Thats part of it Mark.

At the end of the day you fly for your own satisfaction.
If getting badges is your bag baby then so be it.

Mine is just the shear fun excitement and fear involved in long distance
flying with a bit of Acro thrown in for fun.

Al



"Mark Zivley" wrote in message
...
I think badges do serve a useful purpose to soaring, but I'm guessing
that Al's comment is more geared toward the paperwork, documentation
side of badges rather than the benefit that having a structured seat of
goals established

Badges keep many pilots focused on soaring where a lack of established
goals and objectives would allow some pilots to become less focused,
then bored, and then less active in soaring, then no longer soaring
pilots.