Where should the AMA be pointed  
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Tower Hobbies
Enter up to 4 keywords or Tower stock numbers
Logged in as Guest



Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
       


REALLY SWEET Composite-ARF YAK-55SP 2.6m TURBOPROP NEW PIX ADDED - ARF
Seller:  BAGOSTIX
Details:   $8,000.00   |  12/28/2008   |  Classified Ad
We will rotate YOUR AD in this spot if you select "Forum Featured" when placing or editing your ad!

All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> AMA Discussions >> Where should the AMA be pointed
Page: [1] 2   next >   >>  

Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/29/2003 11:10:10 PM   
J_R


 

Posts: 4446
Joined: 1/4/2002
From: Corona, CA,
Status: offline 		I have copied two posts from another thread to start this one.



JR
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=990313&s=#990313

rsallen13
Casual Observer

Registered: May 2002
Location: Chicagoland
Discussion Post Total: 200

Ok JR:

#1 Accountability - Post the financials within 60 days of the completion of the fiscal year. I mean detailed, audited, and in MA; similar to what corporations do in there annual report. Not the stuff we get now a year later that really tells us little.

#2 Inclusion - Allow for a competition fee that will allow non-ama flyer's to compete under AMA guidelines (and insurance) at events and competitions (only during that specific event) for a fee of say $25.00. After a couple of events it would be cheaper for them to join and we might get more attendance and more members. We sell membership for AMA and IMAA at events so don't say it won't work because the basis for this is already established.

#3 Awareness - Have Muncie foster more corporate sponsorship of events at the club level and provide for a corporate sponsorship system such as golf, racing and the Olympics have to raise funding and increase advertising of the AMA. Using the radio companies as an example could lead to more involvement on their part to ensure the long term access to our frequencies. Right now vendors and manufactures are swamped with request from clubs to the point they rarely respond or support local events. Coordination from a District or National level would help in this arena.

#4 Change - Limit the President of AMA to two terms and allow the districts to determine if they would like to limit DVP terms. Change at the top at regular intervals is good.

#5 Voice - Give Club Presidents real input in to the AMA operations. They are your front line people who are now doing most of the real work in promoting AMA. For the most part I think you will find the Club Presidents feel left out and unsupported by AMA.

#6 Integrity - Remove the EC from the Nominating process. The conflict of interest that incumbents have in this process unreal. A separate group of non-ec volunteers or appointee's could handle this. A couple of conference calls and emails and follow ups by these individuals is needed for this process. In this day and age we don't need to fly them to Muncie to select nominees.

#7 Progress - Begin to move to the internet for the voting process. This could increase voting participation.

Well thats a start. Maybe we should start a new thread with this, but for now I'll post it here and as I think of more I'll add to the list.


__________________
Ron Allen
AMA #508696
Old enough to know better, to young to care!

1833 USMC
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=990314&s=#990314


Jim Branaum
Senior Member

Registered: Oct 2002
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Discussion Post Total: 278


Post

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by rsallen13
Ok JR:

#1 Accountability - Post the financials within 60 days of the completion of the fiscal year. I mean detailed, audited, and in MA; similar to what corporations do in there annual report. Not the stuff we get now a year later that really tells us little.

#2 Inclusion - Allow for a competition fee that will allow non-ama flyer's to compete under AMA guidelines (and insurance) at events and competitions (only during that specific event) for a fee of say $25.00. After a couple of events it would be cheaper for them to join and we might get more attendance and more members. We sell membership for AMA and IMAA at events so don't say it won't work because the basis for this is already established.

#3 Awareness - Have Muncie foster more corporate sponsorship of events at the club level and provide for a corporate sponsorship system such as golf, racing and the Olympics have to raise funding and increase advertising of the AMA. Using the radio companies as an example could lead to more involvement on their part to ensure the long term access to our frequencies. Right now vendors and manufactures are swamped with request from clubs to the point they rarely respond or support local events. Coordination from a District or National level would help in this arena.

#4 Change - Limit the President of AMA to two terms and allow the districts to determine if they would like to limit DVP terms. Change at the top at regular intervals is good.

#5 Voice - Give Club Presidents real input in to the AMA operations. They are your front line people who are now doing most of the real work in promoting AMA. For the most part I think you will find the Club Presidents feel left out and unsupported by AMA.

#6 Integrity - Remove the EC from the Nominating process. The conflict of interest that incumbents have in this process unreal. A separate group of non-ec volunteers or appointee's could handle this. A couple of conference calls and emails and follow ups by these individuals is needed for this process. In this day and age we don't need to fly them to Muncie to select nominees.

#7 Progress - Begin to move to the internet for the voting process. This could increase voting participation.

Well thats a start. Maybe we should start a new thread with this, but for now I'll post it here and as I think of more I'll add to the list.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Ron,
I like most but do not think your first will work. It may not be possible in that time frame to have an audited result. However, waiting a year simply is not good enough.

The integrity issue in the nominations is already under close review and it will probably include club officers.


__________________
Jim Branaum AMA LM 1428

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Post #: 1

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/29/2003 11:39:01 PM   
rsallen13



Posts: 538
Joined: 5/20/2002
From: Montgomery, IL, USA
Status: offline 		Why won't #1 work? We have a full time employee at AMA that is employed specifically to handle our financials and, if we don't we should, have an outside auditing firm do our books and it can't be done in 60 days? The foundation I work at does it in 30 to 45 days.

Oh and nice talking to you today.

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 2

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/29/2003 11:44:04 PM   
Jim Branaum


 

Posts: 1669
Joined: 10/22/2002
From: Fair Oaks Ranch, TX, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by rsallen13
Why won't #1 work? We have a full time employee at AMA that is employed specifically to handle our financials and, if we don't we should, have an outside auditing firm do our books and it can't be done in 60 days? The foundation I work at does it in 30 to 45 days.

Oh and nice talking to you today. [/QUOTE]

Yes, it was nice talking to you also.

If I recall correctly, the last AR I looked at had a date that was almost 90 days after the first of the year. Maybe we need to ask for better management of that particular function. That means overcoming more inertia! Time for tenacity?

_____________________________

Jim Branaum AMA 1428

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 3

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/29/2003 11:50:39 PM   
J_R


 

Posts: 4446
Joined: 1/4/2002
From: Corona, CA,
Status: offline 		Ron

1. The Financial Statement is posted in the AMA Member's Only section of the AMA web site within a few days of it's receipt by the AMA. The auditors take until the end of March to finish their work and it was up this year in about 10 days after that. 2002 IS the most current year for such a statement. Obviously, 2003 can not be done until it is over. (This is true when the guys that run the web site do it right. Rumor is that the AMA may change suppliers.)

2. The AMA has already announced an "introductory membership" for three months at $19.95. It is a one time thing and can not be renewed or taken again. This is close to what you suggest. If a competitor can not make his mind up in 90 days, so be it.

3. Part of your concern here is obviously at the discretion of the manufacturer's. The Radio companies do sponsor individuals. We have one in our club. The same is true of kits and other items. When it comes to donations, you are correct. They recieve too many requests to make it cost effective. In reality, if you are running an established rule book event, of class AA or better, it is not that difficult to get them to help out. The CD program has been abused from it's initial intent and it is making it harder for the sanctioned events, less than class AA, to get donations. There are just to many fly-ins where donations are sought. Remember, there are about 2500 clubs, all running a couple of events a year. There are only so many donations to be had.

4. Look at the districts other than D8 this year. Each VP is running unopposed. The discussion and/or implimentation of term limits needs to have the problem of attracting candidates resolved first. If you institute term limits in the current situation, you might wind up with no leaders. The possibility that term limits "might" make more candidates likely is not an acceptable situation.

5. Very interesting that you raise this point. I was talking to Dave Brown just last week about the nominating process and it's potential for abuse. He has an idea, not complete in details, but fleshed out. He would hand the duties of the Nominating Committee to the club presidents of each district and let them select from the candidates nominated by the membership. The club presidents would become the nominating committee. As I see this, it has all kinds of great side effects, right down there to getting club members more involved in the process. Rich Hansen is the Committee Chairman of the By-laws Committee. It's function is to make recomendations for changes. It is a slow process.

6. See 5.

7. This has, and is being looked at. The potential for abuse is beng looked at. Keep your eyes open, this might happen sooner than later. As far as I know, no EC member is opposed to the basic concept, they just want it right when it happens.

None of this stuff is a secret. Call or write to your VP, or DB. These guys do talk and will tell you what is going on. If you attend a show where the AMA is present, look our leaders up. If they share nothing else in common, other than models, they love to talk.

Hey, Ron, are you a shill for the AMA?

JR

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 4

Re: Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/30/2003 12:01:14 AM   
Red Scholefield



Posts: 5108
Joined: 12/8/2001
From: Newberry, FL, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by J_R

#1 Accountability
#2 Inclusion -
#3 Awareness -
#4 Change - Limit the President of AMA to two terms and allow the districts to determine if they would like to limit DVP terms. Change at the top at regular intervals is good.
Sorry - I still contend that this unloads responsibility for the membership to take care of problems with their vote.

#5 Voice - Expand to include Leader Members re-certified every 5 years to assure continued active participation in the hobby.


#6 Integrity - Remove the EC from the Nominating process. Mandatory to make number 4 work.

#7 Progress -

Well thats a start. Maybe we should start a new thread with this, but for now I'll post it here and as I think of more I'll add to the list.

A darn good start Ron Allen !

Red S.
AMA 951
Leader Member
District V

_____________________________

Red S.
AMA 951 Leader Member
Disclaimer: What I have written here are my thoughts and in no manner shape or form reflect the views of RCU

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 5

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/30/2003 12:10:59 AM   
mongo


 

Posts: 1267
Joined: 12/5/2001
From: Midland, Republic of TEXAS, TX, USA
Status: offline 		my personal opinion is, that if you force incumbants out after 2 terms, then the folks that feel that there is no way to beat incumbancy will run.
i also am involved with 2 major 501* corps, and auditors taking 90 days would be fired. 30 is the norm.

_____________________________

for muroc1, frank, none of the above is intended to be either bullying or insulting, it is just the way i communicate.

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 6

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/30/2003 12:43:11 AM   
rsallen13



Posts: 538
Joined: 5/20/2002
From: Montgomery, IL, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by J_R
Ron

Hey, Ron, are you a shill for the AMA?

JR [/QUOTE]

Nah, AMA Rebel and Troublemaker. I just like to keep stirring the pot.

Also proud owner of an official RCU/AMA Forum flame-suit.

Seriously JR:

1. It takes till the end of March??????? to get the audit done? If AMA's fiscal year closes at the end of December, then we should have our numbers, and have it posted no later that Mid March for the website and as a special insert to the next Magazine mailing. Anything more than that sounds like feet dragging to the membership. Maybe I'm unreasonable in my time line, but the current process doesn't get the numbers to the membership (and limited info at that) until April if it makes it to the website in a timely manner and July or later (again limited info). The website should carry the complete audit for review for the membership just as if we were shareholders in a corporation.

2. Intro membership is great so what is wrong with a one event competition membership. The more ways we can get them to convert to AMA the better. Also, it might actually increase attendance at competitions.

3. Centralized organization and sponsor packages would help to increase club participation in events.

4. The lack of nominees in each district for DVP does not change the need for a two term limit for the Pres. We always seem to have enough (that even get past the EC) to run for Pres.

5. The question is: "Is it from lack of interest or is it a problem with the process as a whole? Taking it back down to the club level might increase interest.

6. Hope it happens for all EC offices including president.

7. And the current voting process looks like we inherited it from Florida. Ballots thrown out questions as to if they were sent out. etc. etc. I don't think a combination of both, at least in the short term would not be any worse that what we are doing now.


Oh and I want to be able to get more REAL information fro the website instead of having to call them or one of my district reps. Thats what its there for and I only want to bother my reps for really important stuff like my picture in the Magazine.
:

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 7

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/30/2003 12:47:34 AM   
Red Scholefield



Posts: 5108
Joined: 12/8/2001
From: Newberry, FL, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by mongo
my personal opinion is, that if you force incumbants out after 2 terms, then the folks that feel that there is no way to beat incumbancy will run.

Mongo, 4 out of 5 seats are going unchallenged this year so I'll buy that when some challengers step forward and at least TRY! Until that time NO TERM LIMITS. I have a feeling that the playing field may get a little leveling after this election. Feeling that there is no way to beat the incumbent is a cop out. Admittedly some EC members will go to unbelievable ends to hang on to their seat. With persistence and the right candidate that can be overcome as you will see next year in District V.

Our club passed a term limit provision (put in by officers that would run only under a condition of term limits). They had to rescind it because the only ones that would take a position were ruled out by the term limits.

Red S.
District V
Where we will got the job done without term limits!

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 8

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/30/2003 12:57:11 AM   
abel_pranger


 

Posts: 2392
Joined: 5/7/2003
From: St Augustine, FL,
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by rsallen13
Why won't #1 work? We have a full time employee at AMA that is employed specifically to handle our financials and, if we don't we should, have an outside auditing firm do our books and it can't be done in 60 days? The foundation I work at does it in 30 to 45 days.

Oh and nice talking to you today. [/QUOTE]

Ron-
I'm no CPA, but as an engineer and project manager, I've had responsibility for enterprises with budgets comparable to AMA's. The fiscal reporting is a peripheral part of this sort of job, but I darned well never got the slack to be more than 30 days behind on reporting detailed 'situational awareness' of budgetary matters. You're right on, and further the job of chief bean counter doesn't need to be the #2 job in AMA. The #2 position should be held by someone well qualified to step into the #1 slot on very short notice. That takes more than knowing where the checkbook is.
Very thoughtful and sweeping list that you provided of issues that should be on the minds of our EC members. If you ever consider running for AMA office, you will surely have my attention.

Abel

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 9

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/30/2003 1:53:46 AM   
rsallen13



Posts: 538
Joined: 5/20/2002
From: Montgomery, IL, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks for the compliment Abel but for right now my energy is directed to my kids 8, 5, 4, 2. All of which are AMA members! Someday I hope to get them to the field and teach them to fly. Once I can get time to get back to the field on a regular basis I might think about it. For now I'll just continue to stir the pot, assist where I can, and continue to build up my stock pile of un-tested planes I build in my basement.

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 10

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/30/2003 6:08:56 AM   
J_R


 

Posts: 4446
Joined: 1/4/2002
From: Corona, CA,
Status: offline 		There was a lot more to Dave Brown's thoughts. I will do my best to relate them. I asked, at the end of our conversation, if anything should not be posted, and as usual, he said it was no problem.

I had asked him if he intended to run again for AMA office. He is undecided. He started to explain a vision he has. I have no idea how wide the support for it is. The first part was the nominating process I outlined in the previous post.

The leadership of the AMA would be changed. Instead of the VP's we have now, each district would elect a member to a Board of Directors. The Board would then elect, from their membership, a CEO. The position of EVP would be eliminated and replaced with an appointed position. Part of the duties of the new Board would be to find an AMA member with the qualifications to be a CFO. This CFO would serve at the will of the Board. This would eliminate the political nature of the job as it is currently structured. That should make finding a willing and qualified individual easier.

On the HQ side, the Board would hire a President. This person would handle the day to day contacts with the outside world and the running of HQ. The President would be responsible to the Board and serve at their will. Currently, when the media, or government agencies call, there is a scramble to find someone to talk to them. Even simple things like opening a bank account currently have to be done by overnight letters because there is not on site officer available in Muncie.

There is a fly in the ointment. This would all have to be done in a by-laws change. If the by-laws are approved, the President, at that point, would have to resign and there would be no place for him. Dave is willing to do that. As you can imagine, another, just elected individual might not be so willing to give up his new position of power.

It's just my opinion, but, if Dave Brown see's his vision coming to fruition, I think he will run again. If not, who knows. On occasion he sounds very tired. As he said; "Only fools run for AMA VP, only damned fools run for AMA President"

This all sounds pretty good to me. I would like to see what others think of his plan. If you really like it or hate it, post your opinions. IF you really really like it or really really hate it, write him and let him know. You need to comment on specifics so he gets some input. He did NOT request this. The input is my idea.

There obviously are a lot of details lacking. I thought it might make for an interesting discussion here.

JR

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 11

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/30/2003 7:25:25 AM   
mongo


 

Posts: 1267
Joined: 12/5/2001
From: Midland, Republic of TEXAS, TX, USA
Status: offline 		just as long as they, the new policys, don't ferget about all the folks like me, not a member of any club anywhere. we out in the cold already, so to speak, but some of what has been sugested would force us even further out.

_____________________________

for muroc1, frank, none of the above is intended to be either bullying or insulting, it is just the way i communicate.

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 12

Where should the AMA be pointed - 7/30/2003 8:21:21 AM   
SAPropbuster



Posts: 206
Joined: 3/7/2002
From: San Antonio, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Hey Ron,

Why don't you apply for Leader Member so that much is in place so you CAN run for office IF and WHEN you decide??

_____________________________

Bob Severance

(in reply to J_R)
       Post #: 13

The Forest and the Trees! Some fail to see either, - 7/30/2003 11:16:30 AM   
Hossfly



Posts: 3989
Joined: 12/3/2001
From: New Caney, TX, USA
Status: offline 		>>>>>>"Instead of the VP's we have now, each district would elect a member to a Board of Directors. "<<<<<<

No difference than now. Call him a VP or a Director. It's all the same -- an elected rep.

>>>>>>
"The Board would then elect, from their membership, a CEO. The position of EVP would be eliminated and replaced with an appointed position. Part of the duties of the new Board would be to find an AMA member with the qualifications to be a CFO. This CFO would serve at the will of the Board."
<<<<<<<<<


As in a business corporation the AMA would have a Board almost completely autonomous. Al