One of the keys to maintaining interest in our hobby is to increase our outreach to the general public - and especially youth. In an age where youth is less involved in constructive pursuits than ever before, model aviation is one of the more accessible hobbies to children of all ages. Kids are often naturally fascinated with airplanes. Let's keep them that way! [grin] Jeff Springstun in particular suggested and volunteered to look into efforts we could make towards youth programs. This also benefits the club, as it raises our visibility and viability.
Further along the lines of public outreach, it looks like DMAFB would like us to participate in this year's airshow on March 21-22 much like we did 2 years ago. There is even the possibility that we may be able to put on a flying demo, which would be very exciting for us! More information on this topic will undoubtedly be available at the February meeting - I hope to see you all there!
Runway paving appears to be the big controversy right now in the club. It appears that the most favored proposals will be discussed at the February meeting and voted upon at the March meeting. The pros and cons will be the feature of the upcoming February Newsletter. Of the proposals we've received, the median cost wavers around $8,000, depending rather dramatically on the quality and durability of the actual paving process and how much (i.e. how wide) we intend to pave. Tune into the February meeting (and the next newsletter) for more details.
Lastly, please remember to renew your SAM membership by the February meeting. This will ensure that you continue to receive this newsletter and other perks of membership (like, uhmmm, being able to fly... [grin]).