Have you heard the early talk about Race Week 2012 in San Diego? While the details are still being worked out, the plan appears to hold nine national championships during the August event. Yes, nine national championships in one place. When I heard that, I figure there is no way I want to miss that one. More on that later.
Is your club one of the few that doesn't have a website yet? The old excuses of being too expensive or too difficult are really no longer valid. There are many services that offer free website hosting and they are easy to use. If you can write an email or create a Word document, you already have enough skill to create a website. Don't believe me? This is where Mike Eades comes to the rescue. Not too long ago, Mike and his club were in the same position, which is why he has volunteered to help clubs create basic websites. In this issue, you'll find Mike's excellent article on creating your first website. Through the magic of gotomeeting.com, Mike can actually walk you through the initial steps right on your computer. After this, you'll wonder why you waited so long.
A club site doesn't have to be all that extravagant to be effective. The answers to the important questions like what you sail, where you sail and when you sail can fit on one page. As you get more comfortable, more features can be added. The important step is the first one of just getting started.
There was mixed news regarding renewals this past quarter. For the first time, we used the Bulletin email system to issue the membership renewal notice. Simply put, the response was terrific. To those that used it, thank you. I hope you found it a much easier way to renew. A snail mail renewal was sent to those that didn't use the email renewal. Due to a family emergency that kept Michelle out of the office most of a month, the mailed renewals went out a few weeks late. This has affected our end of the year numbers to the point we don't have an accurate read on the trend. Based on the positive numbers the past few quarters, there is no reason to believe the end result will be anything but positive when the numbers catch up in the next several weeks.
You'll see that class data is published in this issue for the first time in quite a while, which is result of more hard work by Doug Hemingway. Now, we realize the data presented is not without flaws, but it is a good starting point. Class secretaries were recently given a new online interface to the database that enables them to better manage their class data. Over time, the data integrity will grow and inaccuracies should go away. What did become quite clear is the fact that some classes have fallen below the required 20 boat minimum to continue being sanctioned AMYA classes. We are presently working with those classes to either correct their class census or move them to the Open class.
The 2011-2012 operating budget was approved by the Board in mid-September. Communications to accomplish this was done using our internal forum and our monthly online meetings. Directors and Associate Directors were able to communicate their concerns and opinions openly. We are dealing with other people's money and it was obvious that everyone took that responsibility seriously. The approved budget will allow the AMYA to maintain our plan of expanding services while also continuing to build cash reserves at a modest rate. I'd like to thank the Board for getting this task accomplished before the September 30th deadline.
The online regatta registration continues to grow in popularity. Presently, it's located at amya.spruz.com, but the links will be integrated into our regatta schedule page over the Winter months. The flexibility of the system has made it possible to handle all sorts of options at regattas such as payment for multiple regatta entries and guest meals.
Alright enough about the business end of things. Let's get back to sailing and the topic of Race Week 2012 in San Diego next year. Though I don't own any of the boats scheduled for Race Week, the stars do seem to be aligning on this one. When Lisa let me know how much she'd like to go to California, attending was no longer an issue. Then I just had to figure out what boat to sail there. I am simply not smart enough to sail anything with a fin keel. So that limits my choices a bit. It just so happens that local builder Scott Todd recently acquired a set of Santa Barbara molds recently and wants help with a prototype. Bingo!! That's opportunity knocking, time to answer the door. I am not going to let a little detail like I have never seen a Santa Barbara race deter me.
The goal will be to compete for a couple days in San Diego, make some new friends and leave with a smile, but the enjoyment is multiplied by every step it takes to get from bare hull to the starting line in San Diego. This isn't the simple project of getting a boat together for local club racing. This is jumping into one of the original AMYA classes, shipping it across the country and sailing with some of the originators. It doesn't get much better than that in my book. I can't wait to get started on this project. See you in San Diego.
David
What a great time of year. The meat of my regatta travel is just ahead of me. Four days of EC12 & J’s at Mystic Seaport, CT and Detroit, MI in August and September respectively followed by EC12’s in Annapolis, MD in October and Charleston, SC in November. Throw in some local club racing along with a trip to either Central Park or Marblehead, MA for the free-sailing event and I’ll be living large. That gets me into four regions this year. I’ll have to fit in regions 5 & 6 either late this year or next. With both kids away at school and a wife who likes to travel, anything is possible.
As I travel around to different events and regattas, members are always coming up asking how they can help the AMYA. Trust me, when we have a specific need for a volunteer, I am not shy about asking. It’s a great feeling to know that every call for a volunteer has been answered. My belief is the best way to help the hobby is to go sail at your local club and enjoy it. Go travel to a regatta and enjoy that. Help a newcomer feel comfortable on the water. The real question is how can the AMYA help you do that? If you really want to help, tell us what we are missing.
This year, we’ve introduced some class posters to help advertise your event, a new brochure to hand to the spectators, a membership referral program that gives you a credit if you refer a new member and printable master score sheets. That is what has happened so far. We can always use more ideas. Pass along any suggestions, ideas or needs. Feedback both positive and negative is always welcomed.
The online regatta registration process mentioned in the last issue has completed its testing phase and is now open to for use. While it will be integrated into our regatta schedule with this winter’s website update, you can find it now at http://amya.spruz.com/. Gerry Cobley, the creator of this service, has put together an FAQ page to help regatta organizers with the easy setup process.
Regatta organizers will be able to offer both mail-in registration using their usual method of distribution and online registration through a link to this AMYA service. When registering online, your participants may pay by credit card or a PayPal account. The registration fees go directly to the regatta organizer’s PayPal account without going through the AMYA. The only cost involved is the fee that PayPal charges on credit card transactions that is roughly 3-4%.
There is plenty of flexibility in setting up your registration page. Do you have other data or fees besides just the registration fees that need to be collected? Things like guest lunches or tee shirts? Your registration page can be set up to handle that also.
Also, the registered skippers list is automatically generated for the online registrants and the regatta organizer can manually enter registrations received by mail. As we all love to see who is and how many are coming, this is a nice bonus. Our thanks go to Gerry for putting this together for us.
At this point in the term, it’s a good time to see where we stand. The last quarterly membership report shows our membership total is slightly ahead of last year at 2645. The financial report indicates that we are on budget for this year, which ends in September. We will meet our goals of paying our bills, expanding our services and modestly building the cash reserves. The current budget along with other financial information can be found on the website in the "About the AMYA" section. The budgetary process for next year is underway as you read this.
The AMYA has taken over financial responsibility for the services previously paid by individuals such as our web hosting service, the service we use to host our online meetings and the email service used to produce the Bulletin. The AMYA took advantage of discount offered on upgrading the software used to produce Model Yachting.
We have streamlined the cash management system for the AMYA with the simple concept that money comes in through the Membership Secretary’s office and out through the Treasurer. John and Michelle put a lot of work into getting this operating smoothly and reducing our banking fees.
We hope to have our email membership renewal system up and running for the next quarter. This could create terrific savings both in postage and labor if this experiment is successful. Now don’t worry if you don’t use email, we’ll send you the usual snail mail version. We have already started using the system in a limited way to send last minute reminders to members when their expiration date is coming up. The response so far has been better than expected.
There is still a lot of work to do. The heavy lifting will be done over the winter months after the sailing season. Our attention will turn to our online presence and reporting. We want to start posting accurate class data. This is going to take a coordinated effort between our data manager and the class secretaries. The infrastructure for this is still in the works.
I want to thank all of the regatta organizers that make our schedule come to life. Without you, I’d be home cutting the grass. I’ll see you at the lake soon.
David
In our hobby, it’s the boats that draw us in, but it’s the wonderful people that we meet along the way that keep us coming back. My friend Frank Angel, who recently passed away, was at the top of that list. Many successful clubs and classes have their own Frank Angel. They are masters of enjoying our hobby and inspiring others to do the same. He is the reason that I am in the position to write this column. I hope you know or get the chance to meet someone like "Uncle Frank".
The pieces of the puzzle are coming together thanks to the help of a great bunch of volunteers. Our initial outward push has been to give members the tools to publicize and run their regattas. While this has been going on, we have been working to improve our internal operations. Each and every staff member has stepped up to help with our goals. It’s difficult to say thank you enough.
Bob Armbruster of Chicago MYC has provided the AMYA master score sheet, which is available in the Club Resources section of www.theAMYA.org. There are two versions, horizontal for lots of races and vertical for lots of skippers, which can be downloaded and sent to an office supply store like Staples for printing. If you’re the person that usually gets stuck with the yardstick and a marker the night before the regatta, you’ll love this one.
Our new brochure put together by Joe Walter of Jacksonville MYC is in hand and ready for distribution. Club Contacts can get in touch with their regional director to have some shipped. Joe did his normal wonderful job on this project. All the photographers were most gracious to allow us to use their photographs. Our thanks go to everyone involved in this project.
This is our second issue with a poster and the referral membership form. It is my hope that we continue to distribute posters. Some feedback from you would be helpful at this point. Our club doesn’t sail the Micro Magic, but the poster is doing the job of catching people’s eye as they walk past the park bulletin board.
If you happen to have thrown the first membership form away by accident, don’t worry, I won’t tell anybody. Please put this one in your tool box for next time you’re at the lake. Maybe hand the inquisitive passerby the form and a new brochure. If they join, you’ll receive a $10 credit towards your membership renewal if they haven’t been an AMYA member in the past two years. The program allows you to receive up to $30 credit by referring three members.
I am not sure if this is a clarification or a policy change, but there are two ways you can get your copy of Model Yachting delivered to your "Snow Bird" or secondary address. You can choose to have your copy of Model Yachting delivered via first class mail for $10/year, which means your magazine will not only arrive faster, but it will also be forwarded with your other mail. Please remember that the post office does not forward the magazine if it is sent via third class mail. The other option is to list your secondary address and active dates with the AMYA, which can be accomplished via the database, the membership form or contacting the membership secretary directly. There is no cost to you for this option.
We really want to make sure you receive your magazine. So, if you have a "Snow Bird" or secondary address, please make sure to either purchase the $10 first class option or make sure our database contains your correct address and active dates. If not the magazine will be returned to the AMYA and there would be an additional postage charge to re-mail it to you. Please help us help you to avoid this unnecessary charge.
The AMYA data base created and maintained by Doug Hemingway was launched earlier this year. Please take the time to log on to make sure your contact information is correct. Your username is your AMYA membership number. If you didn’t receive your password via email, you can contact datacenter@theAMYA.org for one. The AMYA can realize both cost and labor savings by transitioning some of our renewal process to the electronic system. A good email address is a key to making this work. Thanks for your help.
Online regatta registration is a pilot program being managed by Gerry Cobley of Triangle MYC. The idea is that Gerry has the technical knowledge to set up the online registration process for clubs that want to offer online registration for their regatta participants. Included in this will be the ability to accept credit cards. We are going to be offering this for a few regattas to work out the kinks before opening it up to all interested clubs and classes.
Centralized online boat registration was discussed with several class secretaries on the internal forum. The class secretaries indicated that the registration process is their best opportunity to have one on one contact with their new members and they prefer to handle the process directly. So, we have put that idea on the back burner.
If you interested in planking a deck, John Hanks and Bob Eger have put together an excellent video of the re-decking of Bob’s J boat. Their method can be used on boats of any size. To obtain the video, you can contact John at jclass@theAMYA.org. Their next video endeavor is planking a hull.
The Ship’s Store is being separated from AMYA operations this year to help us comply with our 501(c) 7 status. Therefore, please do not combine a Ship’s Store order with your membership renewal. The money goes in two different directions and we are trying not to have our treasurer pull his hair out. Thanks for your understanding.
This is such a great time of year for us in the Mid-Atlantic States as our regatta season is kicking into high gear. One of my favorites, the Green Mountain regatta in Stowe, VT, is just around the corner. You know those regattas that feel more like a family reunion than a competition? Oh what a grand time it is every year up there. It’s time to charge some batteries and head north. I’ll see you at the lake.
David
I’d like to start my term as president by thanking past president Pete Maxson for his help in making my transition as smooth as possible. It’s pleasing to hear that his health has improved to the point where he can live an active life again. Thanks for your years of service to the AMYA.
It’s been a blast playing with my toy boats for the past couple decades. Whether the sailing has been at my local pond or at a national championship on the other side of the country, it’s been a pleasure participating. Whether I am working in my shop alone or with a few dozen people at the annual Pour Party, I am a happy camper. My goal as president is to help as many people as possible find the enjoyment that I have had in this hobby. I may ask for your help along the way.
So, where do we start? Our initial efforts are focused on promotion, nothing too big yet, but we’ve got to start somewhere. You’ll notice a couple additional loose pages inserted with your copy of Model Yachting this time; one is a poster and the other is a membership form on the back of the address label. If you threw them out by accident, quick, run back to the trash can.
With the poster, we adhered to the theory that less is more. The size is small enough to be welcome on public bulletin boards. The picture alone is eye catching and worth the 1,000 words everyone talks about. Even if the class isn’t one sailed at your club, the poster promotes the idea of organized Model Yachting. Your job is to put your local club information in the white box and find a creative place to hang it. The more AMYA members you have in your club, the more posters the club will have. My thanks to John Davis and Rich Matt for making this program happen.
To test the program, there is going to be a poster in this issue and the next. Thanks to the staff of Model Yachting, we’ll be making digital copies of posters for other classes available on the AMYA website (www.theAMYA.org). The list of available class posters will grow in time. You’ll be able to print those on your printer or ship the file off to an office supply store for printing.
Printing the membership form on the back of the address label serves a couple purposes. First, it opens up a page in the magazine. The real purpose of the membership form is to give you a chance to get on the payroll. Please give the form with your name on the other side to someone who hasn’t been a member of AMYA for the past two years. When the recipient uses it to join, we’ll apply a $10 credit to your membership renewal account. Seeing as this form will be delivered to you three times this year (the fourth is the ballot), you now have the ability to earn up to a $30 credit, which of course is equal to a free individual membership. Thanks for your help, and welcome to the payroll.
Many members have suggested that a nice new brochure was needed to give out at lakeside. Thanks to the efforts of Joe Walter, we now have those available. Your regional director has a full supply ready for distribution. Just give him a call or drop him an e-mail to get some sent to your club. Like the posters, there is a section for your club to add its contact information.
Doug Hemmingway has brought the database online. By now, you should have received an e-mail with your username and password. If you have not, it is most likely because we didn’t have a good e-mail address for you. If that’s the case, you may request your username and password at this address: (datacenter@theamya.org). Once you have access, please take the time to update your profile. The accuracy of your information is critical to us being able to communicate with you, and for class and regional census information.
We want you to feel comfortable having your information in the database, therefore we have instituted a new Privacy Policy, which is published on page ?? of this issue. The policy makes it clear that any information in the database is to be used for AMYA purposes only. We have also instituted a Candidates Access to Communications Policy, which opens up all forms of AMYA communication to candidates, limited only by the provisions of the Privacy Policy. Candidates in the future will not need to create their own mailing lists.
In time, the database will afford the AMYA the ability to automate the membership renewal mailing program, which can lead to significant savings in both labor and postage. The success of this type program hinges on members’ willingness to keep their information up to date. The savings can then be put to use in promotion of our hobby.
John Hanks, our long serving Executive Secretary, has indicated that time commitments relating to caring for his father have impacted his ability to carry on in the position. With regret, I have accepted his resignation. We can not thank John enough for his hard work and guidance during his 13 years as Executive Secretary. Doug Hemmingway was offered and has accepted the position of Executive Secretary.
There can be good times ahead, but we are going to need your help and support. The AMYA is blessed with great volunteers and staff. The toughest part of my job is being able to communicate their achievements with you. I have access to this column, four times a year, the website, and the Bulletin. If all goes well, you are going to get sick of hearing from me, although you can always contact me if you think something was missed along the way.
Take a friend to the lake. I hope to see you there.
David