Well, it looks as though 2022 is gaining momentum! The year just started and the month of love is upon us already! It is the time of year when we do something nice for our spouses or significant others to show our appreciation of them, and to say thanks for allowing us to pursue our hobby.
How’s this year’s building season going? It won’t be long until the weather will allow us to put those new airplanes in the air.
I am writing this column at the end of November, but it will not be published until the February issue of the magazine. I tell you this because I didn’t receive any submissions this month to include in my column. I am blaming too much Thanksgiving turkey, which kept you from reaching the keyboard. Anyway, now you will have to put up with my ramblings instead of seeing and hearing about the activities of your local clubs.
I was fortunate enough to ride in a B-25 bomber with my daughter and granddaughter. That’s right, we had three generations in the air in a World War II bomber. Even more impressive, this airplane was built right here in Kansas City, Missouri! I will cherish this for the rest of my life!
My next topic is a painless way to donate money to the AMA Foundation. Most all of us buy things from Amazon from time to time. Using AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at https://smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones.
When you shop with AmazonSmile, you’ll find the same low prices, vast selections, and convenient shopping experience as at Amazon, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. As of August 2021, the AMA Foundation has received $7,517.56 from AmazonSmile.
I want to appoint more associate vice presidents (AVPs) for the states of Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. AVPs are appointed to their positions by the vice president in their respective districts. AVPs do not serve for a specific term or time frame but at the pleasure of their district vice president (VP). As described in the AMA Bylaws and Standing Rules, each VP has the sole authority to make changes in AVP positions as deemed necessary for the benefit of their respective districts and the AMA.
According to the AMA Standing Rules, “The Associate Vice President will serve as a liaison between the members of the district and the District Vice President. They may attend functions on behalf of the Vice President and perform other duties as required within their specific area. To become an AVP you must be an AMA Leader Member.”
If you are interested, please send me an email that describes your qualifications and why you would like to be an AVP. Don’t forget to include your contact information.
While planning your calendar for the new year, don’t forget the National Fun Fly held at the International Aeromodeling Center on June 24-26, in Muncie, Indiana. This is a great non-competition event and a good reason to visit your national flying field. While there, don’t forget to visit the AMA National Model Aviation Museum! Here is a picture from last year’s event.
I prefer to feature pictures and short write-ups about all of the wonderful clubs throughout District VI in my column. At this time of year, I am short on submissions, so I am asking you to reminisce about an event your club had this past year and give me a short description of it and attach a few high-quality digital pictures. Email me at amadistrictVI@modelaircraft.org with the word “magazine” in the subject line.
Remember to take time and introduce someone new to model aviation. At this time of year, even sharing simulator time would work!
Gary Himes
Vice President District VI