Say Goodbye Lennie

Robertmudd1u wrote:
But it seems that the mean age in clubs here is more and more shifting
to the high end. Apparently the Germans have succeeded in keeping prices
low enough so as to attract youngs.

Michel,

I agree, but it is not only the expense; it is the attitude of the club to
youth and new ideas. A willingness to look at diffrent ways and diffrent needs
and wants of new members


Of course, you are perfectly right and i am probably too focalised on a
single point. It is clear that when there is a vast majority of old guys
in a club, it is less attractive to youngs. So this is a bad spiral to
avoid. Now here in France, clubs make an effort and tarifs are
cheaper for youngs. Still you need a fair amount of income to afford
paying these tarifs for all your children, plus yourself, etc!
The net result is that many people come to soaring when they are close
to retirement, hence have more income and more free time. This is not
good, in my opinion.

Robert Mudd

--

Michel TALON

.... pete was born in krautland,
raised in Chicago, returned to krautland for 20 years, then infected
the southern queerland area. Haven't heard recently, but I think he's
still in lost angles.


I started reading and posting on USENET about the same time I started
flying gliders - about 1984. Back then, there was net.aviation - one
newsgroup for all of aviation and 50 posts a day was a really big day.
We've grown since the by more than a little and in all that time, not
once have I felt the need for a kill file. Not once! I have one now.
Lennie.... plonk!

Tony V.
http://home.comcast.net/~verhulst/SOARING

P.S. People, if you ignore him, I mean really ignore him, he WILL go away.

(Lennie the Lurker) wrote in message om...

I am not casting dispersion on those that do not leave, but do take
offense on attitudes of elitism and superiority where they surface.
Soaring is basically a cluster of rich old conservatives, and they
brought their rich old conservative ideas and attitudes toward others
with them. The idea of being satisfied with what one has is totally
alien, lusting uselessly after the latest and greatest, bankrupt
yourself for something supposedly better is what you're supposed to
do.

I'm just getting started and I don't really think this is the case -
though it does seem to be a fairly common opinion/urban legand. Even
if it turns out that there is an over abundance of snobery in the
sport - so what? Just do what you want and let the others think what
they may. Ever seen the movie Caddy Shack?
==============
Leon McAtee
Flying on wood-n-glue........couldn't care less about competition.
Just want to fly.

Michel Talon wrote:
...
Now here in France, clubs make an effort and tarifs are
cheaper for youngs. Still you need a fair amount of income to afford
paying these tarifs for all your children, plus yourself, etc!
The net result is that many people come to soaring when they are close
to retirement, hence have more income and more free time. This is not
good, in my opinion.


This is necessary in order to keep cheaper fees for youngs. It doesn't
make any sense to have e.g. 75% of normal costs for youngs under 25
if everybody is under 25. And retired people in many clubs, including
mine, are contributing to lower the costs by spending a lot of time
working on various things in the clubs for free.