JR, besides throwing up a bunch of straw men to tell me why this idea won't work, you head off on a flyer about the introductory pilot program that is entirely beside the point. Re-read the friggin' post. The thrust is contained in the last paragraph, to wit:

Renewing AMA numbers should be asked, via check box on their renewal slip, if they are willing to have the AMA release their name and contact information to new flyers, and new members should have the option of asking the AMA to send them a "new member kit" that would contain beginner information and a contact list of modelers in their area.

The "anybody can be on it" list on the AMA website is wholly ineffective and not something in which most flyers are going to be interested in participating. For one thing I am NOT talking about publishing a list for the perusal of every whack job, porn purveyor and pedophile on the internet. To the contrary, the list would be available ONLY to new members who specifically requested it, and it would only contain a limited number of mentor members within a limited geographical area in proximity to the new member's home.

Your protest that it would be too hard to keep the list current is nonsense. The list would only be made up from RENEWING members who specifically checked the "yes" box on their renewal form annually. By definition a renewing member is providing CURRENT contact information annually. Once AMA puts an appropriate check box on the form, the computer can do the work of sorting the list by geographical area and updating both the names and the contact information annually. It is an embarrasingly simple data processing task.

Your red herring about the zip code being an inaccurate proximity indicator is equally bogus. Someone who lives in my zipcode is probably going to fly at the field closest to himself and therefore, closest to me and if it happens to be "tens of miles away" well SO WHAT? MANY of us have to drive "tens of miles" to reach the nearest flying field. Suggesting that the GPS coordinates of a sanctioned flying field have the slightest bearing on connecting a new flyer with a mentor is, at best, silly.

Third, the idea that clubs should do more to promote the hobby, while entirely TRUE, misses the point entirely. The AMA is the ONLY national contact point that CAN quickly, and cheaply put a new flyer in contact with a mentor whether the mentor is a member of a chartered club or NOT.

Fourth, while the LHS was the obvious first point of contact 20 years ago, today vast areas of the country do not have anything like a LOCAL hobby shop. Having lived and flown in FIVE states, and visited flying sites throughout the Trans-Mississippi west I speak from personal experience. For many of us the only local hobby shop is a Michael's or a Hobby Lobby and I don't mean the one in Brentwood.

Fifth, for many people there is no local sanctioned club. Only one of the three clubs within driving distance of my home is sanctioned, and the one I fly with is NOT. Contrary to the opinions expressed on the board, there are MANY unsanctioned clubs where skilled AMA members fly. If the AMA would take the lead in referring new flyers to AMA member mentors, then those of us who see the value of AMA membership might well be more succesful in arguing that our clubs should be AMA sanctioned.

As far as needing the advice of fliers1 (hi Clarence!) in setting up training programs, Mr. Ragland and I have corresponded for several years now. His ideas are ones that could well have saved a number of small LHS's from failure, but the LHS is following the passenger pigeon. The number of truly well stocked and managed local hobby shops nation-wide can be counted with three digit numbers. This leaves a huge number of modelers who are served ONLY by the brown model airplane truck, and while that is unfortunate, it does us no good to cry in our beer in lament of the passing of the LHS.

The bottom line is that the AMA has the means to cheaply determine if current, individual AMA members are willing to mentor new AMA members. They have the ability to cheaply put new members in contact with veteran AMA members who are willing to serve as mentors. By doing so, the AMA would enhance the value of AMA membership, further it's educational and promotional mission, and help avoid frustration and failure for many new flyers.