People people. I have to admit I am a little ... concerned by any committee wanting to extend maximum term of office.
Robert makes a few good points I think: * Better communication from the GFA is essential. I can't remember when the last time I got an official communication from the GFA except for the AGM- Interestingly enough, GFA fees have just gone up, but notices were only sent to club administrators. I think the GFA needs to communicate to members directly about things such as fee hikes, not rely on the clubs to pass on the "good news". * I think it's dangerous to rely on the "if it doesn't affect me, I don't care" attitude - what tends to happen is that something will change, for the worse, and then it's too late to jump up and down, damage has been done. * What Mike said of regulation, yes it is an issue to be looked at but frankly I have found far more onerous and restricting regulation at the club level. I really think before we start throwing stones at the GFA, we look a little closer to home. Back to Robert's original point - I've always been a fan of improving communications via electronic (and thus free and convenient) means, The biggest issue is that of critical mass - enough people have to want to do it too. The GFA, being a central point of gliding and gliding clubs in Australia, needs to leverage this and get discussion flowing one way or another. We are a small but rather diverse mob, ranging from instructors to comp pilots to ab initio's to "senior and retired" to "young, keen and penniless", all of these people need input or at least knowledge of decisions being made by an executive. Regards, Gus On Fri, Apr 24, 2009 at 11:18 PM, McLean Richard <richardmcl...@yahoo.com.au > wrote: > > Oh dear. > > Nobody respects those who stoop to personal attacks Mike. Maybe you need > some counselling for that anger. > > No hard feelings, > > Richard > > --- On Fri, 24/4/09, Mike Borgelt <mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com> wrote: > > > From: Mike Borgelt <mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com> > > Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] GFA Board members: TERM OF OFFICE - proposed > change to 8 years service limit from 5 years > > To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia." < > aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net> > > Received: Friday, 24 April, 2009, 3:35 PM > > A quick drive by shooting followed by > > unwillingness to discuss the issues raised. Class act, > > Richard. > > > > Your tiny brain might like to contemplate the growth and > > success of other branches of sport aviation since 1984. A > > goodly part of that can be ascribed to getting regulation > > off people's backs. > > > > My "problem" with the GFA is that it wants to be a monopoly > > and write and enforce the rules for all glider pilots in > > Australia. > > > > Mike > > > > > > At 09:59 AM 24/04/2009, you wrote: > > > > > OK Mike we'll have to agree to disagree. You can't > > ignore the bigger picture - so many times the cry of 'you're > > making excuses' is the only retort. Doesn't seem very > > constructive to me. > > > > > > I haven't got time to address all your issues with the > > GFA Mike! > > > > > > Take it easy & cheers, > > > > > > Richard > > > > > > --- On Fri, 24/4/09, Mike Borgelt <mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com> > > wrote: > > > > > > > From: Mike Borgelt <mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com> > > > > Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] GFA Board members: > > TERM OF OFFICE - proposed change to 8 years service limit > > from 5 years > > > > To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in > > Australia." <aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net> > > > > Received: Friday, 24 April, 2009, 6:43 AM > > > > At 07:29 PM 23/04/2009, you wrote: > > > > > "The current mob have halved the membership > > numbers > > > > while the population of Australia has gone up by > > 25%" > > > > > > > > > > Doesn't this part of the rant totally ignore > > every > > > > other possible factor? A clear worldwide decline > > due to > > > > increased competition for leisure time & > > decreased > > > > tolerance of the time/effort commitment both > > immediately > > > > spring to mind. I guess they are just convenient > > excuses? If > > > > so it must be the GFA - I just didn't realise > > "the current > > > > mob" ran giding in nearly every other country > > too! > > > > > > > > > > It's going to be a long winter ... > > > > > > > > > > Richard > > > > > > > > Apparently they do but their results aren't quite > > a bad as > > > > ours: > > > > > > > > Heard from a couple of German glider pilots at > > > > Tocumwal about 5 years ago after a little > > discussion > > > > of the problem: "The current mob in Germany would > > rather > > > > drive gliding into the ground than let go > > control." > > > > > > > > One of them had started running a commercial > > soaring > > > > operation in Canada not long before, the other > > was the > > > > business manager of a major glider manufacturer. > > > > > > > > Keep making excuses Richard. How about addressing > > the other > > > > issues I raised? > > > > > > > > I was in WA recently and was told at one club > > that "if > > > > people aren't prepared to drive 3 hours each way > > they aren't > > > > dedicated enough to go gliding." Makes a mockery > > of attempts > > > > to provide cheaper to run towplanes to make > > training > > > > cheaper. > > > > > > > > I'm sure the sport will get plenty of recruits > > who'll stay > > > > with that attitude. What was the turnover again? > > 40% of the > > > > membership each year I read on this group. > > > > > > > > Only 8 year terms! What pikers. How about > > selecting the GFA > > > > Pope for life? Then the College of Cardinals can > > select a > > > > new one when the old one dies. > > > > > > > > > > > > Mike > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Borgelt Instruments - manufacturers of quality > > soaring > > > > instruments > > > > phone Int'l + 61 746 355784 > > > > fax Int'l + 61 746 358796 > > > > cellphone Int'l + 61 428 355784 > > > > > > Int'l + 61 429 355784 > > > > email: mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com > > > > website: www.borgeltinstruments.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Aus-soaring mailing list > > > > Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net > > > > To check or change subscription details, visit: > > > > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > > > > > > > > > > > > > Enjoy a better web > > experience. Upgrade to the new Internet Explorer 8 optimised > > for Yahoo!7. Get it now. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Aus-soaring mailing list > > > Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net > > > To check or change subscription details, visit: > > > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > > > > Borgelt Instruments - manufacturers of quality soaring > > instruments > > phone Int'l + 61 746 355784 > > fax Int'l + 61 746 358796 > > cellphone Int'l + 61 428 355784 > > Int'l + 61 429 355784 > > email: mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com > > website: www.borgeltinstruments.com > > _______________________________________________ > > Aus-soaring mailing list > > Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net > > To check or change subscription details, visit: > > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > > > > > Enjoy a better web experience. Upgrade to the new Internet Explorer 8 > optimised for Yahoo!7. Get it now. > > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring >
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