KM wrote:
Here we go again Jack! Just because a person is a member of an
organization like SSA or EAA or AOPA or whatever doesnt mean that he or
she needs to feel qualified to run it.A member has the right to expect
a certain return from his dues money.If a member would like to see
certain changes or considerations it shouldnt mean he has to take over
and run for director.The SSA is either going to listen to its members
and govern accordingly or its not.There isnt anything most of us are
able to do about that.

I have been following from Australia, with sympathetic interest, the
trials and tribulations through which the SSA is currently travelling.

Here in Australia our circumstances are somewhat different, but the
issue of the perception of the organisation being run by an 'in crowd'
not listening to the membership is one criticism that has been levelled
at the organisations in both countries. Part of the problem (not shared
by you in the USA) is that the GFA has delegated authority from CASA
(our equivalent of your FAA) for operations and air worthiness and this
creates tensions between the paternalistic 'rule setting and compliance'
part of the organisation and the sporting (particularly sport
development) parts of the organisation.

Over the past few years, the Qld regional organisation (one of the
regional 5 members of the federation) has been extremely critical of the
GFA in regards to the poor communication with the membership. At an
annual meeting of the Qld regional organisation in 2005, the then
president of the national organisation received a very confrontational
grilling. It was significant though that the national president attended
the meeting, despite the foreknowledge that it was likely to be fairly
heated.

From that meeting a number of proposals flowed to open up the
communications channels - and whilst not all were accepted by the Board
of the GFA some were and change started to happen and that is growing.
There have also been a number of changes in personnel at the Board and
Executive level (all volunteers) that have assisted this growing change
in attitude.

I cannot offer you any advice (I don't know enough about your
organisation to do so even if I wanted to) apart from the observation
that, like the GFA here in Australia, the SSA is the _members'_
organisation. It is thus very much up to the members to make it what
they want.

You can't sit on the sidelines and criticise - you have to get involved
if you want change to happen. That is what has happened to me - I was
elected the Queensland regional representative to the GFA Board earlier
this year.

--
Robert Hart
+61 (0)438 385 533 http://www.hart.wattle.id.au