RE: Why do we have outlandish fees to join AMA clubs?
I am a member of two Clubs. The first Club of which I am President has 40 members and charges $30 a year for a family membership. We fly off of two nicely mowed grass runways, and have some nice starter benches and such, but no fancy pavillions or anything like that. The second Club I belong to is about the same, but with less members, but charges only $20 a year for a family membership. Both are AMA Clubs, and require AMA membership. So $88 a year isn't that bad, especially since one couldn't mow a space in there own back yard to fly from for less than $88 worth of gas each season. It also stands to reason that the Clubs that have more expenses are going to have higher dues. Paved runways and shelters are not cheap! I have visted alot of club websites, and I have never really seen a club that has outlandish fees to join! Normally the higher the fees, the more expense that particular club has! There might be a small few who try to turn a buck, but most are just trying to keep things up, or trying to save for something that the majority of members feel would be a nice club addition. I am not a wealthy man, but the $108 I spend each year to belong to AMA, and the 2 clubs in which I am a member is a drop in the bucket compared to all the RC Airplane junk I will buy this year that will just get stuffed under the bench and probally never used!