Jim and rcscott

It seems to me that you both are on the right track. The club is the organization that controls its own destiny. The AMA can only do so much. The AMA should and does issue press releases about significant events. It simply can not afford advertising in any effective way due to the costs. Any major marketing effort can blow through literally millions of dollars overnight. Those type of efforts are made in the hopes of profit, something we do not have. There is a tremendous difference between promotion and advertising.

Marketing modeling is difficult. It must be done with the fact in mind that it is not a family oriented activity. Any that say that it is are kidding themselves. How many modelers want their Significant Other really and truly involved? How many want the SO in the work area all the time? How many really want the SO at the field all the time? Sure, there are some, but, look around. What percentage of the SO's are at the field 90% of the time? How many SO's don't have several activities they would prefer to flying models? How many SO's would say, left unto themselves, "Oh, honey, let's please go to Muncie on our vacation this year!"?

That does not change the fact that the hobby can be promoted as the two of you suggest. The club can produce a very positive public image. Like any endeavor, there are things we can promote and shortcomings we will not promote.

The AMA could and should develop "cook books" with recipes for the local promotion of clubs by clubs, as Jim stated. Cook books could and should be made available for many purposes, including searching for a field and preventing the loss of a field. The AMA is not going to locate a piece of land for a club. HOWEVER, once the club has a potential site, the AMA can and does become helpful in obtaining and maintaining the site. The clubs should have a Cook Book on what to do to obtain the site. Actual help is available, BUT, the club must ask. It's amazing what can be done with a couple of phone calls. Calls that most clubs simply do not know they should make. The AMA does not have any way to know when help is needed if they are not informed about the situation.

rcscott, there are always those that will want to talk and actually do nothing. Every club has them, and most clubs have them in large numbers. It's a pretty well accepted fact that in most social organizations, 15% of the people do the work and 85% watch. There is always some individual that will not get off his butt, but wants to tell every one else what to do. Someone who envisions himself as an "idea man". The AMA is no exception. Fortunately, the 15% usually get the job done. The only exception I take to your story is that the need for numbers. Power dictates that we need every one of the 85% so that we have additional political clout of pure numbers.

JR