My final column as AMA EVP
This is a bittersweet column for me because it is the last one I will write as your Executive Vice President (EVP). It was written in September, and I don’t know the outcome of the election, but I wish the new EVP success and I hope that he will work with our president and Executive Council (EC) in an effective manner, moving our organization forward. Good luck in your new position.
I decided last year that this would be my last term, although the AMA bylaws would have allowed me to run for two additional three-year terms. Family is most important in our lives and my 91-year-old father needs me to be there for him. Diane, my wife of 47 years, has been a stalwart supporter of my work and hobby, often traveling around the country with me. Without her at my side, none of this would have been possible.
My three adult children have been very understanding and supportive. I now plan to be there more often for them.
Nine years ago, I was one of the sponsors of term limits for all elected EC members. I believed then, as now, that a person shouldn’t spend several decades on the EC, just because he or she can. I believe that with new people come fresh ideas, and an enthusiasm to help our organization. There is no good-old-boys’ club here, despite what is occasionally claimed on the forums.
I have had the privilege of serving all AMA members for the last six years as EVP, and four years before that as the District II Vice President. Before that I spent seven years as an associate vice president (AVP). These positions have allowed me the opportunity to meet some of the finest people on the face of this planet.
For the most part, modelers are great people, and so willing to help each other. I have met thousands of members, and certainly can’t remember everyone’s name, but know that I appreciate each of you being part of our organization and supporting our work.
I have had the opportunity to meet directly with those within the FAA and many congressional offices. I hope I have helped, in a small way, save model aviation as we have enjoyed it for many decades. I have traveled, met, and worked with the top managers of our hobby’s leading dealers, distributors, and manufacturers, seeking to protect our hobby.
I have to mention AMA’s management and staff. They are first rate and through their efforts, AMA has become one of the world’s premier membership-based organizations. I regret that I won’t have the same opportunity to work with them daily. I have made many friends at AMA. I come from the corporate business world and know outstanding people when I work with them.
My final message to our membership is this: Believe in and support the AMA. It has always been there for you, and hopefully always will be. It is not just a purveyor of insurance, but provides many benefits of membership.
I have experienced all of this because of a love for aircraft, and I fly model airplanes. There are a lot of people I need to thank, especially Dave Mathewson, who believed in me, providing guidance and support as I began my climb up the AMA ladder. I also had the opportunity to identify and help bring numerous top-quality people into our organization, many of whom have become valuable AMA officers and lifelong friends.
I want to thank my home club, the Southern Tier Aero Radio Society (STARS), of Cuba, New York. STARS is one of the oldest clubs in the US—older than AMA itself. The club was responsible for creating the large-scale model aviation movement back in the 1970s, and received AMA’s Historic Preservation Award because of this. However, times change and today Giant Scale shares the field with many smaller electrics, helicopters, and drones. The STARS ignored the fact that I was gone much of the time with AMA duties, only attending an occasional meeting, and they still welcome me back.
My final message to our membership is this: Believe in and support the AMA. It has always been there for you, and hopefully always will be. It is not just a purveyor of insurance, but provides many benefits of membership.
AMA’s president is a leader, working to keep us on the right course. The executive director has molded our headquarters staff into a world-class organization. I want to say thank-you to our thousands of AMA volunteers who are AVPs, Leader Members, contest directors or event managers, club officers, and members who engage with their communities and local governments. Your work and efforts are invaluable and this is from where AMA’s future leaders will come.
Welcome new people and new technologies into our hobby, as we always have. This is the very fabric of AMA’s 82-plus-year history and without new people and technologies, the future of our organization is in jeopardy. Finally, please obey AMA’s safety code and rules. This is the primary reason that Congress has carved out a place for model aviation per AMA’s rules, which isn’t controlled by the FAA.
I will be taking my wife to places we have yet to see, and my dad to do some fishing. I also plan to attend and participate in many more flying events. This is a terrific hobby because of the people in it. It is a great way to spend one’s life, so take advantage of it as long as you can.
So, after thousands of emails and phone calls, 40 EC meetings, 84 magazine columns, and 10 years on the EC, I say so long for now. This isn’t a farewell because I look forward to seeing you at the flying field.
For the last time, if you made it this far, thanks for reading. Please help secure the future of our hobby, and take a youngster flying. I am now “three in the green.”
