing may be flawed, it did not take into account the fact that someone might try to bend it for their own purposes. I think the NC made a decision. They put the three candidates they thought had the best chance of winning on the ballot, and the three that were properly nominated. I can't see how all the extra people nominated matter at all. They are not on the ballot.
And you can STILL run as a write in candidate, as Jim Branaum is doing.
As far as Enron, corruption, all that nonsense...may I suggest you go take a look in the parking lot at Muncie and see what people drive there? I don't see a single Rolls-Royce in the whole place.
NOBODY is getting rich off of the AMA. The EC gets NOTHING. They are VOLUNTEERS.
It has happened before that "watchdogs" came in and thought they were going to "clean the place up" from corruption and all that...when they got there, they found NOTHING.
So, if you want to accuse, back it up with SOME sort of proof, not just jive you picked up on the internet.

Actually I got this interpretation from reading some of the attacks and flaming going on in this forum. To a third party like me, some of the innuendos and ridiculous comments in some of the closed threads and open threads sound like this is how the AMA is.

You guys need to take a close look at how you post and how other people read what you say. Look at several of your own posts objectively.

Do I think this way for real? Not at all. The AMA is a huge asset to our hobby but it needs to look at its future and realize that the hobby is evolving quickly.

HH

[Jim Branaum]

Originally posted by H Hand
[B
SNIP

... The AMA is a huge asset to our hobby but it needs to look at its future and realize that the hobby is evolving quickly.

HH [/B]

You are exactly correct and that is one of the reasons I have been active, albiet sometimes fruitlessly.

The AMA cannot change without effective leadership. Leaders cannot lead when they are busy fighting fires, as the EC has been with the bad actions of a few in this election.