Membership

What did a life membership cost when they were purchased ??

Tony
 
I get it now.

I get it now.

Jim, it is a little confusing since the Forum isn't an official PRA web site. But since some PRA members do visit here and ask PRA related questions then it seems logical to have this particular forum. And since we now have board members who visit on a regular basis (hasn't always been the norm!) then the questions get harvested for a answer.

The best place, and most efficient, to get PRA questions answered is still by contacting Jennifer in Mentone.

My bad. I thought it was the way to communicate with the PRA since it was PRA Q&A. Thanks for the explanation, and from now on I will contact them direct for sure.
Thanks

Jim Skelly
 
What did a life membership cost when they were purchased ??

Tony
Tony, I didn't become a life member until 2001 after joining in 1967 but when I became a life member I believe it was $400. I know it had gone up over the years. I suspect that if one of us 'ole' timers would go dig out one of the ole mags that we could find out what it cost back then.
 
Tony, I didn't become a life member until 2001 after joining in 1967 but when I became a life member I believe it was $400. I know it had gone up over the years. I suspect that if one of us 'ole' timers would go dig out one of the ole mags that we could find out what it cost back then.

It was $300 when I became a Life Member in 1989, after joining in 1988 as a regular member. Annual dues were then $18, and it had been announced they were going to $22.
 
PRA Life Members

PRA Life Members

You are late to the party! I started paying dues again as a donation a couple of years ago and I don't think I'm the only life member to do so. In fact I think that donations over the years has been quite common but are not publicized. I know one guy handed Scott a $100 bill at the life members meeting. Rather than ask this question of life members on the Forum maybe the question should be sent to them directly. Not all of them visit here.

This is true about donations over the years not being publicized. When I went to Mentone in 2003 for my first time, I also donated $ for two separate portions of the PRA, asking it not be publicized. It wasn't (until I did just now). The amount donated was close to what I paid for a Life Membership.

**I do know that Glenn Bundy and Gary Goldsberry have, and probably many others who have served in the PRA for years, have given not only a lot of their time, but dug into their wallets as well, to chip in to bolster PRA funds, without expecting nor receiving reimbursement.

For those who like to criticize that Life Members get the magazine for free: Think about someone putting up a big chunk of money for a Life Membership, and the PRA has those funds to use up front, instead of waiting for 15+ years for it to trickle in through annual payments...

Think about annual payments that take PRA office personnel time to process. Forgotten-to-renew members calling to ask why they haven't been receiving ROTORCRAFT magazine. More time spent searching records by PRA office personnel. Then, getting back to unpaid members explaining why PRA ROTORCRAFT magazine hasn't been arriving, etc.

If added all together, the time spent by PRA office personnel to process, research, return emails or phone calls for annual renewals that have complications would surely be more expense than any Life Members surviving long enough to get the magazine past those 15 years they paid for upfront.

The time savings of not having to deal with the annual renewals and having the money upfront for the PRA operating budget should be strongly considered for bringing back into the PRA, IMOHO.

And, becoming a Life Member ALSO is a member for life, caring about the organization enough to put in investment capital, so to speak, into the PRA, without thinking of, nor receiving a profit on it, unless you think receiving a magazine is a profit.

I believe if we could know all about what Life Members have done for the PRA, it would astound us!

I believe that at least the majority Life Members have done more for the PRA than just plunk down more than 15 years worth of dues all at once and then left it at that...
 
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Kevin

I think you are "spot on" with your comments about unpublished contributions, I know of times when they reached into the thousands and usually from the "good ole boys" that have sometimes been berrated by late newcomers (less than 10 yrs membership) but now is the time to push hard for the future, thanks for you comments

Tony
 
I was ask to become a life member a few years ago before it was over. I never did it because I could see the PRA needed money. I plan to be in this sport many years and I did not want our PRA to be financially bound with all of my free subscriptions. I have even purchased several memberships for friends just to look at our magazine. So I can keep mine.
 
Haven't I seen Marilyn's and Tony's name in ROTORCRAFT magazine's contributors section as financial supporters, Tony?
 
Hi Kevin

Not to worry, still support as always, just pick our projects. Would like to see some "new" names on that list, it is wide open to anyone who would like to "walk their talk"

Tony
 
I recently certified a gyro for a guy. He told me about man who passed away and gave his gyros away. The guy was a big PRA supporter and probably could have cured our financial problems had he given the gyros to the PRA.
Someone ought to write a magazine article about charitable donations and bequeathments.
 
Hi Kevin

Not to worry, still support as always, just pick our projects. Would like to see some "new" names on that list, it is wide open to anyone who would like to "walk their talk"

Tony

I meant by posting about Tony and Marilyn that they most likely have gone unnoticed by the majority of PRA members as financial supporters, as have many others. I suspect most board members, past and present, have done the same.
 
Hi Kevin

I think it is that way with about any organization, a lot of "support" in many varaious forms goes in under the radar, often at the desire of the contributor. But it is always the same, have gotten many times more back than we put in, got a education that could not be obtained anywhere else or at any price, got to meet ledgends an pioneers that could not be met anywhere else and probably learned enough to still be alive because of someone's advice or experience that was given to me at NOT COSTS. Now how can you beat a deal like that !!!!!!!!!

Tony
 
Every once in a while a thread comes up that just meanders around all kinds of subjects. This is one that is also informative. I had the privilege of working the flight line at Mentone this year. It was important and also a privilege to donate a few hours of my visit this year. I received a shirt and volunteer patch. I camped at the airport and really enjoyed myself. I am thinking I will do this again next year.

The point I really want to make is that we need to be there for our PRA. Physically and Monetarily. The choice is yours. I know I came away with a lot more than I gave. Yes I did renew my dues when I registered.
 
I find it really disappointing that after all the effort the Minnesota Rotorcraft Club/PRA Chapter 17 put into promoting the PRA at Oshkosh that not one call or e-mail was sent to me regarding our experience at EAA AirVenture 2010 from the PRA Board.

Chapter 17 went to Oshkosh with one mission in mind and that was to promote our organization, the PRA. We were told by many at Oshkosh that we did an excellent job. I sent two messages via PM and e-mail to John Rountree with no response and Scott Lewis our PRA Pres. knew we were going but still no follow-up?

This question is directed to the PRA President and BOD; How do you expect to get chapters excited about promoting the PRA when you can't even follow up with the folks that are working hard to help you promote the PRA???

The big question at our monthly meeting last Saturday was what the PRA President and BOD thought of our efforts and sadly I had to inform them that I was never contacted! Needless to say this was not well received by the 12 members of Chapter 17 that took off an entire week to help support the PRA.

Regards,

Chuck Freese
President
Minnesota Rotorcraft Club/PRA Chapter 17
 
I find it really disappointing that after all the effort the Minnesota Rotorcraft Club/PRA Chapter 17 put into promoting the PRA at Oshkosh that not one call or e-mail was sent to me regarding our experience at EAA AirVenture 2010 from the PRA Board.

What do you call this Chuck?

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22371&page=6&highlight=oshkosh+airventure


Fantastic!!! Thank you!

.

Chuck, I want to thank you and your friends for taking up the cause. I don't know what to say about Geoff. I hope he has had a genuine change of heart.
Oshkosh is not to be taken lightly as you know, it takes a ton of planning and co-ordination.
If the EAA management catches us selling anything without a vendor "booth" we will be ejected. To have a legitimate operation at EAA, we need to rent a spot and do it proper. Thanks again for your work.



Since you missed the one I posted in the Oshkosh 2010 thread, I will say it again here and now that I am home from Osh and Mentone I can expound.


THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

I am looking forward to helping with the ideas that have been put forth for 2011.

Who is your regional rep to the PRA??

If you will be so kind as let your membership of Chapter 17 know that the VP Tim O'Connor & BOD member Tom Milton (on 08-02-2010) did indeed post a thank you, but you missed it, I would personally appreciate it.

Also, sometimes the thanks is slow in coming, as at Mentone we all worked our butts off. Some people putting in long hours 2 weeks before the convention. The PRA Office is still processing the paperwork from the convention and I know I am still backed up from my 2 weeks off work and away from home.

We have LOTS of people we also need to thank that put in time for the convention also.

If anyone wants to volunteer for for a volunteer appreciation position let me know, I will keep you busy!

At the convention I gave the office coupons for any volunteers that worked a full day or more at the convention for a free gyro ride at my expense. Only 4 people had time to take me up on the offer!



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Chuck,

All I can I'm sorry. As you know we had are own convention going on and we have been busy every night with PRA business sense than.. The PRA is going through some major changes and that has truly taken up all my time.. I will give more details on that as the facts become available..

Your efforts are truly appreciated and we certainty need all the help we can get. I do realize how important our chapters are and I apologize if I seem insensitive to your efforts.. In the future if you have any questions or any doubt about me or the PRA please call me directly.

Like you, myself and the entire PRA BOD are volunteers and speaking for myself and several others I devote all my spare time to the PRA . Once again I apologize for not recognizing Chapter 17 efforts..

Scott Lewis
 
Chuck, I personally posted a thank you, and although I am not the BOD, AS A MEMBER OF PRA ,I AM THE PRA and I take personal offense at your post. If you volunteer to help , you succeded greatly, if you volunteered for fame and glroy your in the wrong place.

Tony Stiles

PRA #17081
 
I dont think Chuck was looking for praise as much as he was wondering why the whole thing kinda fizzled out so quickly.

I think that those of us that did do anything at Oshkosh no matter what level of participation it entailed were succesful in what we set out to do even in the face of adversity with things not going as we planned but things worked out for the good regardless.

We have a whole year to plan the next event at Oshkosh and I am sure that we will be much more effective than this year with what we now know. Besides if you didnt go to Oshkosh you would not believe how messed up the whole thing was with all the standing water they had to deal with. man it was an absolute mess. We couldnt even get our campers in till tuesday and then it was a crapshoot that you wouldnt get stuck somewhere before you got in to your campsite.

All in all it was a good time and it worked out in the end.

We who took part know we did a good job but with no communications from the PRA leadership, it kinda looks like it wasnt a big step for the group to make for the PRA thats all Chuck is saying.

To those who thanked the participants, thank you for noticing the effort.

Jim
 
It is all right here to read.....

It is all right here to read.....

I dont think Chuck was looking for praise as much as he was wondering why the whole thing kinda fizzled out so quickly.

What? that is not what I read.

It fizzeled out because Oshkosh is over, the convention started and now that is over.


We who took part know we did a good job but with no communications from the PRA leadership, it kinda looks like it wasnt a big step for the group to make for the PRA thats all Chuck is saying.

What again? The post is right here to read, that is not what he communicated so far as I can see. It looks to me like he came down like a ton-o-bricks when what he should have done was due diligence. Worse yet, he passed it on to his whole chapter!

As far as communication from PRA leadership did you not read the very thread you were posting in? John Rountree PRA- Webmaster and Volunteer Coordinator made like every 4th post, if not more, as well as Tom Milton, myself and 2 BOD regional representatives.

http://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22371&highlight=oshkosh+airventure&page=6

You and Chuck might need look into getting some better fact checkers before you post ;)


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