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AMA EC Key Measures of Performance - Last 15yrs

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AMA EC Key Measures of Performance - Last 15yrs

Old 02-18-2019, 09:05 AM
  #51  
speedracerntrixie
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I’m certain that all the executives at Tower had the same qualifications as you and Frankie. What they lacked was the needed experience of the uniqueness of the R/C industry.
Old 02-18-2019, 09:10 AM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by speedracerntrixie
I’m certain that all the executives at Tower had the same qualifications as you and Frankie. What they lacked was the needed experience of the uniqueness of the R/C industry.
What they lacked was, much like AMA, a sustainable business model.
Old 02-18-2019, 09:23 AM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by franklin_m
What they lacked was, much like AMA, a sustainable business model.
Isnt that pretty much what I just said? Like you and App they have General business knowledge but no knowledge unique to this industry. Big box marketing doesn’t work here. Research the most successful hobby shops going back at least 40 years. Most of them owned by people with no business education.
Old 02-18-2019, 09:54 AM
  #54  
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Well , let me say that as someone whose formal education is limited to electrical and mechanical devices (FAA A&P Mechanic , training in industrial 3 phase electrical systems , etc) I have no business sense/savvy whatsoever . And even a financial luddite such as myself can see that according to Franklin's charts & graphs the business model presently being practiced by our AMA is a dismal failure to the future of the organization . I've said this before , I have to wonder if it's purposeful , maybe to reemerge as a for profit contractor to the FAA to manage all hobbyist model aircraft operations ?
Old 02-18-2019, 09:54 AM
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I haven`t done research on who has gone out of business and who hasn't, but what about Tower? I still buy stuff from them and it seems like everything is pretty much the same. Are they now a subsidiary of Horizon? If I`m using the right term.
Old 02-18-2019, 10:36 AM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by Stickslammer
I haven`t done research on who has gone out of business and who hasn't, but what about Tower? I still buy stuff from them and it seems like everything is pretty much the same. Are they now a subsidiary of Horizon? If I`m using the right term.

Yes, Horizon purchased most of Hobbico including Tower just after Hobbico filed chapter 13. IMO Horizon is following in Hobbico ‘s footsteps and will eventually suffer the same fate. As far as the AMA goes, yes their finances look bad. I agree with that . I however see it as a result of the poor health of the hobby overall. If the hobby was thriving the same as in the ‘80s and early ‘90s then the membership would be up and participation at Muncie would be up as well.
Old 02-18-2019, 11:12 AM
  #57  
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I think HobbyTown USA might be next in line to go under. Many HT stores all over the country have closed. Hope someone will indeed research to see how many related businesses have bought the farm.
Old 02-18-2019, 11:13 AM
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franklin_m
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Originally Posted by speedracerntrixie
Isnt that pretty much what I just said? Like you and App they have General business knowledge but no knowledge unique to this industry. Big box marketing doesn’t work here. Research the most successful hobby shops going back at least 40 years. Most of them owned by people with no business education.
"Research the most successful hobby shops going back 40 years?"

What? All three of them that are left? Sarcastic of course, but didn't you just say the industry is in decline? Wishing for market conditions of the 80's isn't going to create a bunch of AMA members today...
Old 02-18-2019, 12:57 PM
  #59  
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Originally Posted by franklin_m
What they lacked was, much like AMA, a sustainable business model.
And from what I've heard................Ethics.
Old 02-18-2019, 01:04 PM
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One thing that could help Tower is to change their business model from having a lot of things in stock to drop shipping direct from the manufacturer. That would lessen the need to have a large inventory and let the manufacturers make what is actually needed to have one or two on the shelves rather than have to make up dozens of something to supply Tower, hoping that Tower will sell the products rather than return them unsold prior to year end inventory audits and taxation
Old 02-18-2019, 01:07 PM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by speedracerntrixie



Yes, Horizon purchased most of Hobbico including Tower just after Hobbico filed chapter 13. IMO Horizon is following in Hobbico ‘s footsteps and will eventually suffer the same fate. As far as the AMA goes, yes their finances look bad. I agree with that . I however see it as a result of the poor health of the hobby overall. If the hobby was thriving the same as in the ‘80s and early ‘90s then the membership would be up and participation at Muncie would be up as well.
So why hasn't AMA membership reflected the so called health of the hobby? If memory serves it was 150k or so in the 80's and according to the AMA, is even higher today. In fact, thanks to the FAA we now know there's as many as a million of us out there today. Just so few chose to join the AMA for whatever reason.

No! If the hobby were in poor health the membership numbers would reflect it. What it is is the AMA no longer provides value to the majority of hobbyists. Participation has grown but the AMA has failed to attract it's share into the fold. The AMA has failed to change and adjust. In fact, it seems the only thing the AMA can adjust is your dues.
Old 02-18-2019, 01:14 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by speedracerntrixie


Isnt that pretty much what I just said? Like you and App they have General business knowledge but no knowledge unique to this industry. Big box marketing doesn’t work here. Research the most successful hobby shops going back at least 40 years. Most of them owned by people with no business education.

Correct, Big Box Marketing will not work.
Hence why AMA needs to do some serious restructuring or it will be ending up like Sears.
It needs to downsize, this is a point and click society and its very mobile and its wants and needs are focused all on social media. AMA needs to get rid of the "Headquarters". Its antiquated and with tons of overhead, is a cash draw. The AMA is not in the THEME PARK business, they are a support and lobbying organization.
AMA can support all us members from a small office park.
Their biggest fault right now, IMO, is their networking and internet communications. Instead of seeing how to make the magazine "better", they need to put 100% attention on that trainwreck of a website.

I think they need to hire a corporate axeman who will come in and lean the organization. Its not pretty, but it needs to be done for an organization to survive in these times. Franklins graph shows an huge decline right at the 2008 recession and the AMA has yet to really recover. If the economy goes into a bear recession in the next few years, I doubt the AMA will make it.
Old 02-18-2019, 01:50 PM
  #63  
franklin_m
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Originally Posted by scottrc
Correct, Big Box Marketing will not work.
Hence why AMA needs to do some serious restructuring or it will be ending up like Sears.
It needs to downsize, this is a point and click society and its very mobile and its wants and needs are focused all on social media. AMA needs to get rid of the "Headquarters". Its antiquated and with tons of overhead, is a cash draw. The AMA is not in the THEME PARK business, they are a support and lobbying organization.
AMA can support all us members from a small office park.
Their biggest fault right now, IMO, is their networking and internet communications. Instead of seeing how to make the magazine "better", they need to put 100% attention on that trainwreck of a website.

I think they need to hire a corporate axeman who will come in and lean the organization. Its not pretty, but it needs to be done for an organization to survive in these times. Franklins graph shows an huge decline right at the 2008 recession and the AMA has yet to really recover. If the economy goes into a bear recession in the next few years, I doubt the AMA will make it.
It'll never happen until someone breaks the "Dear Leader's" stranglehold on organizational strategy. Over half of spending goes to staff and the magazine. Grants are in single digit percentages. The only reason why the foundation met its goal last year was because AMA pushed $300K to it, only to have the foundation immediately give half of it back to AMA.

Big picture: they lost on registration, lost on their lawsuit (rendered moot), and lost on the new FAA bill. Now, what exactly are we getting for our "advocacy" dollar? Looks like a string of losses.
Old 02-18-2019, 02:00 PM
  #64  
Lifer
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Scottrc,

Amen.
Old 02-18-2019, 04:21 PM
  #65  
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LEADER TO LEADER
Membership Drive Reaction
by Jim Rice, Chairman Leader Member Committee
As I write this, it is a week before Christmas and the final membership numbers for 2009 are fresh in my mind ... Depressing but still in my mind. We had a membership drive. A well-thought-out, but poorly executed drive. The leg work was done at the HQ level and the advertising was done in Model Aviation and by word of mouth via most of the District VPs. Yet the grass roots level, where the newbie meets the member, it didn’t happen very well; seemingly no interest in the growth of the membership by the average modeler or club.
That should give all of us with a little concern about the future of our organization cause to reflect on why we aren’t growing or worse yet, why we are shrinking
Old 02-18-2019, 05:43 PM
  #66  
astrohog
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What I find interesting in these discussions is that people seem to talk about the AMA like the AMA was here before the hobby was here.....
The hobby (and hobbyists) came first. As we grew in numbers, WE (the hobbyists) decided it was in OUR best interest to band together and form an official organization to help us organize and advocate for our hobby. Why do we continue to talk about the AMA needing the membership and the membership needing the AMA? It is NOT us vs. them, we are one in the same. How did the AMA become "in charge" of us, rather than being "us" and the unified voice for "us"?????

Astro
Old 02-18-2019, 06:31 PM
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Originally Posted by astrohog
What I find interesting in these discussions is that people seem to talk about the AMA like the AMA was here before the hobby was here.....
The hobby (and hobbyists) came first. As we grew in numbers, WE (the hobbyists) decided it was in OUR best interest to band together and form an official organization to help us organize and advocate for our hobby. Why do we continue to talk about the AMA needing the membership and the membership needing the AMA? It is NOT us vs. them, we are one in the same. How did the AMA become "in charge" of us, rather than being "us" and the unified voice for "us"?????

Astro
Answer: Suspect it was about the time they started lobbying for 336 ... and the individuals directly involved in that effort
Old 02-18-2019, 06:44 PM
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I would say it was further back then that. MY guess would be when the AMA office was moved from DC to Muncie. IIRC, that was when the EC decided they needed a home office, a flying field and all the rest of the unneeded crap that's now about to bankrupt the organization. IF the powers that be were to move back to DC, where they could interact directly with Congressional leaders and dispose of all of the non-cost effective overhead they(or should I say the membership) are now paying for, maybe the organization would become relevant again
Old 02-19-2019, 03:01 AM
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I think it goes back to the 60's and even earlier. It comes from a number of things but the final drivers are greed and power. Way back the excuse was often "If I don't do it, who will?". Today it's "Look at me! Look at me! Damn I'm Good!" You can see that in these forums.

The majority of the membership uses the AMA simply for the insurance and/or access to the local club field. Nothing more. (Interestingly the actual need for this is fast disappearing.) And they couldn't care less about AMA politics or business so they ignore the whole thing. This enables the GOBs at the local levels to basically take over and establish a "My way or the Hi Way" environments. Not unlike what you see in many forums and the way the mods moderate. And this goes all the way back to Muncie.

So Egos have taken over and the GOBs are making the AMA into their own image vice what it should be. And the GOBs are using the AMA to their own benefit and not the memberships. And it all comes back to the desires of greed and power.

On an aside, there are some interesting 1st Amendment discussions out there about Mods and forums.
Old 02-19-2019, 06:18 AM
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A 1st amendment discussion doesn't apply to mod's and forums.

When you sign up for a forum you agree to a set of rules in order to use that forum. Stay within those rules you can say whatever you want. Stray outside those rules and you risk administrative actions.
Old 02-19-2019, 06:25 AM
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Originally Posted by BarracudaHockey
A 1st amendment discussion doesn't apply to mod's and forums.

When you sign up for a forum you agree to a set of rules in order to use that forum. Stay within those rules you can say whatever you want. Stray outside those rules and you risk administrative actions.
I thought that given your position within the AMA, you were not a moderator in AMA forums ?

If I'm the gentleman who commented, I'd take your comment above as threat intended to shut down criticism of AMA.
Old 02-19-2019, 06:33 AM
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I don't moderate, it was just an answer to his jibe about 1st amendment and moderation.

Not sure what was lost in translation but what I said was, if a post is within the rules, not matter what it criticizes, its allowed. If its outside the rules then it's not. Surely if you think someone was moderating anyone that criticized the AMA then 99 percent of your posts would have been deleted. I might not agree with everything you say but I support your right to say it.
Old 02-19-2019, 06:39 AM
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Originally Posted by BarracudaHockey
I don't moderate, it was just an answer to his jibe about 1st amendment and moderation.

Not sure what was lost in translation but what I said was, if a post is within the rules, not matter what it criticizes, its allowed. If its outside the rules then it's not. Surely if you think someone was moderating anyone that criticized the AMA then 99 percent of your posts would have been deleted. I might not agree with everything you say but I support your right to say it.
When you combine your statement to appowner with your signature line that says "RCU community moderator," its difficult to NOT see it as a threat.
Old 02-19-2019, 06:45 AM
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Originally Posted by BarracudaHockey
I don't moderate, it was just an answer to his jibe about 1st amendment and moderation.

.............................................
Wasn't a jibe. Simply a comment about conversations being out there concerning this issue. But see it as you wish.

Moderation is all well and good as long as the moderator remain fair and un-biased. However, I can point to one blatant example where the mods were anything but.... And the argument is this them becomes a violation of someones 1st Amendment rights. But that's OK because I still have the 2nd Amendment to fall back on.
Old 02-19-2019, 06:46 AM
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It was merely a reply that 1st Amendment and Forum Moderation are 2 different things.

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