THE NFFS PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: May 2009

Your NFFS Board of Directors met in Atlanta a few weeks ago.
The number one item discussed was our budget. Our income sources were down from a year ago.  Key factors were the Symposium, the NATS, and membership.  Expenses included the Digest, Scholarships, and aid to our juniors competing in the World Championships.  It is evident that our financial picture relates to the general economy itself.  The price of gasoline, loss of jobs, stock market decline’s negative effect on retirement funds, directly effects the free flight community. The bottom line being how can we do better during these cloudy times?

Firstly, we looked at the Digest.  It costs appreciably more to provide this diamond of our Society than we take in through membership dollars.  How can we cut costs and still maintain  and possibly enhance its quality and provide a more timely distribution.  A suggestion was to go to 6 issues per year such as does SAM. (Society of Antique Modelers)  I think this is a great idea.  It would involve changing the By-Laws which dictates ten issues to six issues.  This change requires a majority vote by the members for ratification.  Before proceeding with such a change, we are listening to you the membership and closely studying actual dollar costs in printing, postage, and editing of the Digest.

The 2009 Hall of Fame Dinner will held in Muncie during the United States Outdoor Championships.  These inductees are:  Stan Buddenbohm, Fred Pearce, Paul McCready, Phil Klintworth, Art Ellis, and Lee Campbell.  Congratulations to these gentlemen.

Please try to get a new or former member who has dropped out for some reason.  I got one last week.  We dropped from 1350 to 1279 last year.  We should get back to the fourteen hundred number if we work at it.

Spring thermals. Until next time,
Phil