District IX
Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
In 1983, Carl and Beth Goldberg asked the AMA to celebrate “vital people in the background of the modeling movement whose efforts enhance the enjoyment of the hobby and whose accomplishments are seldom formally acknowledged.”
Each year, a few individuals are selected to receive recognition, and this year, through the efforts of the Magnificent Mountain Men (MMM) club in Denver, Chuck Etherington was one of the recipients.
This past January, at MMM’s annual get-together, the award was presented to Chuck by Colorado Associate Vice President (AVP) Mark Dennis. Mark wrote:
This January, I had the honor of sitting in during the MMM club’s annual planning meeting. The enthusiasm and attention to detail I witnessed from the members were outstanding.
While I was there, I witnessed the qualities the Carl & Beth Goldberg Vital People Award was meant to acknowledge: a club member who goes above and beyond for the betterment of his or her entire group. It was immediately clear to me why Chuck earned this recognition from his fellow club members. He ensures that the needs of the club are met, often donating his personal time and resources.
Chuck is an accomplished contest director (CD) and competitor, all while finding the time to make sure that the club’s facility is in perfect shape for their members. Congratulations, Chuck! It was an honor to represent the entire AMA community in presenting the Goldberg award to such a deserving individual.
Colorado AVP Mark Dennis (L) presents the Carl & Beth Goldberg Vital People award to Chuck Etherington.
MMM President John McGrath added, “There is no one—hands down—who exhibits greater stewardship of the club’s facilities, including our 27,000-acre primary field, our auxiliary field, and F1E hill, than Chuck Etherington. In addition to serving as the club’s secretary/treasurer for years, Chuck takes on virtually all field maintenance, all interaction with the State Land Board, and serves as CD for multiple events each year. It would be hard to imagine a person more ‘vital’ to the health of the MMM club than Chuck.”
If you have a “Chuck Etherington” member in your club, you can submit a nomination on the AMA website. The deadline for those applications is in September.
The Beresford Area Radio Flyers (BARF) in Beresford, South Dakota, have flown on city property for more than 25 years. The relationship between the city and the club has been a good one, nurtured by the ongoing involvement of the club in the community. One of the best examples is a yearly donation from club funds for some projects within the city. Here are the words of club President Dave Larsen:
“As part of our effort to give back to the community, we have donated to either the local food pantry, fire department, swimming pool building fund, or community library in past years. This year, the donation went to the Beresford Library.”
“We use the library meeting room as our winter location and really appreciate being able to gather there. We have donated a subscription of Model Aviation and/or Park Pilot magazines to the library for many years. Our newsletters are on display for library patrons to read, and we are available to help the library staff do aviation-related youth activities and events.”
BARF President Dave Larsen (R) and members present a donation check to the Beresford Library.
Brandon Koch
Vice President
kochbrandon471@gmail.com
Mandan ND
(785) 252-3282
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS
Craig Bastian, Casper WY; (307)577-6463; craigb1961@msn.com
Tyler Brown, Lincoln NE; (402) 617-0444; tylerzx9@yahoo.com
Mark Dennis, Longmont CO; (951) 203-7776, MarkDflyer@gmail.com
Rick McCaskill, Frederick CO; (303) 682-0440; rickm1947@aol.com
Zachary Roller, Rapid City SD; (605) 519-0815; zroller28@yahoo.com
Arend Schuurman, Elkton SD; (605) 695-2122; arend.schuurman@gmail.com
Jim Tiller, Custer SD, (605) 390-3878; jtillr@hotmail.com
Terry Wiles, Harrisburg SD; terryscustom@yahoo.com
EVENT SANCTION COORDINATOR
Troy Hamm, Gardner KS; (913) 744-5745; funflyr@juno.com
