A sad day for the AMA. He will pursue his own agenda, right or wrong, and the wishes of the constituents will be utterly ignored.

What is the basis of this opinion? Dave has done a great job as the President and I think he will do a great job managing the staff. Do people realize that this is a demotion in a sense. The EC sets the agenda and determines what is going to be done. They are the bosses. The ED then implements their directives. The ED does not make policy, he executes it. As such it is not very likely he can impose his "agenda" on anything.

Now if you are speaking of Mark Smith, I'll ask the same question, what is the basis of the opinion and how do you think he will impose his agenda, whatever that may be, on the other 12 EC members?

Bill, do a little research. Read post #4 and then check that in Lifer's quoted post that you question, Lifer was replying to me, Hossfly. There is no question that he is speaking of Smith. Besides his description can only fit Smith. Therefore Lifer is not speaking of Mathewson. [8D]

Lifer stated a basis of opinion in his #4 post. As I read the EC minutes for all meetings as soon as they are distributed, then analyze more on what was NOT said than what WAS said, I am in 100% agreement with Lifer.

Now for all to be aware, I offered a deal to you. I would nominate YOU for both President and Ex. VP if you would nominate me for Ex. VP. Your reply, paraphrased, was that you would not run and if elected you would not serve.

Now I ask you, Bill, if you want to play soldier why are you afraid of the battle?

Later Late Breaking News


April 19, 2011
TO: AMA district leadership, Leader Members and AVPs
FR: Chris Brooks, APR
Public Relations & Development Director
RE: Correction to ED announcement

Please be advised that, according to the AMA bylaw committee, what follows is a correction to the ED announcement release on April 15. According to the bylaws, Executive Vice President Mark Smith has not succeeded Dave Mathewson as AMA president, per se, but will only assume the duties of president of the AMA until a special election can be held for a new president this fall. Mark Smith remains Executive Vice President, per the bylaws, and is performing presidential duties until that special election.

An amended media release, below, on the AMA website now reflects this. In addition, subsequent print and electronic communications going forward will also communicate this technicality. We apologize for this miscommunication and any misunderstanding it may have caused.

View the release on modelaircraft.org

Sorry, without quoting the referenced post it is sometimes difficult to keep track of the subject of a post.

Seriously? When did you ever get the idea I was "afraid" of anything. But I will not simply assume you and Lifer are right in your assessment simply because that is the way you feel. You, and others, frequently appear to think that your opinions are the same thing as facts. They are no such thing. They are merely your view of things and nothing more. I happen not to share your, or Lifer's, view of the situation.

To quell the fears of some, the AMA has issued a correction to the press release:

So it would appear that on the ballot Smith will not be the incumbent, if he even chooses to run. Until then he remains the EVP as noted. So it looks like the Presidential slot will be wide open.

Added: Typing at the same Time Horrace!!

TO add to my comments above, I declined your offer because I simply do not have the time to devote. In addition, I thought your offer was odd. I will not support anyone whose name ends up on a ballot as the result of some sort of "deal". In addition, that offer and my response has nothing to do with the subject of my post or the response to it.

My opinion was based upon several conversations with Smith, face-to-face prior to the disassembling of the Airshow Teams, and conversations with members of the AMA Heat of America Airshow team that were active members when he had his brief and unsuccessful term as prersident of that same team.

I flew with the team for 7 years and worked sdie-by-side with those who were under his control. He is not necessarily a bad guy, he just runs things by his own rules and gives no credence to the opinions of others. If you want to understand him better, I recommend you read The Prince, by Machiavelli.

I hope that this issue gets a LOT more public before the election.

Good enough. We are all entitled to our opinions and the right to express them. I have not had any negative experiences with Smith, so my opinion is different from yours.

On the other hand, look what he's done for expansion of the HQ Marketing Staff. If he could increase membership numbers proportionately, the long decline would turn to unprecedented growth.
Must be a plan there.........how many new dues-paying members does it take to offset the compensation of another marketeer?

Someone please refresh my memory, I can't seem to find the posts; When was the announcement made that the AMA was looking for a new leader?

Try the crappy AMA web site.

The job was posted back in late August 2010 after Jim Cherry resigned.

Thank you.

More information posted on the AMA Web site:

http://www.modelaircraft.org/aboutam...minations.aspx

Nominations Due for AMA President, Executive Vice President, and Vice Presidents in Districts III, VII, and XI
Nominations for the offices of president, executive vice president and vice presidents in Districts III, VII, and XI are due at the Headquarters of the Academy of Model Aeronautics by June 16, 2011. Any AMA Open Member may submit a nomination.

A special election for president will run concurrently with the 2011 elections.
You can send nominations to AMA:

Academy of Model Aeronautics
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302

I strongly suggest that all nominations be addressed "Attention Elections" and they be by Certified Mail with a Return Receipt Card.

Any Open class AMA member can submit a Nomination for National Office, or a DVP of his/her district.

Well, I have recently been provided some "insider" information. As F.D. Roosevelt said (paraphrased) that all politics are preplaned, I do so believe. The Big Man now "planned" for AMA President will be the current District VIII DVP, Jim Rice. That means Mark Smith will not have a chance for President. I inquired why Mathewson wanted the Ex. Director job. The answer was most likely the money. I replied that D.M. was very well financially fixed so was there something about the FAA and Comm. Based Org. that was known by others of high places, and the possibility that anyone flying RC would be required to belong to AMA, obviously going to be the "CBO". This would make AMA much richer than it is today. Well Folks, the information faucet was then turned off and shut down.
Think as you will, however 2 + 2 always equals 4. Now argue as you wish and say that 2+2 is NOT 4, because you know that 3+1 equals 4.

I can pick up the faint smell of a class action suit in the distance.......

I pick up the strong smell of paranoid conspiracy theories.

Bill, those two above statements just don't seem to match very well.

How so? Being well informed and prepared is the exact opposite of gossip based paranoia. They seem in perfect harmony to me.

Nail on the head.

Yep, I can see it now, the 4 FSDO people in San Diego County are going to have to give up standards enforcement for all the numerous large and small airports and the thousands of commercial, private and military aircraft in San Diego and start putting in hundreds of hours of overtime so they can track down all those renegade CBO violators!

I heard that the AMA is buying a fleet of "black helicopters" that will enforce the CBO rules and also that each AMA Club will need to have a TSA agent and scanner to clear any CBO pilot before they can access the flight line.............................................. ...........................................

Brad

You can also email nominations to Lisa Johnson [[email protected]] and you will get a response the next business day - at least I did!

Nah...they'll just rely on the allegiance of little AMA Generals and other like minded nannies at the flying field to make daily reports...in triplicate, no less... of course, some goofus will call the police...and waste their time instead.

Oh yes, they will.

Smith????hahahahahahahahhahanhaha what a joke



On a different note,
When ya pull up stakes an move to muncie this has to be a well paying position. No wonder everybody wants it. Theres one spot where a lot of yer dues are going.