ORIGINAL: ovationdave

To join the AMA, for someone under the age of 19, is $1, without the magazine, $15 with it. Thats very reasonable to me. I wonder how many people have taken the time to try to introduce local kids to the hobby? If you think about it, there are many kids walking around with $250 Ipods, playing a $400 PS3, and paying $50 each for video games. That money comes from somewhere, usually birthday cash or santa. The thing is, we need to foster the idea that that kid would rather ask for a plane than the latest version of ''Resident Evil'' for his X-box. This has to be done at the local level, by club members, and local hobby shops. At my field, it seems that the one age group that has the most time to spread the word is (unfortunately) the same age group that is least likely to do so.

I have 3 kids, one in college (my funds are limited), one who plays hockey (my funds are limited), and one who plays in the local orchestra (my funds are limited). But I am truly fearful for the longevity of my club looking at the age of the average member. I have given planes away that I am ''tired'' of to younger members of our club, just to let them have something new in the air.......my only stipulation is that they don't sell it, they have to give it to someone else if they get rid of it (assuming its not re-kitted in their control). I have also given away my 72Mhz radios too, as well as old engines. I would rather do that than get $30 in my pocket for my old ''Super Sportster'' fuselage carcass or an old trainer. I am planning on approaching my sons science teacher this fall to see if I can get into the class and show off some planes and talk about the hobby. Why? Because I am worried that the future of MY CLUB, not the AMA, is in jepardy.

The AMA, as I see it, is kind of like Luchina said, buying tabs for my car. But at least I get a magazine, and it is required by my field, so I join evey year. But at the end of the day, the issue (in my opinion) for younger kids is not the $1 a year it costs to join the AMA, its exposure to the hobby. Thats what needs to improve, and that has to be done at the local level, not necessarily by the AMA.

Just my $0.02

Dave