LEADER TO LEADER
Leader Members (LM)
by Jim Rice,
Chairman Leader Member Committee
The membership manual says:
“The Leader Member is the most important of
membership categories in terms of the operation of
the Academy.” It goes on to say, “The Leader Member
is identified as an individual performing an above
average interest in the Academy and its functions.
There is a provision in the bylaws which gives the
Leader Member the right to vote in such cases as
bylaws changes. Nominating procedures for national
officers also require that a nominee be a Leader
Member. ... The Leader Member is the highest level
of membership and as such will be noted on the
membership card.”
There are three categories for LM:
Administrative—requiring administrative model club
experience and ability, Scientific—requiring a model
aviation background of a scientific nature, and
Industrial—for those with principal income from the
model aviation industry.
Administrative is by far the most
common and is the easiest to document when applying
for LM status. Go to the AMA Web site at:
www.modelaircraft.org/files/907.pdf for the LM
application. The form is relatively simple to fill
out and requires endorsing signatures from three
current Leader Members or open members with an
approving signature from the district vice
president.
We have made several changes to
the Bylaws in the last year and while the work to do
that is accomplished by the Bylaws Committee, the
Executive Council reviews that work and approves,
forwarding the changes to our Leader Members who are
then the only members who vote to ratify all changes
for the Academy.
Several years ago our LMs numbered
nearly 7,000, but that has now withered to about
2,500. These key people help us get information out
to the membership, keep us focused, provide us with
a pool of candidates for associate vice president,
district vice president, and other positions besides
ratifying bylaws changes.
We need to canvass friends and
club members trying to find, as the Marines would
say, “A few good men (and women),” to replenish this
important resource. Please review the requirements
and help us in this important area.
Q
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