After reading the parts of this discussion that were on-list, I must agree that our type club may not be all that we might want it to be.
Let's look at some of what I know our club does do: there is a monthly newsletter and an annual convention that come to light immediately. The not so obvious things might include a dedication to keeping our type in existence by providing an irreplaceable source of knowledge specific to our birds and the "momentum" that was mentioned in an earlier post. In addition to these tangible accomplishments; there is the scholarship dedicated to the memory of one of, if not the, greatest aeronautical engineers this country has known. Looking a little more deeply into these things: The scholarship is totally funded by donations made by our members at the annual convention. It may not be a Billion Dollar deal, but it is appreciated by the folks who receive it and it keeps the legacy of Mr. Fred Weick alive. The "momentum" of the type club does exist. Our leadership may not be setting the world on fire but they are keeping an eye on lots of things. A couple of years ago when the infamous SB32 came along, our leaders kept us informed of what was being found as long as we kept them informed. In the EOC we have a pool of knowledge that cannot be replaced; a lot of those folks also share that knowledge on these forums but the type club gives them a "formal" setting to work from when needed. Our newsletter and convention seem to come under fire fairly regularly and I must admit that there is room for improvement in each category. The 2008 convention promises to be great. Syd is working very hard to insure that a good time, as well as an educational time is had by all. 2009 should also be good if the folks at the convention center in Vicksburg are to be believed; and I think they are. The newsletter is probably the most visible part of our club and, yes, it can be a bit lame at times. Publishing a newsletter is tough work, especially when you have to depend on members of a club spread around the world to give you the information to publish. Even if every member sent something once per year it would still be hard to have new and interesting material. How much new can be written about an airframe design that is 60 years old when you've been writing every month for 30 years? Yes, there are organizations that have a really slick newsletter and a 'barn burner' of an annual convention, but those organizations have something ours doesn't: A paid staff. Our dues of $20 per year will not provide for the slick newsletters written by paid staff or filled with bought articles. The modest registration fees for the annual convention will not support the fancy conventions that some organizations have. I do not want to start a big ruckus and will not participate in anything less than civil debate. However; the EOC is not an entity of itself, WE are the EOC and if we want the club to be different, we need to re-direct it. Let's not throw the current or past leadership to the wolves. Rather, we should appreciate what they have done to keep the club intact and ready for the next 30 years. One last thought: Mr. C.W. Tackett, Scout Master of troop 7 had a saying, "You only get as much out of scouting as you put into it." If all we put into the Ercoupe Owner's Club is $20 per year, that's all we can expect out of it. If we want more; we must do more: write an article, send some photos, offer to hold the convention...... Tommy N93929
