The first annual Chapter re-charter has been completed and the response has been very gratifying. Many chapter rosters have been up-dated to show increased membership listings, address changes, and an overall more accurate status of the chapter. Thank you for helping to make the current listing, which appears elsewhere in this issue, as factual as possible. The current plan is to give you an up-date in each succeeding issue to list the latest addition of new chapters formed during the each 90 day period and a complete listing annually in the Spring issue.

This is another election of officers year and a form to have your name placed in nomination for President, Vice-President, or District Director of your district has been included in this issue. Please give some thought to volunteering to serve in one of the elected offices. As always, all offices are elected by the membership every two years.

It has come to my attention that at our larger flying events we have been criticized for not allowing, and designating, any "Spectator Viewing Area". I am sure that this has been a simple but serious oversight by those planning the event and involved in the actual layout of the overall flying site. Anytime we invite the public, parking fee or not, we need to provide an area which will allow them to view the activity on the flight line without being a problem to the participants or safety concerns. Those spectators may include future members of the model aircraft hobby and we all know how important that is. Any thing you can provide in the spectator viewing area such as bleachers, benches, chairs, or even some shade would be great, but even just a roped off area with a sign "SPECTATOR VIEWING AREA" will show your concern.

The building season is about over and it is almost time to get in some serious flying. I hope you have one or two new aircraft to add to your collection for 97, and found time to work in a few flights during the off season. A couple of things that I have observed over the years are, "you crash where you fly" - Don't fly over safety zones or the deep woods either. The second is "the sky is not the limit - the ground is!". Always do your pre-flight checks, and have another safe flying year.