Present: Mike Karnes, Doug Pilcher, Phil Vance, Samantha McKinney, Primo Rivera, Rich Whitlow, Brad Davy, Adi Kochav, Ray Morton, and Clark Hymas
Absent: Alex Dreiling
Meeting began 9:01 p.m. EST.
Online Store – Mike Karnes
Doug and Mike have talked about doing an online store. Mike has found a webstore that would possibly work. They only charge $2 a month for PayPal. Mike is going to start gathering some items to sell.
The online store is stuff that we can sell. The site does not produce it. We could sell items for different regions. This would strictly be our store. Mike has been working with the website and showed the different items he has designed to the BOD.
2019 Scale Aerobatic Nats/Sponsorships and Bling at Nats – Doug Pilcher
The format for the Nats is changing this year. It will be an 80/20 split. Doug is working on some sponsors for the Nats. He has reached out to a few potential sponsors and is waiting to hear back. He is looking for either a monetary donation or product for the event. Doug has reached out to his 2018 team. The ones coming back are Phil, Samantha, Rosie, Alan, and Rich. Leasha Bull will also be coming to do the social media. We will be doing some live feeds just like the Worlds. We will also have live scoring.
Rosie will be working on the mugs to sell at the Nats. If we come up with sponsors, we would like to design a logo with the sponsor name for the cups as well. Rich also suggested that we could design some items with the “#I AM IMAC” on them.
Hats – Mike Karnes
The hats were delivered today. It has the IMAC logo on the front, with the “# I AM IMAC” on the back. Mike ordered 10 dozen to sell. They are gray with a blue bill. Ray, Rich, and Primo would like some hats to sell. There will be 3 dozen hats available to purchase at the Toledo Show.
10% Excel File – Adi Kochav
Adi has been working on the 10% rule for the measurements of the plane and has sent to Mike. He has done several modifications on the program and the equation. Rule 6.5 doesn’t write about the scale length; it writes about the scale width. Adi tried to simply the scale rule. He tried to collect every aerobatic plane that we have on the market and find the scale width. If there is a plane that isn’t listed, he asks that the measurements are sent with the fuselage length without the spinner. Some manufacturers are above and below the 10% rule.
Online Score Class Revisited – Samantha McKinney
The online score class was held on March 9. We had 14 participants, with 4 veteran scorekeepers. We only had half the attendance from who registered. We covered everything from downloading java to run the score program, to downloading and uncompressing the score file, to running score, and printing reports.
The class went exceptionally well and had very good questions. Samantha wanted to inform the RDs that if they could send the CDs the “Pilots” export for score for the pre-registration of pilots on the website, that it would save the scorekeepers a great deal of time. She also wanted to make sure that the RDs stress that the original score sheets not be handed out at the contests.
Treasurer’s Report – Phil Vance
As of tonight, the IMAC general IMAC account balance is as follows:
Checking $24,128.58
PayPal $10,422.94
Total $34,551.52
The IMPACT software is now being paid through the checking account.
Phil reported that we are having some issues with some International pilots that are not listed on the membership. Our webmaster said that if these members did not reply to the authentication email that the website sent out, it flushed those accounts out. We currently have 17 members that we are having issue with.
A question was asked if a new member who is joining at a contest will received the $20 introductory membership fee. The only way they would receive the $20 membership is only if the RD approves the CD to offer this at the contest.
Regional issues – All RDs
Brad has received some feedback from the CDs on the $20 “shall” discount. A few of them have been upset. Brad is going to go back to his CDs and make sure to remind them of the $20 discount. A minor issue was if the $20 discount is in Canadian or U.S. monies. Brad will also be in the SC helping Dan out with the judging at the SC Odessa contest.
Primo reported that the SE has started out strong. They have already had two contests. There were 40 pilots at the Ocala contest. There were some from the Canada that attended. The contest had 6 basic pilots. One of Primo’s concerns was the low attendance at the judging schools. There are also having problems finding judges for the contests.
Rich reported that he has had a small issue with the CDs on the $20 discount. Their first contest is next weekend. They also had low attendance at the judging school, but it was due to the snow and ice.
Ray reported that the NC region is working on the Toledo Show. It is a little less than a month away. We have about 15 volunteers who will be in the IMAC booth volunteering. There is a lot of things on the schedule at the IMAC booth. There will be flyers for the upcoming contests and marketing merchandise. Kurt Koelling is hosting a symposium, along with Ray and Toby Silhavy. Ray has had a request for hats from Canada. The weather is getting ready to break, but our first contest isn’t until May.
Adi asked if we would contact Toby Silhavy to see if he would be interested in selling his stick planes and scoring wheels and sticks on the webstore.
Meeting adjourned at 10:21 p.m. EST.