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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>What about a national ranking system?&nbsp;
As you compete thru the years, you&#8217;re given a score.&nbsp; When you beat
someone with a higher score than you, you move up . . . get beaten, you move
down.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

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<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Keith L. Hoard<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoAutoSig><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=2
  color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
  color:navy'>Cordova</span></font></st1:City><font size=2 color=navy
 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>, <st1:State
 w:st="on">TN</st1:State></span></font></st1:place><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>khoard@midsouth.rr.com<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
discussion-request@nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request@nsrca.org] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Atwood, Mark<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, March 09, 2005
9:23 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> discussion@nsrca.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> RE: Rules
Changes----Advancement</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>

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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Another difficulty to this mess is
regionalism and national &#8220;competitiveness&#8221;. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Two examples&#8230;<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Back in &#8217;91&#8230;flying Sportsman
(Now intermediate) we had a crop of VERY competitive flyers.&nbsp; There were
10-12 traveling pilots going to every contest, duking it out.&nbsp; The top
spots were consitantly held by 2-3 guys that dominated, but there were 3 or 4
others that were tight and not far behind.&nbsp; Any of 8 could win a
particular round.&nbsp; &nbsp;Those 2 or 3 ALL pointed out&#8230;lots of people
at each contest provided lots of points and back then we had 8 or 9 local
contests plus a few &#8220;must travel too&#8217;s (the mint coming to mind).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Then came the nats&#8230;and our star
pilots got their collective BUTTS kicked.&nbsp; I think the top guy finished 12<sup>th</sup>.&nbsp;
Bottom line&#8230;we all sucked. No one should have moved up.&nbsp;&nbsp; The
&#8220;points&#8221; were being awarded relative to the gang&#8230;not relative
to actual skill.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Then there&#8217;s 1997&#8230;&nbsp;
Flying advanced&#8230;we had another big group, with 3 of us always battling
for each round.&nbsp; Finishing often within just a few points of each other,
but in this case, one guy always on top.&nbsp; Winning every contest that season,
so HE pointed out, but no one else.&nbsp; Again, the nats came&#8230;we were
expecting to do ok, but were fearful of another &#8220;education&#8221; on how
this is done, only this time the opposite.&nbsp; We all did
well&#8230;finishing 1<sup>st</sup>, 3<sup>rd</sup>, and 7<sup>th</sup>.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>In this case&#8230;everyone should have
been forced to move up (we all did), but only one had too.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>So how can we force a &#8220;move&#8221;
just because someone is doing well locally??&nbsp; National standing&#8230;the
only real measure we have, doesn&#8217;t count.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

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