Originally posted by Phil Cole
Marc,
It seems your club's requirements are met by the UMA.
Why not get your club to drop their AMA charter and go with the UMA. This seems a lot less effort than changing the AMA.
Phil,
What I think a lot of people miss it the that there are people who "like" AMA but would like to see it change. I'm one of them, Marc is another, and there are more. To say love it or leave it does nothing to address the issues that have been brought up in the context of about 4 threads going on in this forum. And I do not limit to those of use who would like to see somethings change. Look at some of the "Pro" AMA posts, a lot of them have made comments that do not toe the AMA EC line.
Should they go to UMA also? No!
The AMA is suppose to be a democracy! Even thought the EC has more power than Castro and only they can to decide who should run for office and who shouldn't. That SHOULD Change.
The fact that they have drifted away from there original charter and are now mainly and insurance company. That SHOULD Change. Such as
Directly from the AMA Website)
"(j)To guide and assist in the acquisition and retention of flying sites officially sanctioned competitions and records which are conducted by AMA Contest Directors."
When has AMA done anything recently to "...assist in the acquisition and retention of flying sites..."? Other than a column in MA I have yet to hear where AMA itself actually took the lead in acquiring a flying site or took the lead in retaining a site? There are a lot of clubs who have lost sites without so much as an offer of help from AMA even when AMA was asked for assistance. Conversely when is the last time you heard that AMA went out and found a new site for a club that lost it's field? You don't but you SHOULD!
There are quite a few of us who are NOT Leader Members who HAVE the business experience and the vision to help advance the AMA, but unless we can effect change from the inside the powers that be will continue to ignore the issues that will be critical to the long term health of the organization.
I think that in the future a lot of us will look back and see that this time on the internet was when the winds began to shift and the changes in AMA started. I can only hope!
The orginal question of this post still stands anyone looking to run for office?