PRA Chapter Coordinator

[All_In]

Way to go Chris!!! Thank you!

 

[Dean_Dolph]

I have updated the PRA website list of chapter contacts - as far as I can by emailing & phoning in the last 10 days!

This is the list of -so called Ghost chapters - no known current contact .. phone & email listed are non operative!

If any one had ANY definitive news about these chapters PLEASE say so - or they will begin the process of de-listing them! :sorry::help:

“Ghost” chapters. - no current email/phone contact available.

#58 Sierra Rotorcraft Club
Jim Burrow
(760) 394-1312
[email protected]
www.sierrarotorcraftclub.org
*

#36 Wendell Knight Mem. Gyro Club
Cynthia Sanders
(765) 795-3489
Email: [email protected]


#32 Bay Area Rotorcraft Club
Brian Anthony
(517) 777-7617
Email: [email protected]
www.bayrotorcraft.org
*

Missouri
#35 Saint Louis Rotorcraft Club
John Wohaska
(636) 296-7188
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.stlrotorcraft.com/
*
#67 Mid-America Rotorcraft
Craig Tompkins
(816) 618-3840
Email: [email protected]

Nebraska
*#12 Nebraska Rotorcraft Club
Warren Hale
Email: [email protected]


All the rest .... I have had GREAT responses!
Good encouraging emails & some very interesting phone conversations .... nothing like being with-out "something" for a long time - to be appreciated!!

Now the harder part - figuring out what the chapters would like to communicate back to the PRA & getting that response.

Onwards.............:wave:

Chris, unless something drastic has happened then Chapter 35 should be in business. That is the St. Louis chapter and they posted activity in 2012 about the Shelbyville Flyin on their web site. Here is the link https://www.stlrotorcraft.com/index.html

Chapter 58 was almost exclusively a helicopter club but they communicated frequently with me. I just did a google on Sierra Rotorcraft Club and it looks like they were active in 2012. And there is a listing for 'Jim Burrow', their contact, in Feb. of this year on YouTube.

Hopefully if these chapters are still active then someone will contact you. However, just because you posted this info here doesn't mean someone from those chapers will see it because, believe it or not, not everyone uses the Internet or visits here.

I wouldn't get in a big hurry to cleanup the listing because it took me 3 months to get it squared away. Have you contacted Jane to see if those contacts are still members and if they have new contact info? Keeping contact info up to date is the one thing that chapters are bad about not doing. You have to remind everyone now and then.

If in fact these chapters are not active or have become dormant then look at it as an opportunity to resuscitate them. Some times it isn't possible but I had some success.

 

[GyrOZprey]

Thanks Dean -
I just realized #35 was listed twice in my "master-sheet" from PRA HQ - & I'd got a new contact # for them on the other page!

Sorry to be dramatic .... with the implied threat of delisting the "ghosts" ..... BUT it sure gets a quick reaction ..... but as you say not every-one involved reads here - I AM stirring the pot to get speedy information & no we won't be hasty in de-registration process - if there is no useful contact person or the chapter is not functioning - no point having it in public listing ...it'll still be on record until revived!

Hopefully more people will chime in with some good leads - how to contact these chapters.
Looking for current contacts for
Ch 36 Wendell Knight
Ch 32 Bay Area
Ch 67 Mid-america
Ch 12 Nebraska

 

[Dean_Dolph]

.....Sorry to be dramatic .... with the implied threat of delisting the "ghosts" ..... BUT it sure gets a quick reaction .....

Chris I just realized you used an ole trick I used when I worked for a living. In order to get a quick response, just threaten to do something related to somethig important that you know people are not going to agree with and it gets their attention in a hurry!

 

[Dean_Dolph]

Chris, there are two posts that I've come across (read 'em before!) while looking for other info that I think are relevent and hope that you have taken note.

I had a couple of chapters threaten to drop out of the PRA and take their members with them. One was a pretty large chapter and it would have been a loss to the PRA. That is not to say losing a small chapter wouldn't hurt. When chapter leadership gets upset then it is you who they will be looking to for help. Sometimes you can help and sometimes you can't but in my case I managed to convince the chapter leadership that it was better to stay with the PRA and try to change/improve it than to stand alone. They did even more good things after their change in heart.

Tom Milton and I have alluded to the fact that the chapter coordinator is the responsible person for communication between the grassroots and the PRA board. I think with your start that you will have no problem establishing commo with the chapters. Now, having the board listen to you and them passing info to you for circulation to the chapter is another matter.

Oh yeah, the emphasis in the 2nd post is mine.

1st one.

03-14-2013, 01:34 PM
gyroplanes
FAA DAR Gyropilot
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Lansing, Illinois (Chicago South Suburb)
Posts: 4,977



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.........I have heard from several PRA chapters that are on the verge of becoming gyro clubs. I hope Christine can do something to stem that tide.

__________________
Tom Milton, Need a DAR, Seat tank, Prerotator, Rotor Brake, or Rotor Tach?
Have Airworthiness Certification questions? [email protected] or
Visit www.calumetair.com

2nd Post

03-06-2013, 06:00 PM
PW_Plack
Platinum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Murray, Utah, USA
Posts: 6,482



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Western Rotorcraft was an outgrowth of the Regional Representative program. Combining six chapters scattered over two regions in one newsletter has been challenging, but it's been satisfying to see all the chapters step up and take the communication opportunity seriously.

I think it's very tough to run a chapter in isolation these days. If you're not sharing your enthusiasm over a large enough group of people, the flame just kinda goes out.
It will take a lot of work to get the chapter working closely with the mothership in Mentone again. We'll help the new Chapter Coordinator any way we can.
__________________
Paul W. Plack
Sec'y, UT Rotorcraft Assoc.
Editor, Western Rotorcraft

 

[Jazzenjohn]

For the Bay area Rotorcraft club PRA chapter #32, I'd call Jim Ostrander at (989)484-eighty eight sixty He's listed as treasurer and I know he flies gyros. The president is listed as Tom Taylor now (989)980-fifty one twenty one.

 

[Dean_Dolph]

Chris, I hope we aren't getting in your way or stepping on your toes by throwing stuff at you. You may need to request a raise to stop it!

But, in another PRA thread it was mentioned that it would be good if the rest of the regions, besides the Western & Southwest, created newsletters to share with the rest of the organization. I know there were several chapters that had newsletters they would send me when I was coordinator. You may want to ask them to do this for you and then if you see several in the same region then it could be suggested that they find someone like Paul Plack and Mike Grosshans to create a regional newsletter.

 

[GyrOZprey]

Chris, I hope we aren't getting in your way or stepping on your toes by throwing stuff at you. You may need to request a raise to stop it!

But, in another PRA thread it was mentioned that it would be good if the rest of the regions, besides the Western & Southwest, created newsletters to share with the rest of the organization. I know there were several chapters that had newsletters they would send me when I was coordinator. You may want to ask them to do this for you and then if you see several in the same region then it could be suggested that they find someone like Paul Plack and Mike Grosshans to create a regional newsletter.

Not at all Dean!

I welcome ALL the help & suggestions I can get!

I'm very glad for anyone like JazzenJohn coming up with new information & contacts to try! 4 years ... long time Chapter officers have changed & old ph. /emails no longer current!

I too suggested an attempt at regional newsletters for the N/ NE & SE chapters!

next job ....to weed out the unfunctional chapter websites! ( or approach them for an update)

 

[JEFF TIPTON]

A question Chris. Do local chapters pay any dues to tne National chapter of PRA?

 

[GyrOZprey]

PRA dues - rebates to chapters!

PRA dues - rebates to chapters!

Good ? Jeff ..... I think they must as there seems to be a rebate program where 10% of the dues ($42 - $50 ... not sure the current rate) returns to the local Chapter .... also a recent proposal of 50% rebate ( paid quarterly) - for new members signed up - for the first year only!

It seems some chapters have a chapter only membership - dues of about $15 - individuals join PRA separately if they want!

As I am not a local Chapter member - I really am just throwing out my impressions of how things work .... Jim & I have paid our joint membership directly to PRA @ Mentone - the 2 years we've been in this!

Anyone else out there who knows more please correct me if I'm not on the mark here!!! :noidea:

 

[PW_Plack]

Jeff, chapters do not pay dues, but PRA asks that their officers be PRA members.

The incentives for renewals was set up to encourage chapters to be more effective in recruiting members for PRA.

 

[JEFF TIPTON]

Appreciate the information. There may well a new PRA chapter around here this year. Just making sure we cross the tee's and dot the i's.

 

[Dean_Dolph]

Good ? Jeff ..... I think they must as there seems to be a rebate program where 10% of the dues ($42 - $50 ... not sure the current rate) returns to the local Chapter .... also a recent proposal of 50% rebate ( paid quarterly) - for new members signed up - for the first year only!

It seems some chapters have a chapter only membership - dues of about $15 - individuals join PRA separately if they want!

As I am not a local Chapter member - I really am just throwing out my impressions of how things work .... Jim & I have paid our joint membership directly to PRA @ Mentone - the 2 years we've been in this!

Anyone else out there who knows more please correct me if I'm not on the mark here!!! :noidea:

Chris, until one of those who actually know the details replies, I'll offer what I believe to be true. This is still new to most of us and in my mind the details are a little murky.

The PRA dues are $42/year. And 50% of a new member's dues, who is a member of a chapter obviously, is returned to his/her chapter. A new member is defined as one who has never been a PRA member and not one who is joining again after letting membership lapse.

A chapter member who renews his membership generates a 10% rebate to his/her chapter. I assume rejoiners would get the chapter a rebate.

These rebates are an incentive for chapters to promote the PRA outside and within the chapter and sign up those chapter members who haven't become PRA members.

I suspect there are as many non PRA members in our chapters as there are official PRA members so this is fertile ground for PRA growth.

This is the first time I've heard about $15 dollar dues for individual chapters. And there is no mention of it on the PRA web site but then there is no mention of the rebates either. I've often wondered if it would be an effective way to generate more rotorcraft interest if an individual chapter member bought a PRA membership for a school, public library or other organization. If so and I did that, would my chapter get a rebate?