Letter to editor in SOARING Mag

On 2/12/2013 10:42 AM, wrote:
If the magazine went away entirely, SSA would probably lose 500+ members
who maintain no other contact with the sport.

This thread has made me really sad. I love the sport of soaring only
slightly less than my family...and depending on the day sometimes more.
My guess is that without Soaring magazine coming monthly the real loss in
membership would be more like adding another zero to the above comment to
be more like 5000+ members dropping off. Sorry guys but I think it is
petty to rip on the content of a volunteer publication in public. Feel
free to submit more of your own work to improve the quality. My guess is
it will be criticized as well. I for one appreciate the magazine even with
its flaws. Would much rather have it come every month than not.

Damn you guys - stop being so quick to find fault and pick fights and just
enjoy the silent fun we have up in the air. Maybe it is because it is so
peaceful and silent up there when we soar that we feel the compulsion to
shout and bicker when we get down on the ground?

Bruno - B4


"What Bruno said."

I'm from the school: Praise in public. Criticize in private.

There's a time and place for everything...discussing (say) economics when
(say) the preacher is moralizing from the pulpit is an example of the wrong
time and place for the former.

I discuss soaring (the sport) and "Soaring" (the magazine) with my buddies and
with people knowledgeable about the sport. To that extent, the discussions are
private. When I've felt the need, I've directed my criticisms of the latter to
my Regional Director and - if also felt necessary - to others in the "chain of
command".

Like the preacher and sin (he was agin' it!), I'm no fan of willy-nilly,
public, opinionizing "on the cheap" when individual volunteers (and a few paid
staff) are easily identified as "targets" even if not intended as such at the
outset. That's just the nature of the beast.

To each their own, I suppose...

Bob W.