[TLyttle]

I agree, Ed, the Sky has been Falling for some time now, BUT...

Until now, the number of MAAC members kept climbing regardless of the warnings; now we are down 30%. I know that over the years (60+, like you), I spent a lot of time teaching people how to build and fly, starting with teens flying c/l, to adults flying sailplanes and sport power. During most of that time period, the OBCs were refusing to teach anyone how to fly, had a waiting list for instructors, and I was the only other game in town. I do not see how these people contribute to our hobby, as success is the best way to retain a beginner, young or old. If no one teaches a beginner how to fly an electric Stick, or a 40-powered trainer, there is a VERY limited success ratio (hence a lost participant), and that has been my soap-box subject for decades now. Now, the enthusiasts take their park flyer out, teach themselves to fly, and MAAC never sees them.

Attracting juniors who, once they are into the hobby, have no place to fly, is a pointless exercise: I know this from decades of personal experience. The same applies to older beginners: if there is no place to fly, they turn to video games or shuffleboard. Either way, our hobby loses. If the OBCs can't see that, and continue their selfish ways, soon they will be facing the same BIG problem that is occurring in Quebec. They will assume that "someone else" will take care of it. Having lost many flying sites to OBCs, I know this to be fact.

As far as the "hobby store" as we know it is concerned, it is indeed going. There are a number of reasons, the 'net being the biggest reason. Only too late will we discover the value of these stores.

[Arceenut]

There is one thing that makes recruiting "juniors" into the hoby rather discouraging. Case in point. I had a junior come and join the club. We built a trainer, then proceeded to train. All went well for the year. The fellow turned 16 that fall, earned his drivers licence, got a girlfriend. You know what happened to his flying hobby, He came out to fly twice the next year. Last I heard from him he asked me to see if I could sell his equipment for him.

[bbbair]

Originally Posted by Arceenut

There is one thing that makes recruiting "juniors" into the hoby rather discouraging. Case in point. I had a junior come and join the club. We built a trainer, then proceeded to train. All went well for the year. The fellow turned 16 that fall, earned his drivers licence, got a girlfriend. You know what happened to his flying hobby, He came out to fly twice the next year. Last I heard from him he asked me to see if I could sell his equipment for him.

Yes; I have seen this too. It is a natural progression of life. Next will come beer, college, marrage, mortgages and kids.

However; once things settle down, the fellow will look for something to do other that work and TV. Memories stir and it is possible that the seed that we planted in that 15 year old will come back to life in the form of a 30 year old MAAC member.

PLUS; you had the advantage of taking a bored 15 year old off of the street for a little while. For that one or two year period this kid WAS NOT GETTING INTO TROUBLE!

I think that this is a positive thing.

It may be a 'Long Term Project' but it is not something that we should discard.

IMHO

[ronljroy]

If we all do nothing, then nothing is likely to happen. If we all, or at least if most of us, spend the time to talk to new comers, help them along, and like a previous note said, make sure the newcomer reaches some level of success, the hobby has a better chance of making headway in the future. Juniors do tend to disappear when they get old enough to date girls, drive, etc, but if they were well treated as a junior flyer, many will come back in later years.

Not everyone that is taught will stay or even come back, but we all have to try and help that newcomer. We have two juniors in our club, and to me, they are important. There is potential they will carry the torch when I'm gone, and hopefully they will remember some of the lessons we tried to teach them. None of us were born experts in this hobby! We all learned something from someone. They exist, but there aren't too many self taught modelers.

Like I said, if you do nothing, then that's exactly what will happen....NOTHING. I sent a small poster to a good friend of mine that states: "Do something! Lead! Follow! Or get out of the way!!"

My nickel's worth (it used to be 2 cents, but you know...inflation).

TTFN

[Arceenut]

Originally Posted by ronljroy

Like I said, if you do nothing, then that's exactly what will happen....NOTHING. I sent a small poster to a good friend of mine that states: "Do something! Lead! Follow! Or get out of the way!!"
My nickel's worth (it used to be 2 cents, but you know...inflation).

TTFN

I love that poster saying. May I use that as my signature?

[TLyttle]

Good stuff, guys, and right on about keeping kids off the street. Years ago, I started a club in our area, with the cooperation of the community association. Six months later, the cops were looking for the reason that petty crime and vandalism dropped by 40%, in our area only, yet even when you show that stat to a bureaucrat, the answer is still NO. How dense and stupid is that?

Sure, we lost the kids we taught to cars and girls, it is what we expected, is only natural. Did some come back? Not that I saw. Does it bother me? Not a bit, because while they were there, I felt that I had made a difference, not only in their lives (some still call me after nearly 40 years to tell me how they are doing), but in the community, and most importantly, in the community's safety. There were others out there, being led (same as I was leading our members) into far more nefarious activities. No gangs around our neighbourhood.

Is there an answer? Doing nothing is an answer. Hockey is an answer, but a violent one (besides, it isn't the hockey player that gets into a gang, he has his own gang). So is any other sport one would name, but the kids that get into model airplanes are not normally sports-minded, but are vulnerable to being attracted to other activities.

We are the answer! Sitting on one's butt all winter building is not what we should be doing. Flying all summer without sharing our knowledge is not what we should be doing. Fighting politicians and bureaucrats from our position of experienced citizens for flying sites and facilities IS our job, clearly a job that no one thinks is important. Just Do It.

[fliers1]

Terry,
For over 30 years I have presented at least locally, what I know could very well be the answer. But do you think that anyone would even give me the time of day? One would think that if someone had an idea that would work, somebody would at least ask for proof.

Well, when (not if) the hobby eventually goes the way of the Dodo bird, at least I know that I did my best.

Take care,
CCR

[AJCoholic]

Having been in this for a little bit of time (the hobby that is) and also being a guy that really tries to encourage youngsters from getting involved, I have always tried to help out with gear if I could.

Just think, how many of us could give (yes, give) an interested kid an older (but still legal and working) radio system, an engine, plane or whatever - stuff that really isnt worth much in the grand scheme of things, yet could possibly hook a kid into this hobby for life.

Many of us in the hobby have a lot of unused "stuff"... and if you think of it this way, what is better:

selling that old radio/engine/etc for $40 - or giving it to a kid for free and getting him/her into the hobby?

Not saying to just give ALL your gear away, to anyone, but if you see a kid genuinely interested and that may not be able to afford everything right off, its worth it...

AJC

Well, when (not if) the hobby eventually goes the way of the Dodo bird, at least I know that I did my best.

Whereas I posted earlier that efforts at attracting Juniors, maybe even beginners of any age, was a waste of time, I am not advocating that. Along with other members of my club we put on presentations to help, inform and educate. Is declining interest realy a fact. Look at the advances and development that is still taking place. That amount of technological advance would not be aimed at a declining market. We are not going the way of the Dodo bird.

Ed S

[Ken Currell]

The in and out of the Hobby theory is cetainly true in my case. I started in public school flying u-control. In high school I bought a motorcycle and so ended the U-control.
Finished high school and bought a used ground based Bramco 8 channel radio and a Live Wire Pursuit.
Got married and quit again.
And so on.

It does pay off no matter who you teach to fly.
In many cases money can be an issue.
For those that can't afford R/C control line isn't totally dead yet and can be reasonably cheap.
I still have my ukie stuff and a couple of planes too.