patternjockey

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Hi folks

As a long time member of this very club I feel it's important to clarify the view that our club is considered "expensive" and "severely restricted".

I'll start with the idea that it's "severely restricted". The limitation that we have is a simple cap on membership. This was caused by legal action taken by a neighbor to stop all of our flying at this site. The short story is that the membership, along with our various landlords successfully had the land rezoned to include a "Model Aerodrome" and allowed us to maintain this flying site. During this process, numerous conditions were placed on the club by both the Saanich Municipal council as well as our landlords. With the continued long term existence foremost in the mind of club members, the restriction on membership came about.

Since this time, we have grown our membership size and have had several former members rejoin as well as new members welcomed into the fold. In fact we are operating under our membership cap and we have room for more members at the time I write this. We have reintroduced flight training and are constantly maintaining and upgrading the leased property. Although it's taken a few years to get back on track, I know of no one person that has been turned away from this club since the rezoning.

As for the "expensive" part well that is pretty simple math really. Our lower membership size coupled with a sizable land lease payments to two landlords, over flight rites to local neighbors and the usual maintenance expenses creates a more expensive proposition compared to many clubs in Canada. (Tried buying or renting property in greater Victoria?)
The membership fees I pay are the least of all my RC related expenses and I consider them a bargain when I see the facility I have the privilege to fly at.

The club continues to manage itself well & is in good financial shape as we maintain a place for our members and guests to fly. We also represent what I consider to be the best thing about our club or should I say "society". We continue to provide a sizable charitable donation each year within our community. (Some $80,000.00+ in the last five years)

If anyone is ever in the Victoria area I cordially invite you down to visit our flying site at Michell Airpark located on Lochside Drive on the beautiful Sannich Peninsula.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Dave Reaville
Victoria Radio Control Modelers Society
MAAC 56510
NSRCA 3156
http://members.shaw.ca/patternwestnews/
http://patternwest.blogspot.com/