I don't think there is any future in joining or affilliating with either the
AOPA or the EAA. Now these are fine organizations to which I have belonged
but the culture is very different from the soaring community and I am sure
there would be issues that would not favor us. Associate yes, but remain
distinct.

Here's are three suggestions I think should be considered to revitalize the
SSA organization.

1. Convert Soaring Magazine to a webzine to save about $300,000 a year.
This would make the articles searchable thus creating a knowledge/culture
base for all of us. Make the webzine open to all.

2. Relocate the headquarters to a city easilly reachable by a significant
part of the membership. i.e. good airline connections with at least three
active local clubs. This would mean that at any moment a rank and file
member could walk in off the street creating a mindset in the paid staff
that, "It would be harder to get away with something." It would also mean
that a large number of vollunteers would be available if needed.

Hobbs is a fine community but it is very isolated from the membership at
large. I remember when the SSA headquarters was located in Santa Monica,
California with a dozen or more local clubs from which help was available.
It was, in my humble opinion, a much better organization then.

3. Create a study group of vollunteers to evaluate other national soaring
clubs like the BGA and DAeC to see if there are features of these
organizations that should be incorporated into a revitalized SSA.

We need an SSA for the 21st Century.

Bill Daniels