On Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 10:50:30 AM UTC-4, Sean Fidler wrote:
The SSA already requires prospective contest organizers to do several things in order to be sanctioned. Things such as writing a pilots kit, securing a CD, submitting a budget, buying Costello event insurance, following SSA rules and various other guidelines, etc. Trust me, this is not a very high bar for an organizer to get over. If they fail to do so the SSA will, I assume, refuse to sanction the event. For example: if an organizer used FAI rules (and ditched SSA rules), the event would no longer be sanctioned and an emergency SSA BOD meeting would be immediately called to order to deal with said blasphemy ... ;-)

Sean,

In just your latest, admirably brief (relatively speaking--I'm not in a strong position myself on this point) post, you managed to insult or disparage the following 11 groups of people. And I could have missed a few. Some could be instrumental in helping you accomplish what you wish to do. I've certainly had plenty of frustrations regarding rules and policies over the years but I have learned that talking down to people isn't a reliable way to win them over. You make some good points. I don't agree with all of them but I think your objective is to effect change, not achieve uniformity of opinion. Just a suggestion.

1. SSA Board of Directors.
2. Contest organizers.
3. Anyone who doesn't agree that Turn Area Tasks (TATs) should be eliminated completely.
4. Anyone who flies contests partly because of the social aspect.
5. Golfers.
6. SSA members over 65.
7. SSA leadership.
8. Anyone associated with the current SSA tracking system.
9. Anyone who doesn't agree that the future of the SSA turns on technology.
10. Any SSA member who walks around in 3-day-old clothes (whatever that means).
11. Anyone who doesn't agree that watching glider races on an electronic tracking system is a fascinating way to spend time for pilots and non-pilots alike.

Chip Bearden