jdwiflyrc

My Feedback: (31)

Are you a good or bad ambassador for your club?

Do you make all visitors feel welcome at your field?

Do you invite people out for a trial flight on a buddy box?

How many flyers have you recruited in the past 2 years?

(or)

Do you ignor all visitors ?

Fail to answer questions from visitors and new club members or not assist them in any way?

When I was first interested in R/C fly'in I hung around the local club for over a year on and on before I was even talked to by any of the members. My first contact was thru the LHS in our area and then one of the club officers off site.

Keep Fly'in John

Ed Smith

I belong to a club that has this approach. When a newcomer shows up at our field we berate him and his miserable efforts at aeromodelling no matter what type of airplane he has. Vicious sarcasm and harsh criticism is the order of the day and we all pile on. If he sticks around and comes back the following week, we know we have a good solid potential club member. If he does not, we know he was a wishy washy, flash in the pan wimp and we do not want him around anyway.

If by some misfortune he reappears and attempts to fly his piece of junk we go to plan B. When he smashes it, which of course is inevitable, we shriek with laughter and rush out with tape measures to measure the spread of the parts. We inform him that the greater the spread, the better the crash. That usually gets rid of them.

Our club motto is:- Plebius coitus nil jocari acceptari.


Ed S

jdwiflyrc

My Feedback: (31)

Hi Ed, I like a man with humor.
We would not have as many fly'in clubs in this world as we do if we did approach this hobby that way.
I started this thread because in every club I know of there are a few people that (seem) to be there for their on pleasure. Not to say that is altogether wrong. Now that I am on this subject, what do you and the others that will read this post do to help increase their membership and good standing.
A few years ago our club membership was dropping rapidly and was almost broke. I thought to myself are your a good or bad ambassador and I decided that I was not a good one.

After this realization I began to talk to visitors to let them know they were welcome to our field to watch, to ask questions, to come back when they wished and not only did we begin to gain members but I also started to have a better time. It also seemed to rub off on the others( or maybe on me) and we all had more fun fly'in and working together.

This is to say I did not do all this by myself, had help from the others.

GOOD FLY'IN John

Ed Smith

Who the hell is talking about humour? This is serious stuff!!

Ed S

dennis1943

My Feedback: (12)

thank god that all clubs do not have this type of attitude, the older generation had better wake up and smell the roses, if we ever hope to continue this hobby or make it better we (the clubs of this fine country) need to keep the intrests of the younger generation working, thanks for reading this and godspeed.
Dennis w. martin Sr.

RC_Eflyer-RCU

Me good

I started a model airplane club at my old high school (its still running today) I run the info booth at our club fly-in every year. I help people at the hobby shop when the employees are too busy. I train people to fly. I have helped probably a dozen people or more to get into the hobby in the last year. (Probably more)

--Paul

Profile-FunFly

You need help Ed- you must not be in jeapordy of losing your flying field and do not care about the new member idea anyway.

Profile-FunFly

jdwiflyrc guys like you make me proud-thanks

tbzep

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ed Smith

When he smashes it, which of course is inevitable, we shriek with laughter and rush out with tape measures to measure the spread of the parts. We inform him that the greater the spread, the better the crash. That usually gets rid of them.

I like the tape measure deal...not to keep potential members away, but to help take some of the sting out of someone losing a plane. It helps to ease the pain when you can laugh about it.

Tim

Profile-FunFly

Great way to keep this sport going "ED"-as if it don't already have enough problems.

Ed Smith

Tim wrote,

""It helps to ease the pain when you can laugh about it. ""

So far Tim you are the only one who has figured me out!!

Ed S

daven

My Feedback: (1)

With all the planes that Ed crashes, he needs a little humor in his life. If he didn't laugh, he would probably cry.

I think that club efforts to recruit youth are great, however I feel that more time should be spent going after 30-40 year olds that have the disposable income for this hobby.

Ed its good to see your pearls of wisdom splattered throughout RCU. You may want to put down the bottle of Capt' Morgan before posting.

Shortman

My Feedback: (21)

at our club everyones' nice, they all treat you with respect, but to new flyers they always talk down to them, always make them realize what there getting into, its kinda funny...

dennis1943

My Feedback: (12)

BOY are you guys great i wish that we had your great efforts down here, come down here and fly where the sun always shines (almost) we need all the help we can muster.....
dennis



there are old pilots and bold pilots
but very few old bold pilots.

Profile-FunFly

I only have four more words to add -: Open Mouth-Insert Foot!

Ed Smith

Daven wrote,

>>
Ed its good to see your pearls of wisdom splattered throughout RCU. You may want to put down the bottle of Capt' Morgan before posting.

tbzep

I've done model and high power rocketry for over 25 years. Many club and even national events have a "prang award" for the best crash.

I bet there are some R/C clubs with the equivlalent award. If I crash my plane, I hope I get an award for it! It might be the only kind of contest I could win. :stupid:

Tim

jdwiflyrc

My Feedback: (31)

All my income is disposable that is why I have very little left.

Help a young person build a spad
loan him a basic engine
help him with a radio

Then get his father interested and you will gain two members.

keep em all fly'in, John

edge_fanatic

My Feedback: (4)

We're supposed to talk to visitors? huh? recruit?

Can you actually make them feel welcome but also ignore them?

I think the questions are rigged...

(for those that think I'm serious...I'm not..)

vtol_guy

geez most of you sound mean!

i remember when i joined my first club they all treated me like crap. Now i joined a new club, my old club was really terrible. We sometimes get some people who watch from the road but dont come over and talk, if anyone ever does then we try and get em interested.

specifically aimed at you ed:

When you say about newcomers joining, do you mean someone who has purchased all his radio gear and engine, flight box ect?

For the love of god i really hope you dont do this to the junior members because those kind of people really do bug me a lot.

In my 1st club they treated me more or less the same as you describe. I have now joined a much better club and i can tell you now that i am thoroughly enjoying the hobby unlike before. In a few months i may return to my old club just to tell them all how much i detest them all.

Anyway, just my opinion of it...

jdwiflyrc

My Feedback: (31)

Hi VTOL,

When that person stops by the road he or they are showing interest walk over introduce yourself, invite them in and show them around.
Let them know that they are welcome to come back. A lot of the time you will see them again and again. Answer their questions, talk with them, offer to put them up on a buddy box, develop that interest.
Who knows you may gain a new club member and a new friend.

Have a good EASTER and keep em fly'in, John

JimTrainor

Ed, Can we find you here: http://www.brantflyers.org

Bob Peterson

Palomar R/C Flyers just voted in the 310th member. I guess someone is doing something right. I'm not near as nasty as I used to be.

vtol_guy

only problem with trying to introduce ourselves is that the road that borders the edge of our club is a good 1/2 mile away so thats were some people just sort of watch, we dont really think its worthwhile walking over. We have tried it twice but in the first instance he drove off before we got there (must have thought we were going to shout at him maybe?) and the 2nd one just said that he just wanted to watch for a few minutes

What really gets to me though is when you want to be flying and some person walking their dog decides to stand right in front of the take off run or another place of vital importance like the approach area.

jdwiflyrc

My Feedback: (31)

VTOL,

You are right it is a drag when outsiders (people who don't know that R/C planes are dangerous) seem to try our Patience.

That is the time for other club members to come to the rescue and
go out and talk to these people.

Our club field is on the edge of a road and it makes it easier to talk to them. How about a small sign with visitors are welcome at the entrance to your field.

Our membership had got down to about 10 flying members and was broke and some paid our next years dues half a year in advance in order to get thru the year.

That is what got me thinking about the good or bad idea.

I then ran for club president ( got it ) and started to work on the process of talking to people about our hobby with strangers at the field, the local hobby shop and just about anybody that would listen.

I think it rubbed off on the club and we started to gain members.

It is a team effort to promote a club and I will not claim credit for the turn around because no one person can do it all

I think I had a small part in getting it started by just getting involved in the process.

My soap box just tripped me so I close by wishing each and every reader a good Easter.

John