Drexus
Posts: 153
Joined: 6/14/2004
From: Almonte,
ON, CANADA
Status: offline
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It seems to me that issues/discussions here have standard characteristics of any open debate when money is mentioned. The underlying feeder to all relevant or irrelevant comments ultimately revolve around money. If MAAC has to raise rates, it will spark ... well... everything you read here. Suddenly everyone pulls out the magnifying glass and starts to point fingers and say "what's this?" So, with this understanding, please note that if we all paid $100 to be a MAAC member, and have been for the last 10 years, then there would be no quibbles here. Nor at any big meetings concerning insurance, staff, magazines... or any of that. As the fee would cover everything, and nothing would have changed to spark all these discussions. So acknowledging that, we have to understand our current situation better. And there are solutions to these issues.
COST
I too agree that $75 is nothing to squawk about. There are, however, two ways we have to look at this. From the perspective of someone who fits the profile of the average MAAC member (45 year old male, owns house, family, job/retired) the cost in caparison to what you pay in driving a car - is not worth anyone to quibble about. And yes, compared to other hobbies, this one is very cheap. I mean, if we didn't all fly model planes, what would we be doing? Golf, boating, skiing, scuba diving, RV homes, .... unless you consider riding a bike a hobby, this is a lot of bang for the buck (bang does not mean "crash".)
The other side to it is the new members. I'm not talking about Mr. Jones down the street just bought an ARF and is now seen at the local meetings... I'm talking about the younger pilots. $75 for someone who lives with his parents is not an easy amount to come by, unless Dad is in the same hobby. So with that, cost does become an issue. The solution? Well... you have to face facts, and you can't feel bad for the youngsters. We can't think back to the time when we first started out. It's not like that anymore. We have kids with $300 MP3 players and $500 hockey and baseball memberships. So tough beans to them. Let them make the decision.
INFORMATION
When money is the real issue, how it's spent will always be questioned. As it stands, MAAC sponsors a magazine. This is a great function of MAAC in that information can be had by all members. But before I get into anything about the magazine, I want to note that MAAC, and all the functions/services associated with it, is like a race car. If you ask an F1 driver what his primary enemy is on the track, he will say "My steering wheel". The less you use it, the faster you go. That's why they talk so much about how to enter the apex of a turn. So too is the situation in any organization. And anyone here who has run, or does run a company, will agree that sudden changes in how the company functions/operates, will result in an efficiency loss, and generate delays in most management processes of internal functions. Would you buy a car from an auto maker if they changed their whole line every single year? Would they survive the changes?
So what's my point here? I believe that MAAC must define itself. What ever it does internally or externally must be defined, and set. If sponsoring events is what MAAC is all about, then let it be so. Let's just make sure that everyone agrees that this is what we want. If we don't, then none of these issues will ever go away. So the questions rise to that idea, and many may ask: "why should I pay for this, or that?" This is completely valid. If I don't go to events to compete, why am I paying someone else to? How does Canada send athletes to the Olympics? Simple, just look at the ski jacket the athlete is wearing. Loaded full of logos, icons, and badges (it's a wonder they can compete with all the extra padding). Those who want to compete, will seek sponsorship. Should MAAC sponsor an event? Let's see... When a sponsor puts a badge on the pilot at an event, there is a return for the sponsor. Exposure. Exposure equals sales, and so everyone is happy. This is how it works in any industry. What does MAAC get if they sponsor an event? ...More members? What is the return? Not anything I can see. So why is MAAC sponsoring events? I'm not sure really... is there some obligation, some kind of Canadian pride that says MAAC should? Well, I don't really know. Is that what MAAC is about, is that the function of MAAC? What is the bottom line? Simple. MAAC has members because it's mandatory for pilots at the field. Members understand they must pay... if they want to play. Simple as that. So as hard as it sounds. MAAC, in my opinion, should not be involved in supporting anything that is not in the prime interest of all members in conjunction with it's primary function. Otherwise, sponsoring an event to which there is no return... is just giving away money.
Many may argue that "what are you complaining about... is only a $1 per member..." It's the principal. It could be next to free, and it will still generate squabbles and questions from all those who have nothing better to do. And MAAC as an organization, has to be accountable to all members... even the squawkers. It's their duty. So why put that load on them? It's not worth it, and it shouldn't be an issue. Will the event die on the spot if MAAC doesn't sponsor it? I think we all know the answer.
If MAAC defined itself true to it's primary function. Then there would be no questions, arguments, or ruffled feathers. With a defined function in place, staff could concentrate on doing what it knows has to be done.
Leaving open the option to do/offer services at random, dilutes what the purpose of MAAC is to everyone. To me, it sounds like the initial function of MAAC was too simple. So ideas started to surface... "MAAC should do this, or that..." veering away from what is really needed. We have to stop thinking and aspiring about "what would be nice", and become truly focused. The MAAC staff probably answer mail and phone calls about a great many things. Things that have grown over the years... requiring more staff time to handle, manage and answer to. Ya, I bet they are underpaid. We all want insurance, information, and our car waxed with a free coffee.
An organization that must be accountable to all members should be able to offer accurate and timely information relevant to every member. What information do all members need? How about everything that MAAC represents. Yes, event schedules of zone functions, internal news, status of critical concerns... these sort of things. With that, MAAC needs a vehicle to deliver this information. This is where the magazine come into place.
MAGAZINE
Let's all remember that the magazine is not the function or property of MAAC. It is a very important service, but should be regarded as such. Should MAAC decide what should be in the magazine? Well, is the magazine the property of MAAC? Not that I'm aware of. No more then the 50 advertisers in the next issue of RCM. MAAC pays the magazine in order to get it's material out to users. There is a cost to that. If there is anyone that understands that more, it would be me. I've been an Imaging Engineer for 15 years in the print & publishing industry. I'm also a certified Graphic Designer. To put a magazine together is a lot of work. But what is a magazine? What is the "MAAC magazine"? Funny as it seems, they are not the same. However, I can see that the magazine is quickly trying to become "a real magazine". Yes, full of reviews, advertising, and extra goodies. The most of the work in putting a magazine together is spent organizing the material. If all material in a magazine just showed up all at once, then it could be assembled in a week or less. But getting it to that stage is the real work.
Where am I going with this? Let's ask what the function of the magazine is. Is it a news and information channel to all members? Yes. Is it a place to read reviews on the "new sport something-er-other"? Well is it? Sure it's nice to read about something new. If that's why it shows up at my front door. If the magazine is to be a magazine, then let it be a real magazine. Full gloss cover to cover, 50 advertisers, editorials, reviews... the works. Because that's how a magazine survives. Anything in between that and the MAAC newsletter will make both halves suffer the burden of a truly large identity crisis. Is it a magazine or a newsletter? Can you truly have both? Sure, it's possible. But not without a defined division. As it stands, the newsletter section is printed on newsprint, and run on a separate web press. It's cheap and fast. The "magazine" portion tries to stay on the gloss, but landing a flat for a 16 or 32 page signature means you can't have both. Advertisers - who feed the magazine - really don't like sending material with dot gain settings for genson web stock, only to find their material on newsprint. So the magazine suffers in the attempt to generate a decent income. MAAC needs the publication to exist for it's purposes. And to keep the publication floating, MAAC must deal with this shared space with in a publication that wants to be a magazine. Whether cost is affected, I'm not sure.
Ideally, a bimonthly issue that shows up at my front door in a plastic bag, should have two separate items in it. A Newsprint MAAC news item, and a glossy Canadian magazine full of Canadian content WITH international material. This division would allow for more control of the presentation of material to MAAC members without the interruptions of non-essential material.
What will this do to solve our concerns? When members ask questions about ... anything, they want answers. A publication that is focused on the true functions of MAAC can better address the questions - especially if there is room for it. Cost in producing an all-newsprint publication is cheap. Formatting content for the purposes of MAAC's needs is a simple task. The Quark template is there, a real no-brainer. A separate magazine bundled with the newsletter will obviously get the same exposure to Canadians. Advertisers would then love to be part of an all-Canadian magazine with a guaranteed readership. The magazine would then actually make money. There could be more staff, for the added business. There would be real in-house resources to handle the assembly of the MAAC newsletter. To that extent, a point will be reached where the tables will turn. The magazine will sponsor the newsletter completely. All in thanks to the guaranteed readership supplied by MAAC. I know for a fact that if MAAC approached a Canadian hobby magazine with it's exposure, that magazine would have it's market handed to them on a pillow. The beauty of having a separate Canadian magazine lies in it's options. It would now be found at magazine stands. If Canadians want to promote a presence in a US dominated market, then I see no better way then this. But we have to divide the two. The two have separate goals, with only mild common values. With a change like this, MAAC members would get more potential room for more information that is relevant to members alone.
If members do not get any answers to their questions, they start to speculate, they gossip, mutter and theorize. In no time, MAAC soon finds itself having to deal with issues that were never there. Adding complexity and process to an already underpaid job.
If MAAC stripped down to what it is really needed for: Critical MAAC information, Canadian events, Safety reminders... then members could not squabble about MAAC's involvement in areas that are not critical to it's existence. Many are very worried that one day MAAC might not be able to secure a carrier for a membership policy. Insurance companies look for any excuse to raise rates. All they need is an excuse. If I sponsored an event, my operating insurance would go through the roof. Why? Because my name will be associated to the function of the event. And if an accident occurred at the event, my insurance company has to send a representative just to say I had no contributing factor in the incident. If I'm not a sponsor, and I'm just visiting, then everything is fine.
I can see insurance companies looking at MAAC and putting their ultra huge microscope on the organization to see if they can define what MAAC is, and what MAAC does/represents/offers/produces/supports. They will look for anything. And if MAAC is sponsoring a team, event, picnic ... questions will be asked. This is my personal, first hand experience.
So let's be real. With an organization that has it's existence questioned by members, should we be asking MAAC to offer itself in other areas - and become many things just because we think "it would be nice"?
Somehow I think that the world of Canadian model aircraft will still be here tomorrow if MAAC stripped down from a Gold Wing to a Moped with a basket - especially if it's sole purpose was only to fetch milk from the corner store. In light of what potential challenges we face today... it scares me to think that we are arguing over what MAAC should pay for/offer when the very core of it's purpose is on life support. If we don't see this as a wake up call, promptly pour a bucket of ice water over your head.
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Ken Charron
Senior Product Designer
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RE: MAAC membership reasonable? - 
