|
Notes from USHGA Board of Director's Meeting March 17-19, Albuquerque, NM.
It was interesting for me to meet some of the people I have been hearing about for years, but had never actually met in person. In my first meeting I sat next to Dennis Pagen and Dan Johnson!
As a whole, I found the members of the Board of Directors (BOD) very dedicated and very concerned about promoting our sport and effectively representing our members. I know there has been some discussion about the a lack of responsiveness to the members, but remember, we are all busy people like yourselves and have limited time to accomplish our tasks. Here are some highlights of the meeting and leave the rest for the formal report:
1. Communication - This topic was discussed extensively. There are several motions that will more effectively share the activities of the USHGA with the members. Much of this will be done through the new web page on the members only section.
2. There is a strong movement towards forming an alliance with the Soaring Society of America (SSA) to cooperatively manage and purchase some of the services that are currently managed individually. We will still maintain the autonomy of each organization while acting cooperatively where we can economize or streamline.
3. Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) - We are coordinating an effort to normalize Hang Gliding operations on Federal land - rather than operating under Special Use permits. More on this later.
4. New Video - There is a new Introduction to Hang Gliding video available. This is a 10 minute introduction to hang gliding that is very well done. Contact USHGA merchandise sales for copies. Dave Broyles also mentioned that he would be making copies available on CD-ROM. Contact Dave for details.
5. Power and the USHGA - Although I supposed this to be a hot topic - there were only general discussions that I heard.
On a final note: I was able to learn some more about the latest GPS scoring programs available. My current plan for the upcoming Regional Meet is to take advantage of this technology. We will use virtual start gates and goals using the new "cylindrical" turnpoint technology. This will make launch, waypoint, and goal monitoring automatic without the need for tabulating launch times and monitoring the goal. A pilot simply turns in their track-log at the end of the day and the times for crossing the start gates/waypoints/end gates are automatically calculated.
Please keep me posted on your issues and concerns.
Regards,
Kent Robinson
Region 11 Director
|
|
