DSLarkin
Posts: 136
Joined: 8/31/2005
From: Picton, ON, CANADA
Status: offline
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Sorry, it wasn't intended as a 'poke'. In modelling, as in politics, it is an unfortunate fact that there is a great deal of inter-regional suspicion. And this happens to play out in the MAAC Board. Splitting the SE Zone would provide fairer representation, but it would be hard for Western ZDs to accept. This is a pretty broad brush statement and not always true - I expect Jim Pepperdine takes, as always, a balanced view. Ontario is seen by some as a block that may not be sensitive to the needs of Western modellers, and I'm sure there is some truth to this. Actually the Ontario modellers aren't the least bit anxious to do their Western friends down but it isn't always perceived that way.
For example the Nats are frequently run in Ontario, usually in the SW Zone, and at no cost to MAAC and frequently at a profit. But to a Western modeller, who would have to travel a long way to attend the Nats, this may be perceived as unfair. The fact that it is difficult to get anyone out West to hold the Nats doesn't seem to be relevant. Yes I know the Nats has been run successfully in BC but not very often, and it has never been run in Alberta. In Saskatchewan only a pylon Nats has been run, although very successfully.
No, I'm afraid geopolitics is very much alive on the MAAC Board and you can certainly see it during AGM elections. Everyone is thinking about how to get balanced representation on the Executive. And this is important. But putting an extra Ontario ZD on the Board could just upset what is now a fairly delicate balance.
Please don't think that because I live in Ontario now, that I have an entirely regional perspective. My job was in the Armed Forces and I have lived all over Canada, including the Prairie provinces.
Modelling is not homogenous across Canada. Geography, weather and population density all affect the way our hobby is practiced. Another factor is the impact of immigration - in areas where there is a lot of recent immigration you may see more interest in the more traditional (say older) forms of aeromodelling. Higher population density leads to more interest in competition. So there are bound to be different perspectives in different areas and that is just fine. The trouble comes when someone tries to force their perspective on everybody else (or is perceived to be trying).
So though I think it would be much fairer to split the SE Zone, it would be a hard sell, and if it causes serious concern in zones outside Ontario, I'm certainly not in favour of pushing it. Point is that the idea was floated once, and the Board voted against it - which is the point I'm trying to make. In any case it isn't a real issue within the SE Zone, so why solve a problem that people don't perceive as important?
Maybe I was a bit hard on the question of the MAAC registration package. But clearly in that club someone dropped the ball. This should have been covered in the handover. And it is all there if one accesses the MAAC site!
This isn't to say that MAAC couldn't do things better. Perhaps a little booklet could be produced that would be sent out by the MAAC office when they are notified of a change in a club executive. However when all else fails, the ZD is the elected MAAC representative and it shouldn't hurt to pick up the phone and call him.
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RE: MAAC zone Re-org? - 
