dblahnick(at)gmail.com
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 Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:03 pm Post subject: Part IV : services unseen |
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Part IV: Some services you don't get...
Remember that table full of rewards I mentioned from ARS I? What happened to the national RPA awards program for owner participation - based on regional results from your fly-ins, and national membership or BoD final voting? You know, the trophy vendor in Phoenix that produced those red logo "best formation display", "Best in show", "Best bomb drop score", "National Dirty Bird" - they don't exist yet! You can add to this the regional voting for the national bone award (probably not a good idea for a competition, but completely jest) and the other one I was hoping for; regional crud teams converging on Las Vegas for the national championship (may sound crazy, but few know our "redstar" team beat the militarys display team at the first national crud tournament during ICAS 2003/4)..all these ARS I concepts we're planned future RPA national functions to "connect" regions through owner activities done locally. They simply do not exist, even though some have suggested it. Why go all the to Oshkosh to have your bird judged nationally? Ok, so its in our magazine instead of the EAAs.
Stop telling us that the reason the RPA doesn't do anything is because owners are under economic pressure - when in fact it's programs like the one above that is exactly what excels in this economic climate when flying to Oshkosh is crazy expensive for many.
Where is our forum? How do we communicate? Yes, I realized the RPA Forum at www.flyredstar.org didn't not take off right away, but not only should we have one, even the yak list, but we now have all new technology to help you guys connect, banter, jibe, and suggest - and except for Marks good work on the facebook page, our communication is terrible (matronics, website, forums, twitter, FB, etc.).
Why is the RPA website and related online functions so dead in the age of digital communication? why is it still loaded with content referencing 2007? But do not just put out a new website as you stated in a call to renew (puppy!), that is *not* the problem! Where is the committee for web content, and who is on it? Is there one? How do you as a volunteer, quickly and efficiently update a web page if you had volunteers? Why wasn't the suggestion of having a page where members could post and view our youtube videos executed? Why can't we find a members email address? Where are the board members email contacts.
We cancelled the "RPA Employee debit card" system for helping regional events organizers, such as Shane Golden, pre-fund some expenses. Ok, so where is the treasury report on the replacement programs usage? What? Its not being used? Must mean either funding is not needed, events are dwindling or event organizers don't know how to use it or want to bother dealing with the paperwork and snail mail.
Where's the RPA fuel card, or FBO discount program  Ok, well, thats asking too much perhaps....we once had Cannon Aviation Insurance giving the treasury $5000 a year in sponsorship, are we getting more now, where is the member report on these. Any finance guys out there willing to help Treasurer publish this to spark ways to spend money on services membership votes on?
Why is "death and taxes" the only reason we get ecoms from the RPA? Nothing to say? Or no one to write them on training, maintenance updates, etc. If ecom publication procedures are too complicated, publish them for us, I found that vendor 7 years ago, we can find another.
Why didn't we explore expanding the RPA internationally when we might have had volunteers in New Zealand and the UK to spearhead this?
Where is the committee invites for these and plenty of other services and programs the membership might want to tap in to. Without a system in place that can record and listen to the membership, by maintaining a board of directors under a two-but-never-equal leadership system, and by shifting around the same single individual to gap fill all services vs instituting a real committee based organization, you do nothing to make this an association worth really volunteering for or remaining a member of, other than that FAST card, and that only costs the RPA about $5 per person and applies to about 130 individuals I guess...
The RPA stopped evolving forward on the original vision, I would ask the BoD to consider taking the steps I've outlined in leadership structure as a possible modification to the bylaws for member ratification.
End.
Drew Blahnick.
RPA President #1
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Strive for one knee down in life, but never two.
(1000 Year Old Road Racing Proverb That I Just Made Up)
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