This discussion has changed a bit from its original intent, however, if you'll indulge me I'd like to make a few comments because I think some of the points that are being brought up are important.

I have been flying IMAC for several years now. When I started, in this part of the country (NE Region) if you had 15-20 flyers at a contest it was considered a great success. We now see some more contests and regular participation in the 30's- sometimes close to 50. This is great.

In order for any type of event to continue to be successful and grow, the "customer" has to be happy (in this case, that's the contestant). On the other hand, this is not a business and so the organizers and volunteers have to, at the very least, feel appreciated for their time and effort. Add to this the fact that these folks who give their own personal time and expense are the minority. The majority are those who come and benefit from their generosity- From my point of view, these volunteers are giving the contestants a gift - a weekend of organized competition- and expect little or nothing in return.

I certainly understand that contestants make investments of their own time and money to come to the contest but I sometimes wonder if contestants have an understanding of the sacrifies that organizers make on their behalf:
- giving up time they could be flying
- working with the club to negotiate use of the field
- rounding up volunteers, judges and scribes
- dealing with the pressures of the contest- keeping things moving, making everyone happy
- numerous planning sessions
- soliciting sponsors
- securing and managing all of the equipment- computers, software, sound system
- securing food and drinks
- entering scores
- phone calls with contestants to answer questions
- time spent promoting the contest

These are just the things I could think of off of the top of my head. I am sure I could double or triple this list if I wanted to.

My point? We all want to fly as many rounds as possible. Perhaps a contestant's expectations aren't met and that is reasonable. Having said that, please try to appreciate the time, sacrifice and effort that the volunteers put in over a series of months that makes it possible for us all to come and fly, be judged, spend time with friends and, for the vast majority of the time, have a good time.

Take time out to thank these folks and appreciate their efforts. Take this into consideration when evaluating your level of satisfaction with your experiences at a contest.

And yes, I am a CD and have been on both sides of this fence.

Dave Michael