Growth in club memberships through retaining
current members as well as attracting new
ones, allows your club to share your passion
for your sport with more people, letting them
experience the thrill of flight as well as getting
access to funds for improvements to your club
facilities.
There are concerns that our aeromodelling
environment is under threat from a number of
areas. Currently a Senate enquiry is examining
the activities of remotely piloted aircraft,
including model aircraft. Model aircraft in
Europe was under threat of being banned
altogether. We may be lucky and be allowed to
continue as we are, though increasingly local
councils and shires are banning model aircraft
from public parks and reserves. The provision
of safe, controlled model aircraft areas
provided by MAAA affiliated clubs may help in
preventing draconian restrictions being placed
upon all aeromodellers. Increased membership
equates to a greater ability to influence the
outcome of such enquiries.
2. That our children and grandchildren
are given the opportunity to enjoy
aeromodelling in the same manner that
we have.
Many clubs are suffering from aging
membership. When I first joined the MAAA 32
years ago the average age of members was in
the low forties, the average age of members are
now in the high sixties and growing each year.
The number of young aeromodellers joining
today is far less than they were 32 years ago.
There are many reasons for this, however if the
aging trends continue, aeromodelling clubs as
we know them will fade away. The responsibility
to ensure this does not happen rests with all of
us. We must ensure that our grandchildren and
their children are given the same opportunity
to enjoy what we all have over our lifetime. We
can only do this by opening our clubs up to new
members, being proactive in our recruiting
initiatives and continue to provide friendly,
harmonious and safe flying environments.
John Miles (who features in this edition of
Wingspan) and his three young sons have
been warmly welcomed into the NSW Free
Flight Society with open arms. Members have
encouraged the younger generation to have a
go and have shared their skills and knowledge
with the young brothers. The boys may even be
teaching long-serving members a thing or two.
It’s a great example of sharing this collective
knowledge, inspiring our future pilots and
ensuring our sport lives on now and into the
future.
To ensure our clubs and our sport doesn’t
fade away, we should also encourage younger
members to take up leadership roles and the
same applies to State Associations. Younger
members of State Associations equal younger
members on the MAAA Council. They are our
future.
It’s also important for clubs to embrace new
technology and disciplines, just like our control
line and free flight forefathers had to embrace
radio.
At the May Council Conference, Council
Members will devote time to examine ways
membership can be increased. Ordinary
Members will be asked to present at least three
initiatives for Council consideration.
MAAA cannot do it alone, however State
Associations must help drive the initiatives and
with help from the States and MAAA, clubs must
actively implement recruiting strategies. We all
have an important role to play to ensure that
aeromodelling remains an exciting pastime
well into the future.
Let us all embrace the “Towards 11,000”
membership drive and encourage new
members to come to our clubs and live
the reality. Equally important is to provide
an environment where we retain current
members. The future is in our hands, if we all
introduce one new member the task is easy.
Until next time, have fun, safe flight
Neil Tank
President
4
president’s
report
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