Skip I support and will continue supporting the EOC. I do see opportunities for change and improvement. However, anyone like me, who desires change and improvement, needs to be willing to put his / her effort and work into the organization, to strengthen and help improve it. Best regards Eliacim N87071 61TE / GKY Texas
> > EOC REPLIES > > I just finished reading the 100th post regarding the EOC. I have not > replied > because I wanted to get everyoneâs opinion before I answered. As with > any > thing it is very easy to criticize and very difficult to be a team player > and > work within an organizations framework to effect change. Those of you that > are > members of the EOC I have noted your remarks and they will be addressed. > Those that are not members BUZZ OFF! You are like the fellows in the > barber shop > that are always criticizing the elected officials but when asked if they > voted they reply no, so if you arenât a member keep quiet! > > 1) One of the members asked what is the mission statement of the EOC? As > stated in the corporate by laws, Purpose. The following is the purposes > for > which this organization has been organized: As an educational corporation > to > further and promote Ercoupe Aircraft through a mutual exchange of ideas. > > 2) EOC does not work with the FAA like the AOPA. How quickly we forget! > Do > you remember the wing inspection AD that was to require an expensive > borascope > to comply with. Well thanks to the work with Univair and the FAA regional > office we were able to get it amended to borascope or much cheaper wing > removal. And more recently when Univair issued the Mandatory Service > Bulletin we > were able to submit enough information from our members to keep this from > becoming an AD. And the next time an issue with the airframe arises be > sure that > the EOC will take action. This not only helps members save money but NON > MEMBERS ALSO! > > 3) Membership has received quite a lot of discussion so let me help you > understand this also! All clubs, service organizations, religious > organizations, > ham radio, car clubs, the boy scouts and the EOC are suffering from a > decline > in membership. Also we have a declining membership base. When I founded > the > EOC there were about 3000 registered coupes. I do not know what the > number is > today but I would expect that it is less than 2000. The EAA has had a > steady > membership decline for the past several years (read the publishers > statement > required by law and printed in an issue during the year. Usually > sandwiched > in some out of the way location in the magazine). How many of you have > asked > another Coupe owner to join? A few years ago we got Mitch to send us a > list of > all registered Coupe owners in the US. We then mailed to them asking them > to > join and did not get enough new members to pay for printing and postage. > One > fellow said that he had never received an invitation to joinâ¦possibly > if the > FAA label said registration pending we did not try to mail to them. One > time > we printed some business cards that had a place for you to write your > name > and address on one side and on the back asking them to join EOC. I just > threw > the greatest majority of them away! > > 4) Several of you have commented on the Web Site so let me tell you what > is > going on there. Several months ago I became Mitcheâs assistant on the > web > site. In fact I am posting the classifieds, calendar, newsletter and > keeping up > the members only list. I have added some things but it is a big job that > I am > resolving one step at the time. Last year we moved the web to a commercial > web server from Tom Lairdâs server. This was the time that Ed had to > move his > list. We now have more space than we will ever need and can continue to > build > the site and remove some of the old outdated material that is there. We > have > also made arrangements to have PayPal accept credit cards for new members > and > renewals. This should be up and running by mid February. You will notice > that there is a last posted date on the home page so that you can be sure > the > site is up to date before logging on. We had thought about adding a forum > to > the web site but see no need for that as Ed has his site and I see no > need for > two. Someone asked about a link to the forum, I donât think that is a > valid > suggestion as non-members run the forum, also the forum does not link to > us. > In most cases we link to those that link to us. Some said that they could > not > get on the memberâs only site. I am sorry that you are having trouble > but if > you will contact me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) I > will > see that you are granted access. I even got two fellows on during > Christmas. > I will also add my address to the sign up page. > > > 5) The newsletter seems to have gotten the lions share of criticism. The > main problem with the newsletter is that YOU DO NOT SEND IN ANY MATERIAL! > I am > still trying to get a report on the 2007 Sun N Fun and Oshkosh fly ins > still > no info. Why donât we take information from the forum and print it in > the > newsletter? Well folks in the first place that would be plagiarism and I > will not > do that! In the old days you sent in your questions and problems and if I > couldnât answer it we printed it in the newsletter and asked for > answers. This > worked very well but with the forum is a moot point when you can get a > barrel > full of answers to any question, some valid some not. Some months we have > to > wait until we can get some information or resort to going to old issues > and > reprinting some old hints and or tips. The lack of material has become of > epidemic proportions! Almost nothing coming in, but members are wanting > information, do you have an answer? I donât I am not going to write the > entire > newsletter. I may occasionally write about something that catches my eye, > like the > door coupe. Want your plane to be published, then send it in with a photo > and > I guarantee we will print it. Maybe it is time that we stop publishing > Coupe > Capers and put it on the web page. Sure would save a bunch of money. > Printing a more expensive newsletter would have little or no effect on > membership. > The content is what is wanted not an expensive slick color newsletter. I > will > say here that look for some color in future issues. > > 6) Dues were mentioned so I will address that also. At the EOC convention > in > Mason Michigan Regional Director Russ Jensen moved that we increase the > dues > with an eye to increasing costs. What a visionary! We have had several pos > tage increases printing cost increases and we are still able to have > money and > be solvent! In fact we have a savings account and a legal defense fund > which > is in high yield CDs. We also have a healthy bank account. Ed told me > many > times that he would join again if we reduced the dues, Ed donât think > that will > happen unless we go to an electronic newsletter which will exclude about > 1/3 > of our members. At this time I see no need to increase dues. Wonder how > long > before EAA and AOPA have an increase? Bet it wonât be long, as the new > postal > rates are really high. Also the new postal program has expedited delivery > of > the snail mail with Arizona getting theirs in 3 or 4 days! > > 7) This club was founded as a president, secretary and treasury club but > after a few years it was decided that the fairest method was to have > regions and > regional directors to govern the club. This has proven to be a fair and > equitable way to run the organization. If you do not like the way that > things are > going then sign up to be a regional director or wing leader then come to > the > national and make your wishes known, what could be fairer. 13 regional > directors govern us not one man! I serve at the pleasure of the board and > members I > can be removed from office with a simple vote and will gladly step down! > Just remember that there are always a few that have a hidden agenda that > they > want to promote, or someone or something that they want to bring down. > Before > you cast anymore stones stop and ask who started this and what it is all > about! I must say that this is the most activity I have seen on this > forum to > date. If you are a member and have any comments or suggestions I will > welcome > them. > > Skip Carden > Executive Director EOC > > > > > > > **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. > http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 >
