<DIV>Larry, </DIV>
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<DIV>Very good input. Thanks.</DIV>
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<DIV>When I was District VP, I saw two types of "prospects" for NSRCA membership. </DIV>
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<DIV>The most obvious were the people that had never flown pattern. Two things I felt could attract those: Pattern Primers (or a special contest just for novice/sportsman). The other was the KFactor, and as you point out there must be some "meat" in there, in the form of how-to articles. The buyers guide was the greatest!!</DIV>
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<DIV>The second kind of prospects are those that fly pattern but are not NSRCA members. I know how everyone likes to read their names in the KF, so I felt that contest results with blow-by-blow descriptions were enticement enough. And then there were the district points championships. Not an NSRCA member, no year end trophy. If a novice or sportsman contestant were in the running, but not a member, I sure let them know it!!! Most of the advanced and up flyers were hooked already.</DIV>
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<DIV>I wrote some how-to articles for my column, I have most of them online at <A href="http://www.toprudder.com/hobbies/pattern.html">http://www.toprudder.com/hobbies/pattern.html</A> for anybody that is interested. Some of it is dated, but a lot still applies.</DIV>
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<DIV>Bob Richards.</DIV>
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<DIV><BR><B><I>Larry Caldwell <4larryc@bscn.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">As a relative newcomer to NSRCA, and pattern as well, I have over the <BR>last few months read everything I have been able to find on the subject, <BR>including this discussion list. One of the main things that have come <BR>to light is the fact that there really isn't that much information <BR>floating around that the average sport flier will run across that might <BR>get his attention and peak his interest. So, I thought I might add a <BR>few thoughts and ideas out whatever they are worth.<BR><BR>First, it doesn't matter what we do, only a very small percentage of <BR>sport fliers would want to pursue pattern flying. It's work. It takes <BR>practice. Example: One day at the local club field while I'm flying <BR>one of the locals walks up and asks why I'm doing so many loops. After <BR>telling him my answer that I want them round, he responds: why worry <BR>about it?<BR><BR>You guys,
the current pattern fliers, are the best asset we have for <BR>growing pattern. I understand that when you only have an hour or so to <BR>practice that you don't want to spend all of it talking about how great <BR>pattern is. But two minutes might go a long way with a guy that is <BR>interested. I personally have so far had only good experiences there, <BR>and am very fortunate to have a couple of very good pattern folks only <BR>100 miles away that have extended the invitation to fly with them when I <BR>can. Those are the closest people to here that have any interest in <BR>pattern.<BR><BR>On to the K-Factor.<BR>There are maybe two people in our local club that are prospects to get <BR>interested in pattern. One of them flew back in the Dirty-Birdy days <BR>and burned out. The other has never flown pattern at all. Recently, I <BR>was looking through a few K-Factors that have been accumulating looking <BR>for a couple of issues to give to these guys. I was looking for issues
<BR>containing articles that might spark their interest. The magazines <BR>aren't bad, but they didn't have a lot of meat in them.<BR><BR>I have the December K-Factor. It's what we need if it can be kept up.<BR>At least three articles that had some substance are worth mentioning.<BR><BR>Lance Van Nostrand - battery backup<BR>Robert Kane - table & Temptation<BR>Don Atwood - mixture carb.<BR><BR>The K-Factor is the best place for all of the scores and contest <BR>reports, but IMO some content each month that new guys can sink their <BR>teeth into will get more attention. It's easy to suggest things when you <BR>aren't the person that has to do the work, but I know that a number of <BR>the people on this list are knowledgable and have the writing skills to <BR>keep some articles coming.<BR><BR>The problem here is that the K-Factor is preaching to the choir. It <BR>isn't seen by the potential newcomers unless we give them a back issue.<BR>This, to me, seems to be where we need to
look for some new ideas.<BR>I understand that printing is expensive, but if we could perhaps have <BR>some limited free distribution at a few selected events (non-pattern),<BR>it might make a difference. I'm sure others have more ideas.<BR><BR>Sorry to ramble so long.<BR><BR>Larry Caldwell<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE>