Another quarter has come and gone. As we head toward another flying season, I am proud to inform the membership that I, and the rest of the officers, have survived another Winter Board Meeting…without too much blood being shed.

Vice President, Corky Heitman, has done a marvelous job replacing Bob Bush as my gopher, chief bottle washer, and whipping boy. He even found the energy to work the booth at the show, and bring in some new members. He posed for a picture with two of his new friends from California! Doesn’t Corky have a great smile? A loaf of bread and jug of wine…. (Who bought the wine I wonder?)

Now I must admit that I have great respect for our Treasurer, Don Vineyard. Don has been with the organization for many years. His reputation is beyond reproach. But I keep wondering why everything in California said Vineyard? The hotel was on “Vineyard Blvd”. I’m sure it’s all the wine! Not many get to see what Don looks like, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a picture of him relaxing after a long Board meeting. Check out the sign!

Now I can hear several of the usual members complaining about how the Board is spending more money to have a good time in California. Did we have a good time? We sure did, and I won’t deny it. But how many of those people have stepped up to the plate and run for an office? How many have volunteered their time to their District Director to help promote the IMAA? How many have signed one new member in the past twelve months?

If you think a Board meeting is fun, you need to see a doctor real fast! A lot of work gets done, and I can promise you, I’d rather be out on the flight line any day of the week than sitting all day in a Board meeting twice a year, or listening to people complain about problems without offering suggestions, or volunteering their time! The IMAA is only as good as you the members wish it to be. Don’t expect the Board to wave a magic wand and all the problems will go away. Step up to the plate and volunteer your time to your District Director. Sign up a new member. Promote your IMAA because it’s the BEST GIANT SCALE ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD!

Do the Board members deserve a little time to get together in an evening after sitting in a meeting for 8-10 hours? They sure do! You’d be surprised if you take the time to sit down with your Director. You need to sit down with your Director and see how much they really do for your organization. Many of them spend their own money to promote the organization, without ever asking for reimbursement!

So stop taking the District Directors for granted. Don’t think that they’re wasting your money for Board Meetings, because they aren’t. Support them, volunteer, and if you’re dissatisfied, run and vote them from office. Just don’t complain. Remember if all you do is complain, you’re not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. So get out, fly safe, and of course, pick up a copy of the new Giant Scale Handbook today.

Order online at www.fly-imaa.org/imaa/announce/handbook.html IMAA Giant Scale Handbook P.O. Box 10189 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87184-10189 Phone: 505-792-4458 Email: HighFlight@fly-imaa.org

Also don’t forget on the eve of the organization’s 25th anniversary, the International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA) is joining forces with Turner Publishing Company, a leader in historical publications, to publish a look at its long and distinguished history. This is the first historical book ever published on IMAA, and its success will depend largely on you, to order contact:
IMAA History Book 412 Broadway P.O. Box 3101 Paducah, KY 42002-3101 or e-mail them to jmcgill@turnerpublishing.com

Until next quarter, a safe landing to you all!

The hardest working guy in the IMAA... Don Vineyard, Secretary/Treasurer. Everything in Ontario, California is named “Vineyard”.......