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<DIV> For a very long time, I have wondered in a philosophical
way, "Why change Pattern?" When one considers the drop in/drop out rate
(has anyone EVER collected the data?? I offerred several times to do data
collection and analysis for exactly this issue, was rejected. AMA IT folks
said they couldn't abstract the Form 10's to provide the counts of contests,
participants by class) it seems that a good question would be "WHY make broad
changes to the first three classes?"</DIV>
<DIV> The answers (if they were ever provided lucidly) was "we
need a stepping stone approach to prepare fliers for Masters/FAI " .... Of
course, pattern fliers as a whole weren't ASKED if that was what they perceived
the goals of the game to BE!! Could have been a simple, one question
survey = "Is the intent of Precision RC Aerobatics to prepare participants
for the challenges of the Masters/FAI classes?"</DIV>
<DIV> Sort of like - "What is the PURPOSE of Precision RC
Aerobatics?" You can get a lot of definitions, and would, if that question
was asked, I'd bet. It's a personal thing, with a lot of variation.
Many likely would say "be challenged with requirements of the classes for my
skill level, and have a lot of fun, lots of participants, enjoyable contests,
and not go broke doing it"</DIV>
<DIV> Maybe the NEXT NSRCA survey should have some of these
more general questions to shape the future...before we haul off and reinvent
patterns and sequences, change difficulty levels which have an unknown impact on
participation, and add to the already bulging rule list, MAYBE - JUST MAYBE we
should ask the simpler and more meaningful questions.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Has anyone besides me EVER been curious to learn the
REAL reasons behind people dropping out after Advanced???? Or
Intermediate??? Those questions deserve some answers, and as an
organization, we continue to ask INSIDE our group....what's wrong with that
picture?</DIV>
<DIV> Ask any marketing oriented person - to increase
"customer base" or "customer satisfaction" - you ask those who AREN'T either a
customer OR satisfied. But once WERE.</DIV>
<DIV> Maybe we could find a way to delve into that "why did
you leave pattern?" question before making wholesale changes NEXT time
round.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Last comment - Low responses to surveys, whatever their
purpose and content, is indicative of the relative importance to the
consumer. You can bet that if a person A) really BELIEVED their
response could make a difference and B) that the questions were meaningful
to THEM, you'd see mailboxes bulging with surveys. </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Bob Pastorello<BR>NSRCA 199, AMA 46373<BR><A
href="mailto:rcaerobob@cox.net">rcaerobob@cox.net</A><BR><A
href="http://www.rcaerobats.net">www.rcaerobats.net</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=johnferrell@earthlink.net
href="mailto:johnferrell@earthlink.net">John Ferrell</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, October 25, 2002 9:36
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: bureaucratic
organization!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>We are in a period of rapid evolution.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The discipline we pursue (Precision Model Aerobatics) is
enjoying a tremendous technical growth rate with new equipment and continuing
refinement of the old.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The organization is both benefiting and cursed by the
close communications that the Internet provides. Everything has changed and it
is a safe bet that thins are going to change more.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Ther is a lot inertia involved in dealing with those
changes. We are not going to simply sweep aside the legacy of things that have
gone into history. Nor can we simply allow the "way we have always done it" to
determine our future. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>The nature of the "human condition" has not changed a
lot though. Organizations either thrive on adversarial competition or they are
destroyed by it.It is important that we develop these adversarial
circumstances to assure that we have adequate leadership for the future and a
growing root system.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Cultivating the adversarial system is good, but it is
essential that we recognize the conflict is in the family and all is lost if
we go to war with each other. </FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>John Ferrell <BR>6241 Phillippi Rd<BR>Julian NC 27283<BR>Phone:
(336)685-9606 <BR>Dixie Competition Products<BR>NSRCA 479 AMA 4190
W8CCW<BR>"My Competition is Not My Enemy"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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