More news from PAMPA...

[Dave_Trible]

As is well known,  it was necessary some time ago to stop printing the paper version of Stunt News due simply to not having the funds to do so.  Though our coffers are in pretty good shape, they still wouldn't allow such an undertaking again.  We don't have the member base to ever support that type of production again. 
Having said all that the Executive Counsel has agreed to an arrangement to produce a 10-12 page,  simple black and white paper NEWSLETTER to be printed and mailed to paid members on a one year trial basis.  After this trial the EC will re-evaluate the project and it's costs to decide the future.  This COULD require a small dues increase because the current budget amount wasn't set up to print anything.  I authorized four quarterly copies without any increase for this trial-red line spending but set on a white-knuckle cost basis.  If you were a member 20 to 25 years ago this will look quite a bit like what you would have found in your mailbox back then.  I believe we can do this in this basic format without causing the treasury great harm.  In this vain I want to stress this is a NEWSLETTER and NOT a magazine so things like buying subscriptions,  publishing hard dates etc., should not be in our  lexicon concerning this.  PAMPA isn't a publishing company (and our non-profit charter would forbid that-always did).  We offer a member newsletter from time to time.  It also would seem wrong to charge a separate amount to add a mailed newsletter,  same principal,  we aren't 'selling' things.   All paid members will receive the newsletter. 
Our new VOLUNTEER Editors are David Shorts and Matt Colan.  Of course we ask that you contribute material to them for inclusion.  We are asking our current members for a favor though:  In order to generate accurate mailing lists please go to the PAMPA website and check ALL of your personal information including snail mail address especially and also your email to be sure that is up to date.  That will be necessary for the coming election on-line voting.  We have found over time these things change and folks don't think to go correct their info with PAMPA.  With the new on line renewals we haven't needed postal mail addresses for some time so a bunch of our data can be out of date.
We hope you will enjoy this new effort and support it.  This is really RETRO stuff for PAMPA but we will "dance with the one who brung us". 


Dave Trible
President

[Steve Berry]

I'm in. Where do I sign up to make sure I get the newsletter?

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Dave_Trible]

I'm in. Where do I sign up to make sure I get the newsletter?

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

Steve just be a signed up, paid up PAMPA member-on the website pampacl.org.

[katana]

Dave, not that it matters to me personally but I ask - why? If it was a cost drain before and if communications have largely swapped to on-line, where is the benefit of producing a paper hard copy that will cover largely historic items (based on a once a year issue)? Paper publishing is dying out, its generally just not needed when email notification is current and just as informative? It seems a strange direction with no obvious benefits?

[Dave_Trible]

Thanks for asking.  Since I had to stop the magazine there has been a constant chorus of " it's the end of PAMPA",  "no reason to join now", "what do I get for my money",  "PAMPA is dying because we have no magazine", and inversely,  "printing something will grow our membership".    As I have stated recently in the course of this conversation our membership has been dropping since the 1980's and actually took it's largest drop 'WHILE' we were printing the BEST of the magazines.  Our kind are simply aging out with not near enough replacements coming along behind.  Once we were given a new life financially I have been reluctant to repeat the path that led to our near-closure with respect to spending more on printing magazines than we were taking in in dues.
David Shorts came to me and Chris (and I brought before the Board) the sort of same arguments I listed above but with a willingness to give of his time and effort on a volunteer basis to put this together.  I originally rejected the idea solely on financial grounds but after some reflection I told him we'd take a chance with;
1.  A very minimally priced product with a small page count on simply white paper-no color and no special cover.  This is something I envision could be made without contracting or hiring,  done at Staples etc.  They have a target of no more than $2.50 per copy per member,  plus postage.
2.  We'd have a trial run of one year, four issues after which the Executive Counsel AND the editors will re-evaluate whether it will continue and determine actual costs to decide whether a dues increase will be required.  (it will I'm sure but not huge).
I do understand how many of our members enjoyed opening the mailbox and having a hard copy of material like we grew up with and is now sadly a thing of history as most all hobby magazines  are gone (because not enough subscription base left to make them worthwhile) and times have changed as we move as a whole into the computer age.  To many this is an integral part of their hobby that was taken from them.  I did say this could bring back temporarily a few old timers but doubt it will bring in many new members-I hope they prove me wrong.
In any event rowing upriver makes one tired.  If we can strike a right-balance of cost and benefit with this then maybe we can make (almost) EVERYONE HAPPY.   It's worth a try I guess.

Thanks for asking,

Dave

[Mark wood]

Dave, not that it matters to me personally but I ask - why? If it was a cost drain before and if communications have largely swapped to on-line, where is the benefit of producing a paper hard copy that will cover largely historic items (based on a once a year issue)? Paper publishing is dying out, its generally just not needed when email notification is current and just as informative? It seems a strange direction with no obvious benefits?

The benefit is that it keeps an open communication going. Some of us read periodicals at the lunch table or other locations and are beginning to struggle reading the computer screen. Or simply get tired of reading the computer screen. Plus without an active publication, PAMPA looks like it is, in fact dying, which precipitates the question of "why would I invest in PAMPA when it is clearly tanking?".

Spoken as person whom wouldn't make the investment without a published periodical. I'm not alone from the notes I received.

It's a good and positive move on the part of PAMPA and those whom made it happen.

[john e. holliday]

I think a printed paper of the district reports would be doable with no pictures as I think that is what drives the cost up.  Seems the district reporters fail to put something in the on line version of Stunt News.

[MikeyPratt]

Bubba,
Does this mean we are back to printed Alligators on the pages again?  Ho No!!!!

Dave,
Do what you think is best to keep everything going.  It’s not the Magazine that keeps you in sport but brotherhood of flying stunt models.  I applaud each and every person that have contributed to Stunt news but as times change we have to change as well.

Mikey

[the original Steve Smith]

Dave,

If it is only a few pages could we have the option to receive only an emailed copy that we could print on our own equipment?  If enough of us do that the printing and mailing costs would be less.

Just a thought.

Thanks,
Steve Smith
AMA 2112

[Dwayne Donnelly]

Dave,

If it is only a few pages could we have the option to receive only an emailed copy that we could print on our own equipment?  If enough of us do that the printing and mailing costs would be less.

Just a thought.

Thanks,
Steve Smith
AMA 2112

Good idea and as a Canadian your AMA number rocks...lol

[Dave_Trible]

Dave,

If it is only a few pages could we have the option to receive only an emailed copy that we could print on our own equipment?  If enough of us do that the printing and mailing costs would be less.

Just a thought.

Thanks,
Steve Smith
AMA 2112

Hello Steve.    Well this is different. There is no collaboration with Chris to put this content up on the website on a running basis- certainly not in the beginning anyway.  I may discuss it with him but not sure if that will happen.  Chris and Kayla accepted a pay cut when we stopped producing the  'magazine' and it may be more than they care to do....but we can talk about it.  For sure this trial run won't have such an option.  They surely will continue to take material for upload just like they have been all along.  I'm not thinking to change much of anything related to the website until we see where this new adventure goes.  Maybe the coming management will have other ideas.

See you soon!

Dave

[Paul Wescott]

Dave - Will you sell advertising space or classified ads in the newsletter?  Let me know.  Thanks?

Paul W.

[Dave_Trible]

Hello Paul.  Well yes.  In fact Lee Machine Shop and Oakie Air Model Products have already reserved space. We (the board) have not set any rates yet and I had suggested we just put the ads at no cost for the first couple issues just to get started however I understand some checks have been sent as donations.  If you are interested contact David for now and the EC will figure out some suggested donation amounts to place an ad.  These WILL be helpful to help recover some of the costs for this first year which wasn't budgeted.

Thanks

Dave

[Ken Culbertson]

Hello Paul.  Well yes.  In fact Lee Machine Shop and Oakie Air Model Products have already reserved space. We (the board) have not set any rates yet and I had suggested we just put the ads at no cost for the first couple issues just to get started however I understand some checks have been sent as donations.  If you are interested contact David for now and the EC will figure out some suggested donation amounts to place an ad.  These WILL be helpful to help recover some of the costs for this first year which wasn't budgeted.

Thanks

Dave

It is fair to charge enough to cover the cost of doing it.  "Not for Profit" does not mean you are supposed to take a loss either!

Ken

[pmackenzie]

Good idea and as a Canadian your AMA number rocks...lol

It would be interesting to know how many got that

[EricV]

It would be interesting to know how many got that

Well, as long as you're not in any rush to find out, just don't make any overtures, and wait for the moment of discovery, a good presentation should lead to the grand finale when someone posts an answer.
EricV

[Dwayne Donnelly]

Well, as long as you're not in any rush to find out, just don't make any overtures, and wait for the moment of discovery, a good presentation should lead to the grand finale when someone posts an answer.
EricV

That must of taken some research as you can't get something from nothing, well played.

[John McFayden]

Surely all of the Jive Combat Team will get it.

[Dan McEntee]

It would be interesting to know how many got that

  I got it, and I think Steve has it for the reason you may be inferring!
   Take off eh!! HOSER!!
   Dan McEntee

[john e. holliday]

I would pay extra to even get the on line issue as I can save it in a file and read later.

[Dave_Trible]

I would pay extra to even get the on line issue as I can save it in a file and read later.

Doc, just want to clarify from my statements above:  There will BE NO on line issue of this new newsletter, at least in the near term.  IF, IF it continues, IF the volunteer editors don't think they bit off more than they can chew and get burned out,  If they can gather enough info to fill the pages, IF the EC feels the project is worthwhile and affordable, and IF our webmaster is up for it then perhaps it could be duplicated on line.  By the way it will be called simply "PAMPA" so as not to be confused with the previous Stunt News.

Dave

[SteveMoon]

Simply put, I much prefer a printed version to a digital version.
Thanks Dave, David, Chris and others.

Steve

[Dave_Trible]

Simply put, I much prefer a printed version to a digital version.
Thanks Dave, David, Chris and others.

Steve

Thanks Steve and thanks for renewing..

Dave

[Dwayne Donnelly]

Thanks Steve and thanks for renewing..

Dave

Hi Dave, will you be mailing them up to us Canucks?

[Dave_Trible]

Sure will Dwayne.  BTW how about writing a bit in the new rag about doings up north.  You are like a PAMPA district without a number.....curious minds want to keep an eye on that Cox fellow....

Dave

[kevin king]

Sure will Dwayne.  BTW how about writing a bit in the new rag about doings up north.  You are like a PAMPA district without a number.....curious minds want to keep an eye on that Cox fellow....

Dave

The last I heard Chris could not enter the usa.

[Dave_Trible]

I think those restrictions have been removed but not sure.  Looking forward to Chris and Joanie coming to the Nats this year.

Dave

[Chris Cox]

I think those restrictions have been removed but not sure.  Looking forward to Chris and Joanie coming to the Nats this year.

Dave

It would appear Joan and I will indeed be able to attend the Nat’s in July.  We have really missed everyone.

Also looking forward to the PAMPA Newsletter.  Sounds like a great idea.  Thanks for doing this!  I will definitely try to help with some material.