On Tuesday, October 7, 2014 7:51:50 PM UTC-4, wrote:
What's sad is each of the 300+ viewers can read my egregious typos and run-ons in my original post...



Many great points in there, Charlie Papa. Most striking is the idea that minting new solo students does not necessarily achieve the desired goal of carrying on the sport.



8 of us soloed one summer in the early 80's at Harris Hill. (Thank you Howard Trampeneau, Cliff Wilcox, and Ed Jensen!) I am the only one still flying gliders. It is really a shame, too. What a great, dynamic group of guys and girls.



They fell away at 2 general stages.



1. End of high school / Leaving for college

2. Married and starting a family



Here is what I think should be done to keep a young person in Soaring through the college years:

1. Before leaving for college they should have at least a Silver Badge. Better yet dual cross country flight experience or check out in a high performance sailplane. This is the most important indicator of junior member retention.

2. Offer collegiate membership rates to members who are leaving for college and students who are attending college nearby.

3. Make sure they continue to get emails and newsletters throughout college years.

4. Have some club events during Holiday breaks. At HHSC we have the Snowbird Contest. It is a little guys contest with spot landing and exact duration tasks. It takes place the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving with a banquet Saturday night. We give out some club awards and wrap up the season.. It is great to see returning college students attend. (70+ years of Snowbird fun at HHSC. Always looking for more clubs to come.)

As for marriage and the new family years, ask yourself:

1. Does your club have a quiet and comfortable place for a new spouse to read a book?

2. Does your club welcome new people and children? Not just old guys heads down and swearing while they fuss with their electronic boxes.

3. Are there social events?

4. Is there a swing set and slide?



XC

I would add that as a general statement, young people don't have the financial resources to progress beyond pretty much local flying. Once they have mastered the local club fleet, they likely will stagnate unless provided with some "sponsorship" by someone with more resources. Only a very few clubs have the depth of resources that HHSC has such as a Duo as well as a Discus intended for the juniors.
Helping that promising young pilot along by loaning a glider can make a huge difference in continued progress and the associated enthusiasm.
Most privately owned gliders are seriously under utilized so the sacrifice to the owner is minimal. It also ensures a crew for a long time.
UH