Add New BAC Officers

corcoran

corcoran

Orbiting Earth
In another forum Thom Smith wrote:

"The responsibilities of being a Regional director can be overwhelming when it comes to planning Fly-ins (and even writing Regional reports for BAC Talk) "

My thoughts:

The Regional Directors are asked to manage the activities of BAC in multiple states and provinces, even whole countries. These areas are too big for one person to manage without help.

I say take a lesson from other national organizations like Lions, Rotary etc. Have a BAC officer in each state. He/she could plan local BAC events and report to the Regional Director.

7 states in your region = 7 individual state managers to help and become more involved in BAC. Each would have a lighter roll and therefore more people would volunteer

I would call them an "AIRBOSS".

"Airboss" decals on your Beechcraft would look pretty good and be a great conversation starter. You might even volunteer to be an Airboss yourself.

Tom Corcoran
I'll volunteer for the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada
 
this sounds like a good idea! And the regional Directors could serve as experienced advisors to help smooth out planning problems. I suspect there quite few members that would be willing to take on a more local role without some of the current regional Director obligations.
 
Certainly things could be different now, but when I was the southwest RD I tried to implement the concept of state Airbosses. I emailed every member in the region and got ZERO response, much less any volunteers!

I'm not saying it isn't worth another try, I'm just relating my personal experience when I tried the idea before.

If any RD wants to try to put together an informal Airboss contingent in the Region, they have my blessing and well wishes.

All for one,
Chris
 
The Bahamas have been adopted by the Southeast region. We (Paul and I) will be posting an official Bahamas (Southeast region) fly-in for later this year.

Who wants to help in the Southeast? :)

Doug
 
The Airboss proposal was brought forward a few years ago, but the board chose not to rewrite the bylaws and create additional postions within the organization. However, Regional Directors were given the perogative to enlist as many assistants as they deemed necessary to fulfill the need for planning within their region. Doug Muse, as an example, has done just that, and created a healthy schedule of fly-ins in the Southeast region this year.

Any member may schedule, and indeed is encouraged to schedule, BAC fly-ins. The only caveat is to coordinate the event with your Regional Director. Each year, as noted in the bylaws, funds are appropriated to support fly-ins in each region; however, there has yet to be a year when the entire appropriation has been utilized. Funds may be used at the discretion of the Regional Director and can be used for food, site preparation, site transportation, etc.

If you have suggestions and/or are prepared to host an event, please contact your Regional Director and the BAC treasury will support the event. Additionally, members may earn an additional 300 President's Trophy points by hosting events during the year.

Most of us don't need a reason to fly, but mix in a little food, the opportunity to meet and greet fellow members and have it paid for by BAC.....what are you waiting for? Let's fill the calendar with BAC fly-ins.

Brad Mitchell
BAC Secretary/Treasurer
 
Here ya go:

International Region:
The International Region shall consist of all countries except the United States.

Northeast Region:
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and
Vermont.

Mid-Atlantic Region:
Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Southeast Region:
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee; and Puerto Rico.

East Central Region:
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

North Central Region:
Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

South Central Region:
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Northwest Region:
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

Southwest Region:
Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.
 
The President said:

"If any RD wants to try to put together an informal Airboss contingent in the Region, they have my blessing and well wishes."

That seems to constitute an approval by the President. Brad Mitchell Sec./Treas. has concurred and accurately stated the history of this suggestion.

I would like the President to restate his position so as to make it formal rather than informal.

If that is the case I ask my International Region Director, Mark Weiss to appoint volunteer Tom Corcoran the Beech Aero Club AIRBOSS for the Province of Prince Edward Island, Canada and we will get the ball rolling.

Mr. President, please give this real formality and real stature. There is nothing informal about the hard work being done in the trenches of BAC.

If the President agrees... other volunteers should line up, contact their Regional Director and be appointed AIRBOSS of a state, province or country and serve at the pleasure of their Regional Directors.

Tom Corcoran
Volunteer Prince Edward Island, Canada
 
corcoran said:
Tom Corcoran
Volunteer Prince Edward Island, Canada
Click to expand...


Volunteer Prince
Edward Island, Canada

Prince Tom. Nice ring to it. I guess the spacing makes all of the difference? LOL !!

Buzz Payne
A lowly, humble and grateful servant of the great BAC oligarchy :-)
 
By "informal Airboss contingent" I mean if the RD wants or needs the help and volunteers can be found, then I have no problem with that. Maybe members in some states will step up and volunteer.

As far as officially creating the position according to the bylaws, I just don't see that as necessary. Any member can assist their RD (or any other RD for that matter) and we can't all be Airbosses!

Getting members to host a fly-in on their home base is difficult enough, getting a volunteer to assist with every fly-in in the region is basically doing the RD's job!

Again, if an RD feels the need and can find a volunteer, they can call themselves Airboss, Fly-In Coordinator, State Flight Ops director or whatever they choose. It is up to the RD to make that decision.

I just don't think the position justifies codification, if you'll excuse the term.

Chris L.
 
I'll be glad to help out in MidAtlantic. I know that Gary Boyce is probably busy in his business so his BAC area reports have been missing.

Dr. Bill
 
Chris, everyone knows that the real power resides in shirts and hats, not bylaws. I suggest the the board commission some "AIRBOSS" shirts and hats. Volunteers will be lined up out the door and around the corner...

Only you should require certain criteria be met to 'qualify' for your choice of airboss shirt or hat. Like sign off by RD and proof of some actual time involved in BAC volunteer-ism.

JB
 
There is probably room in the BAC budget for hats....I'm not so sure about several shirts.

Interestingly during all this discussion, we've only had a couple of volunteers. Maybe hats would stimulate the "thundering herd" but I have my doubts.

CL
 
j_w_bruce said:
I suggest the the board commission some "AIRBOSS" shirts and hats. Volunteers will be lined up out the door and around the corner...
Click to expand...

Well, Jay, in Massachusetts the term would have to be "Ward Healer"! Such persons have traditionally had the power to organize marches, demonstrations (spontaneous, of course), and even determine the outcome of elections!! :wink:

But I don't think we could fit that on a hat.
 
This is a healthy discussion. It can be difficult to keep up with the pace of the RD position. I know that seems a strange comment, but the publication of our magazine is actually one of the problems for the RD's.

Articles need to be written for the magazine to be usefull. Those regional articles are hard to write if nothing is happening. So there is pressure to create fly-ins. Nothing wrong with this, but it can be difficult to get people to sponser such and sign up for the work.

I am not sure creating state airboss positions are going to reduce the RD workload or increase fly-ins in the long run. I am happy to create just about any title someone wants if they step up to do the work. Help is appreciated.

I do think that we need to increase the "reward" for anyone who hosts a fly-in. We might need to put some parameters with it (minimum 3 attendees, not cancelled, etc., one identified organizer), but 300 PT points is inconsequential.

Consider the following (any or all):

1. Next years dues waived.

2. A windbreaker saying "I hosted a BAC Fly-in" with patches for each year they did so. One time expense for the windbreaker, and then annual patches which could be ordered and sent out at the start of the next year.

3. Pictures in each BAC magazine the next year (page of heroes) acknowledging their effort. This could be a club within the club.

4. Significantly reduced cost for BACFest if they attend (free?).

What do you all think?

Dan Jonas
Southwest RD (looking for involvement)
 
I think any and all encouragement is a good thing. I was not even aware that my RD might want or need help until this thread was posted. Or which region I was in for that matter. And I read these on a regular basis.
Maybe just talking about it or maybe posting a link "contact your R.D." might help.
But certainly a thank you system always helps.
 
Good point Paul. For those that want to email your RD, you can easily email under the BAC Info menu then Contact Us. Just pick your region based on the states previously listed. RD's would LOVE to have help with ideas, planning, etc. Members in the regions should not wait for the RD to "come up with an idea" but should suggest and volunteer to help out. We need everyone in every region active not just active RDs. :)

Doug
Southeast RD
 
Dan Said:
This is a healthy discussion. It can be difficult to keep up with the pace of the RD position. I know that seems a strange comment, but the publication of our magazine is actually one of the problems for the RD's.
Click to expand...

Thank you Dan, well said.
I hope the membership at large is following this thread. Maybe it will "seed the clouds" so to speak. I know there has to be an abundance of ideas in the BAC mind collective, but we need to get them to start falling.

I have the same sentiments. I need to get an article together, but nothing happening yet, have begged for ideas.... even by way of a poll, something that takes no time to sit down and compose an email, only a few took part. If all BAC members would take the time to click a button in the poll, that would be 600+ ideas for the RDs and helpers to look at. And you can post a comment to further educate the RDs.

I feel anything put together would probably be well attended, but then you just never know if the "attractions" you are planning, or the timeframe itself are just wrong. Without some kind of feedback .... it is daunting.

I don't know where I stand on the airboss idea, at least as far as the official, bylaws establishment goes, but I wholeheartedly support any idea that will be successful in stimulating a willingness to get involved. But I am very glad this dialogue has been started.
 
I agree with Thomsmith, I have an advantage in that i work with Mike R. every day, and also on everyone's planes who come to KLUX for work. Plus I really do enjoy technical writing. With the data and experiance i have at my disposal, I have a really hard time coming up with Idea's to write about for articles, and other compilations for our club. I apologize to Thomsmith and Rick for not having new articles for the magazine's ready to go. However, therein, lies the rub. IF the members at large, or others do not participate in presenting idea's to the "management" so to speak, then we are all at a loss as to where to proceed next.

As for incorporating an "Airboss" into the by-laws, I believe that by doing that we are creating a bad precedent for the future. ALL RD's need to be able to rely upon regional members, or even members from adjacent regions in creating fly-in's for all to enjoy. Each region, except for the international one(s), can be flown over or through in a matter of hours. So, once again, I personnally believe that the RD's are the hub of activity for us, and that the "members" are just as responsible for helping to plan for events, and generating new idea's. The RD's job is basically to help coordinate the flow of information, not to be the only one doing all the work for the members.

This is just my two cents worth, and believe that we all can benefit from an increased participation from the rank and file....IF you have an idea of what kind of an article needs to be written, please e-mail me or PM me, and I'll add it to the list...

Monty Spencer
 
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