Present: Mike Karnes, Gil Major, Phil Vance, Samantha McKinney, Doug Pilcher, Adi Kochav, Alex Dreiling, Brad Davy, Jeff Marsuchek, Clark Hymas, and Steve Sides
Guests: Ray Morton, Primo Rivera, and Rich Whitlow
Meeting began 9:00 p.m. EST.
International Judging School – Alex Dreiling
Alex informed the BOD that the International Judging School is ready to go. Phil said that Adi and Manrico have received their funds for the International Judging School.
SWAG – Alex Dreiling
Alex has been receiving questions on where IMAC merchandise can be purchased. Alex has done some research on some companies that we could use to sell merchandise and that we could link these sites to our own website. These companies do embroidery and screen printing. IMAC sets their margins. Alex has also spoken with Wayne Matthews with Sew Busy. His company does embroidery, not screen printing. Mr. Matthews would send IMAC funds for the merchandise that he sold each month. Phil informed the BOD that this is how he has done this in the past. There are also some pilots requesting to purchase more stickers that were sent out with the membership cards.
Brad hasn’t had a good experience with selling club branded merchandise. He said that the cost ended up being outrageous and wasn’t many requests for merchandise.
As a non-profit organization, we can make money to support our organization. With outsourcing to another company, they do not charge non-profits to setup the store. Alex will check to see if they can do international shipping. He will also check to make sure that each region can include their own merchandise, specific to their region.
Possible By-Law Changes for 2019 – Brad Davy
Brad started a post in the BOD forum regarding possible By-Law changes for 2019. There are currently five areas that need attention and further discussion.
The process to change the current By-Laws is going to be a difficult process. The current By-Law states that the By-Laws can only be changed at an annual meeting with a 2/3 majority vote of the members in attendance at the meeting. The initial problem is being able to host an annual meeting with several members in attendance. Geographically, this will be very hard to accomplish. A meeting could be held at the AMA NATS, but there wouldn’t be very many members in attendance.
Brad recommends that we modify the By-Laws to where it doesn’t require an annual meeting. In 2019, we could call an annual meeting online, which in turn, we would hold an online meeting on the website where the membership could vote. This would give every member online access, so they would have an opportunity to vote. With the 2/3 majority requirement, we would have to make it where it would be a 2/3 majority vote of the members present at the online meeting. The majority of the BOD believes we should host an online meeting. Every member must be notified of this meeting. The By-Laws state that we can mail each member a postcard, informing them of the annual meeting.
Another issue is currently the By-Laws state that to be a member of our IMAC organization, the member must be a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) or a recognized governing organization. Do we want to keep this as a requirement to be a member? IMAC does not have control whether our members are a member of AMA or other organizations. We are a special interest group of the AMA. Do we want to operate independently of AMA? In the sig meetings, this question has come up several times. IMAC is the only sig organization that requires their members to be AMA members or a recognized governing organization.
Another change would be to require an annual report to the membership.
Brad will create a draft of his recommended changes and post to the BOD forum. We shouldn’t vote on this issue until the new BOD enters in 2019.
Guidelines for RDs and their ARDs; What needs to be on the Contest before Approval is Granted; and IMAC Rules and/or Guideline Changes – Doug Pilcher
The Guidelines for the RDs and the ARDs are posted in the BOD forum for review.
Doug has worked on three new documents: How to get the most out of being RD; the Contest Standards, and the IMAC CD checklist. Gil had a question on the Contest Standards. The second table on the drop schedule and Gil doesn’t understand what it is saying, Knowns and Unknowns Drop Schedule. The first one is the percentage and the second one is the drops. The second schedule puts them all side by side. These schedules show how many sequences are dropped on the number of known and unknown rounds flown. This was changes due to a rainout where 2 unknowns were flown; one unknown round can still be dropped.
Brad had a question about the $20 discount on Contest Standards. What if a CD holds a contest and doesn’t offer the $20 discount, will it count as a regional points contest? Mike says that if we don’t offer the $20 discount, we are not benefiting our members. Why would anyone want to be a member if they don’t receive a discount? Mike says that it is time to make IMAC membership worth something and for the CD to step up and offer this. Brad says that we could potentially lose a member with the cost of the first contest being higher.
The original documents wording was “should,” instead of the new documents containing the word “shall.” Do we want to enforce the CD to offer the discount? By using “should,” it gives the CD more flexibility on new members coming to the contest. The CD would just add $20 to the IMAC member fee for the non-IMAC member fee. Steve wonders what happens at a contest and how does the CD know that the pilot is a member. Alex emails out the pilots’ list for score and spreadsheet of current IMAC members as of the day before the contest. With one vote for “should,” and the rest for “shall,” a majority of the BOD agree that the wording will be “shall” in the Contest Standards and CD Checklist documents.
A motion was made to approve the 2019 Contest Standards Guidelines and CD Checklist as presented by Doug in the BOD forum by Brad Davy and seconded by Phil Vance. Motion passed unanimously. Doug will upload the documents to the website.
The new rule book is published, but is not on the IMAC site. Mike will send to Roy to upload to the website and Mike will start printing them for the 2019 season.
Regional Monies to Carry into 2019 – Samantha McKinney
Samantha and Mike have been working with Phil on bringing the regional accounts back to actual retained amounts for the 2019 season. Each region will keep the money that they raised from 2015-2018. For expenses, if the region stayed under budget for that year, they did not keep the remaining regional funds left for that year. If the region went over budget for that year, the amount over the budgeted funding was subtracted from their regional account. Mike and Samantha worked on these numbers independently and have come out with the same 2018 ending balances.
Samantha will send the adjustments to Phil to make to the corrected amounts coming into the 2019 season.
Treasurer’s Report – Phil Vance
The balance at the end of November in the IMAC General Fund is as follows:
Checking $19,577.13
PayPal $16,380.04
Total $35,957.17
The current balance as of tonight:
Checking $34,527.45
PayPal $ 726.06
Total $35,253.51
The invoice for the new RedBook binders were more than anticipated. There were setup fees and shipping that wasn’t added in. PayPal again has questioned our FEIN because it doesn’t match the IRS. Samantha made a suggestion to Phil to check to make sure that the name with the IRS matches the name with PayPal.
The IWC account has a balance of $4,715.39, which included in the IMAC General Fund. The BOD still needs to decided what they would like to do for AMA as a donation. Phil has spoken with AMA and they said that we could send a donation or buy a brick. If we buy a brick, we need to decided what to have put on it.
Phil is still having domestic members renew under the International fee. It averages out to about 2-3 members per month.
Regional Issues – All RDs
Brad has had several pilots who want to be ARDs. He will get the pictures and names to Doug. The scheduling looks the same as 2018. Brad hasn’t heard any feedback on WRAM.
Mike informed the BOD that we will not be attending the Toledo Show in 2019. It was a major expense for IMAC, with not much feedback..
Steve has been working with Primo on the South East region, getting him ready to go. Primo has been receiving positive feedback with him being the RD. He has some ideas that he will run by the BOD at the January 2019 meeting.
The North Central region is doing well. Jeff is working with Ray on the transition. Jeff has ordered the RPS championship jackets from Sew Busy. Brad said that these jackets are a great idea for each region and would like for Jeff to share the information with the other RDs.
The North East region is also doing well. Clark is working on the 2019 schedule. He has found a spot for the regional judging school that won’t cost anything.
Alex reported that the South West region is doing well.
Doug needs to work with the new RDs on getting their Live Writer program setup and training done for Live Writer and the scheduling of contests. Doug would like to see a post from all the RDs for the New Years.
Adi reported that he and Manrico are working on the 2022 IWC and the 2020 Europeans. There will be a regional contest in Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. The Asia Pacific will be held in Australia. The pilots must be an IMAC member to participate in these regional contests.
Adi mentioned that it is time to make the International Region equal to the 6 domestic regions. We need to discuss splitting the International region into three regions: Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Each region would have its own RD.
Michael Hobson is the new ARD for the Asia Pacific area. Mr. Hobson is the President of IMAC Australia.
Mike will be giving the International membership cards to Adi at the International Judging School in January for distribution to the International members.
Ty Lyman wants to have IMAC represented at Joe Nall. He is going to talk with a couple of people to help out with these event. Primo volunteered to help out with a booth. Primo also mentioned that we could do an IMAC demo.
Thank You – Mike Karnes
Mike thanked Jeff, Gil, and Steve for all the hard work they have done for IMAC for the past several years. Their work is much appreciated and will still be working with them in the future.
Meeting adjourned at 10:44 p.m. EST.