VOLUNTEERING FOR
LEADERSHIP
By Keith Sessions, AMA Chief Financial Officer | keithsessions@hotmail.com
Happy New Year—at least I hope you are getting this around the first of January. With post office interruptions, this issue might have been delayed in transit.
At this time of year, many of us reflect on the previous year and look forward to the present one. 2021 was as challenging as 2020. The pandemic continued to cause disruptions, including the cancelation of world championships. Large events, such as Joe Nall, were not held for a second year. As the year progressed, we saw a return to some semblance of normalcy. The Nats were held, along with several large events, including Top Gun, Nall in the Fall, and Best in the West.
I did not make it to many events. At the ones I did attend, people seemed happy and relieved to be back among friends.
The AMA had a better-than-expected year as well. We saw an increase in membership as the year progressed and are above the budget target. Expenses were in line with the budget, resulting in a positive year.
We recently finished the 2022 budget process. It is a balanced budget with realistic expectations for income and expenses. As mentioned in a previous column, emphasis has been placed on addressing depreciation and the replacement of assets.
In that same column, I also mentioned a concern about inflation. At that time last summer, inflation was viewed by the markets and investment professionals as short term. That has not aged well. As I write this, we have seen a Consumer Price Index report at its highest level in 30 years. At some point, short-term inflation becomes long-term inflation. This will be a situation that we monitor closely during the next year.
I would like to thank the members of staff who helped with the budget, the volunteers on the Finance Committee, and the volunteers on the AMA Executive Council (EC).
On the subject of volunteers, in 2021, we held elections for vice president (VP) in five of the 11 districts. Only one was a contested election. Of the 11 district VPs, three currently sit on the board past their term limits only because no one ran against them. All three do a fantastic job in my opinion.
I have great respect for the members of the EC. It is truly a thankless job. A lot of hours are dedicated to the parts of model aviation that are not much fun. That stated, I am surprised that fewer people raise their hands. Organizations thrive when new perspectives and experiences are brought on to a board of directors.
In 2022, we will hold elections for president and three districts. If you feel passionate about the AMA, I encourage you to look into what it takes to be a part of its leadership. If a time commitment as a district VP is too much, there are opportunities on many of the committees and as an associate vice president. The AMA is built on volunteers.
I hope 2022 brings you much happiness. I am looking forward to flying more and attending events that have been missed for a couple of years.
