A proposal to increase membership, cross-country pilots, competitors,and world champions (USA).

Hi Frank,

I absolutely agree with you that these specific issues are local in nature and that they require local solutions. But regarding the broader issue of growing our sport as a whole, our clubs need the guidance and support of the SSA. It's their stated mission. And now, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the SSA has the means to help ALL of our clubs by renovating their corporate foundations and receiving 501(c)(3) determinations, which would help them raise revenue, modernize, and grow. In its most basic terms:

1. The SSA's Board of Directors should approve and fund a program to actively help all clubs receive 501(c)(3) determinations.

2. The SSA should then contact each club to explain the program, and to develop a plan for that club.

3. Club volunteers, working with the SSA's 501(c)(3) experts, would then restructure the club.

Yes, some clubs have already received their 501(c)(3) determinations without a program like the one I'm proposing, but they are the exception to the norm. Most clubs aren't aware of the benefits 501(c)(3) offers, while others aren't willing to make the effort to get the certification. An SSA approved, funded and managed program would make the process convenient to everyone.

You mentioned my tenure as a club president. You helped me by pointing me in directions that wouldn't have ever occurred to me. With your guidance, our club was able to restructure, modernize, and grow. Yes, the 501(c)(3) determination was the big fish that got away. But if our small club could do what it did with the limited resources it had, imagine what an average club could do with greater resources.

Think globally but act locally.

Chris Fleming

I live and fly in Minden, in fact I moved to Minden for the soaring 8 years ago, so I'm partial to the idea of basing a national soaring center there.

Right now a small group of volunteers is trying to build a soaring center on the east side on land we have from the airport. Utilities will be going in this month or next, and we are trying to come up with a site plan. It is quite an ambitious, and exciting, prospect. Contact the Sports Aviation Foundation for details if you want more information. The Sports Aviation Foundation has 501(c)3 status and we are working slowly on building a fundraising base.

That said, I'm not sure 501(c)3 status is what is holding things up. As I said, the Sports Aviation Foundation already has that status, as does the Minden Soaring Club, which has given some 15 youth scholarships (worth $1000 in instructional costs) over the last 2 years alone.

There is some growth in our sport, but I'm not sure infrastructure is the real lack