Agreed.
An organisation that relies on (a lot of) volunteer work to function is
basically depending on members' enthusiasm and commitment to that
organisation, and to the activity that the organisation is there to
facilitate. If the public face of the GFA is griping and grumbling about
said membership, all that really does is undermine both of those
essential factors, while making the group look unattractive to
non-members. Lose-lose.
The shrinking memberships issue is a bigger one than can be solved by
individual members. I personally have dragged friends along to the
airfield for AEFs and waxed enthusiastic to everyone I know about the
joys of soaring; the same can be said for many many other GFA members.
However, we can't tie people to gliders until they agree to join. They
have to *choose* to do that themselves, and so far nobody that I've
dragged up to the airfield for an AEF has made that choice. When I asked
them about it later, I've gotten feedback along the lines of "I loved
it! I'm definitely going to learn to fly in the future, but right now I
don't have time". I'm not sure what I can do about that, personally; but
I'll certainly keep on trying.
As for the larger problem... gliding is not exactly high-profile among
the general population. Would addressing that with some promotional
advertising be worth considering? I have little in the way of marketing
skills, but surely some GFA members might have some expertise that they
could bring to bear on this issue. Maybe the GFA could produce more
promotional items like bumper stickers or tshirts or whatever that could
be put out in front of lots of eyes and attract attention? I recently
put a "Women In Gliding" bumper sticker on the bumper of my car, and
it's already attracted some comment from acquaintances when I'm out and
about. Or maybe we could organise a nicely-produced promotional DVD with
attractive gliding videos and basic "who to contact if you want to find
out more" info, and arrange to have it distributed as a freebie in, I
dunno, some wider interest sporting magazine, or cereal packets, or at
the post office, or whatever seems plausible.
Is there any mileage to be had in using relatively simple methods like
this to make gliding a bit more visible out there among the general
non-aviation population?
We need to be RAISING enthusiasm, not quelling it.
Teal
On 30/01/2017 10:20 AM, Ulrich Stauss wrote:
From the GFA Facebook page: “Due to complaints from a vocal few who
oppose the facts the last post had been deleted at their request. It's
s sad day when the noise of a few drown out the facts however
unpalatable they maybe. We cannot move forward until we accept where
we are and recognize the need for change in the way we see the current
situation and change can only happen with hardwork, burying our heads
on the sand because we don't like what we are hearing will achieve
nothing.”
Do we really need the dirty washing of one (or more?) frustrated
individuals displayed on the public shopfront window of the GFA? How
is that going to come across to (prospective) members and the general
public? How embarrassing for the organisation and insulting to the
volunteers who carry it.
This is stuff that needs to be sorted out in the board room, not in
public. Just floating ideas (in such a negative tone at that) and
expecting the membership to jump to it is a public display of bad
leadership (and in my view as good as a resignation letter). Putting
meat to those ideas and implementing change in an enthusiastic manner
is what is needed instead.
Ulrich
*From:*Aus-soaring [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.base64.com.au]
*On Behalf Of *Ulrich Stauss
*Sent:* Sunday, 29 January 2017 22:55
*To:* 'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.'
<aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au>
*Subject:* [Aus-soaring] GFA Negative Advertising and Censorship?
Has somebody in GFA Marketing and Development lost their marbles?
The attached post essentially blaming the membership for “not getting
off their collective butts” continues a string of similarly negative
posts mainly on Facebook and has prompted quite a few comments from
upset members, several of which - including mine - were removed and at
least in my case I am now blocked from the GFA page.
The same happened to me in response to my remark/question I posted in
the thread below which I had initially posed in an FB comment on the
WGC2017 Benalla page: the comment was deleted and I was blocked from
the page.
Rather than blaming the general membership for not magically
implementing ideas that somebody may have floated at some stage how
about some effective leadership and change management from whoever
posted these rants and blocked me from the pages (I am assuming “they”
are both the same person).
It would also be a good idea to add the name of the person responsible
to anything they post on behalf of the GFA.
Just my thoughts.
Ulrich
-----Original Message-----
From: Aus-soaring [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.base64.com.au] On
Behalf Of Ulrich Stauss
Sent: Friday, 20 January 2017 13:36
To: 'Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.'
<aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au <mailto:aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au>>
Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Worlds coverage
Does anyone know why the live streaming comes online at the end and
not already for the Opening Ceremony?
Also, what were the problems initially? The organisers seem to think
that it was "Due to technical issues, Australia's ancient Internet
system" (which I think is not good form to post on a public and
official web forum) and offered another link.
Both streams now seem to work well though at least for me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLmdBix3H_E
http://player.5stream.com/16094
Ulrich
-----Original Message-----
From: Aus-soaring [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.base64.com.au] On
Behalf Of Casey Jay Lewis
Sent: Wednesday, 18 January 2017 13:06
To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia.
<aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au <mailto:aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au>>
Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Worlds coverage
Another John Styles rant I suspect.
Carries a lot of anger that one.
CJ
iPhone Transmission
> On 18 Jan 2017, at 10:33, Richard Hatch <rhatch...@gmail.com
<mailto:rhatch...@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> Can anyone enlighten me to the comments posted from the GFA and the
> WGC in
relation to the sponsors yesterday. Seemed pretty weird and childish.
They have been deleted now I see.
>
> Ritch
> _______________________________________________
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> Aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au <mailto:Aus-soaring@lists.base64.com.au>
> http://lists.base64.com.au/listinfo/aus-soaring
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