Originally posted by Bill Lee
Earned membrships: historically they have been for CDs who run an event each year, and a number of other folks who volunteer time to the organization.
But here's a question: when a person CDs a contest/event, is that a service to AMA or to his CLUB?
I can understand an AVP or a Contest Coordinator or a District VP: those are services to AMA. Somehow I think CDing a contest is more a service to the CLUB and perhaps it's the CLUB that should buy him his free membership. Perhaps the free membership should be a free CLUB membership.
Just some food for thought.
Bill
The subject of service to AMA or to a Club is NOT a question. AMA legislates the point.
AMA Bylaws Article II items (k) through (m) are very specific about competition and "AMA Contest Directors."
There are several AMA publications that define and or point to the responsibilities of Contest Directors, such as the Membership Manual and the Competitions regulations. For example the Competitions Regulations (Rule Book) specifically states, "The Contest Director acts as an agent for AMA in the administration of sanctioned events. There is a high level of responsibility as a result of this status. ...." Paragraph goes on to emphasize the needs for safety, fairness, and rule applications.
The CD is -- unlike the Contest Cord., VP, etc. -- in a position where decisions -- sometimes very quickly -- have to be correctly made and these calls in a 90+% of the time cannot be reversed. Other officers can screw up, redo, screw up again and still get by without knowing any of the rules they supposedly are to comply with. CDs that don't know their business do a big disservice to their clubs, as well as AMA, and the word gets around. They don't last long at the club level. Wouldn't it be nice if the same could apply to VPs and CCs at their level?
The CD doing a non-rule-book event sometimes has the most work to do. He is working for the least disciplined participants. RB contestants will help keep a CD straight if he administers wrongfully. The NRB fliers normally do not possess the organizational discipline and are sometimes very difficult to manage.
Example: At an IMAA Fly-In, I brief no aerobatics until after the aircraft has made an exit from the traffic pattern, and then not over the runway. Joe Nositall promptly goes out, snap rolls just after lifting off, comes around for a couple more over the runway. That never happened again and I did NOT have to yell. So he doesn't come to our fly-ins anymore. His loss. CDs have to make a call when a call is called for!!
While an event may be for the club, obtaining a sanction (a mechanism of social control for enforcing a society's standards c: explicit or official approval), is the work of an AMA CD and then performing the labor is exercising the objectives of the AMA Bylaws, therefore the CD is performing a service to AMA.
Mr. Lee, your food for thought would starve a man's intellectual capacity to naught.
May I suggest a change of diet?
Horrace Cain