Working Together to Achieve Growth and Purpose

I was encouraged by the readership and response to our Blog about getting together. The reason that we held up the model airplane field as a Role Model (pun NOT intended) is its effective use of the Academy of Model Aeronautics as a unifying principle.
That being said, there are negative aspects to an AMA-type (some politically-oriented modelers might say, a United Nations-type) of organization. People in our post-modern world are not happy about being told what to do. The American Tea Party movement, the Arab Spring revolts in the Islamic world, and so on are examples of a reaction to authoritarian structures that lead from the top down.
Nonetheless, it might pay to look briefly at  their accomplishments..
Basically, if you want to "play with model airplanes", as we are sometimes accused of "playing with model trains", you MUST join the AMA, and carry your little membership card about with you if you want to participate in a meet OR have some semblance of a voice in governance.
Non-card-carrying members of the public are welcome (even encouraged) to attend programs, but if you want to fly an airplane at an organized club meet, Join the AMA, period. The AMA then prescribes a series of --- essentially --- safety rules and uses its best efforts to encourage new members and organized, nationally-publicized programs. There are many other very good outcomes, but that's pretty much it.

National AMA events are well-publicized (when was the last national Trolley Meet?). There is a palpable sense of 'belonging' evident among members. A recent trip to the small local post office here in Florida, U.S.A., disclosed AMA decals proudly displayed on automobiles. Again, as mentioned in a previous blog, non-hobbyists on a casual visit to the local flying field were treated much as a welcome guest would be in your house.

I used to think that the insularity displayed by traction fans was the result of the many small streetcar lines that existed, a very local phenomenon so that a SEPTA fan was restricted in his own mind to a narrow mindset --- who cared about  California interurbans?

But, alas, it's more than that. A national group like the AMA can swing a lot of influence in publicizing events, in ensuring favorable stories about the hobby, and even in focusing on full-size history, photography, image treatment and archiving, about programs that bring new people - especially our yout'  -- and in many more areas of growth and exposure (the two go together) .

The insularity is even more evident when it comes to drawing distinctions between, say, North American streetcars and UK trams, OR between heritage trolleys and light rail vehicles. ... but most of all, if we want to encourage small garage-workshop manufacturing, in expanding the horizons of participants to someplace beyond their hometowns.

Basically, nature's Grand Program mandates "Grow OR Perish". As our ranks age in place, as we count the number of obituaries, we must realize the need to replace and increase our numbers. Unite or Dwindle might be a valid motto.

By the way, Giant Scale model airplane people, much like many live steam model railroaders, will hitch a trailer onto the family vehicle and load the very large components of their models into a trailer, then tow it to a regional or national meet. This comment is in response to the comments I received about a national program, when hobbyists asked whether we expected them to bring their trolley modules to a national program. Well, yes ! Can you imagine the media coverage? Speaking of which, how much use do we traction fans make of the Social Media. Frankly, I'm a complete novice there, but do as I say, not as I do, as I'm not a good role model there.

Anyway, you have my strong support for a national (or international --- do our people have any appreciation for the incredible light-rail networks that have spread across Europe, Asia, and ANZAC territory recently ?) organization that would unite instead of divide our ranks --- Unite or Dwindle !