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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Those are very good points Eric. In the business
world companies don't just sit around waiting for the press to come do stories
on them, they have PR departments whose mission statement is to get the company
noticed. Does the NSRCA have a sub-committee or officer that is dedicated to PR?
If not that would be something to consider. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And speaking of drawing more participation to
pattern, Jim Oddino was right on the money last week regarding ARFs. Has no-one
noticed the recent explosion in the RC hobby? What is this attributed to? Could
it be that everyone is suddenly bored with the Internet? No! ARFs are driving
this because they open the door for the masses to fly RC planes without the time
commitment or skills needed to build a model!! If pattern is going to grow
dramatically we MUST have plenty of affordable ARFs because we will
never have a huge run on builders that suddenly become interested in
pattern (all those guys migrate toward scale). Why do you think you see so many
Focus pattern planes around? Cheap and easy. And by the way, did any of the top
three guys from the team trials physically built their own plane? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When I go to the flying field with my gorgeous new
Aries (that took me 8 months to build), I always have people come up and admire
the plane and ask questions. Quite often they'll make statements like "I'd
really like to try pattern, but it I don't have enough ______". Usually that
blank is filled in with "time to build" or "money". Are they just blowing smoke?
Some may be, but those who are serious can easily be turned off if I tell them
they can have a nice plane just like mine and it only took me eight months to
build it. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Does this mean that everyone should stop building?
Of course not, but if every guy that played football had to sew his own uniform
and pads together and mold his own helmet there would definitely be a lot fewer
football players.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What's the solution to promoting ANY product or
activity? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1. Good PR to get the word out and make the product
appealing. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2. Low barrier of entry.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is true for everything from AOL, to buying a
car with no interest and nothing down, to picking up that new Sport Flier ARF.
And yes, it also applies to Pattern. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Keith Black</FONT></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=Eric.Henderson@gartner.com
href="mailto:Eric.Henderson@gartner.com">Henderson,Eric</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> Tuesday, June 24, 2003 10:12
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Patter coverage and promotion. -
Take the challenge</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial><FONT
color=#0000ff> <SPAN class=483101014-24062003>I think we are way beyond
the "If you build it and will come" stage. The NSRCA tends to dwell and focus
upon specifications, rules and regulations.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=483101014-24062003></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=483101014-24062003>What's in a name?? </SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN
class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=483101014-24062003>NSRCA - NATIONAL SOCIETY for RADIO CONTROL
AEROBATICS. It does not say ruling body, it does not say marketing agent, it
does not really say what the purpose of the society really
is.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><SPAN
class=483101014-24062003></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff>This is what the bylaws say :</FONT>
<P><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>ARTICLE <EM>III – OBJECT AND
PURPOSE OF SOCIETY.</EM></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><EM>Section 1 – Object</EM></FONT></STRONG></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG>The objective of this
society shall be to promote the construction and competitive flying of radio
controlled aerobatic model airplanes. To aid, insofar as possible, the Academy
of Model Aeronautics and other AMA activities, to further the advancement of
model aircraft aerobatics in all of its phases.</STRONG></EM></FONT></P><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>
<P><EM><STRONG></STRONG></EM></P></FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG>Section 2 – Purpose of
the Society</STRONG></EM></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG>a. Act as a focal point
for rules development and progression. Gather intelligence from the AMA
precision aerobatics community to provide the basis for AMA rules change
proposals </STRONG></EM></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG>b. Promote precision
aerobatics in the general R/C community by providing leadership in all of the
objectives of the society. .</STRONG></EM></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG>c. Enhance model
precision aerobatics as a recognized sport.</STRONG></EM></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG>d. Develop and provide
high standards in judging for competitions and provide qualifications and
achievement recognition for judges.</STRONG></EM></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></P>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2> <FONT size=3>Most of the mission is about promotion and
growth. If we are honest with ourselves we probably think about promotion but
act most on regulation.</FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>The
discussion on coverage made me think a lot about how the society works with
columnists. We were not very good in the Allison days. We never send anything
to Dean Pappas - Flying Models, Jim Oddino - RCM (the nearest we have to a
pattern pundit in that mag) has to scavenge from places like this list.
We have nothing in MAN. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>My bridge
only exists because I had a dual role for a few years. Now the NSRCA is a "dry
well" as far as anything that is sent to me about pattern. This list is a good
source and I use it, but it is not an"official" channel to any columnist. Do I
get upset when the NSRCA complains about the AMA not publishing and covering
events? You betcha!. It is one of those JFK moments, "Ask not what
the AMA can do for you, ask what you can do for it!" You are members of a
society, (actually both the AMA and the NSRCA) that should be leading
the charge. You are all the solution !!!!!!!!!!!! </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>I hear the
cry, far too often, that the AMA takes no interest. Guys you have it
backwards. We need to bombard the "THEM" with what we are doing, how we are
doing it etc. etc. We also need a much bigger approach to cable TV and other
media, websites etc. A coordinated plan to capture the younger mind, the older
mind that is ready, the mind looking for a challenge or some direction, needs
to be built and put in place.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>(FYI - The MA
columnist can write about almost anything pattern related and gets first
refusal at covering the Nationals)</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>You might not
be aware but there are new positions in the NSRCA bylaws that some of you
might like to volunteer for!</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT
face=Arial>Regards,</FONT></P>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Eric.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Contact info.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Eric Henderson<BR>AMA District-2 AVP - South
Jersey<BR>Columnist - Model Aviation<BR>Precision Aerobatics.<BR>303 Shady
Lane <BR>Marlton<BR>NJ 08053<BR>(856)988-9184 Home.<BR>(856)764-4564
Work.<BR>(609)410-3194 Cell</FONT></DIV></SPAN>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </P></SPAN>
<P><SPAN class=483101014-24062003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P><SPAN
class=483101014-24062003></SPAN> </P></SPAN></SPAN></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>