Trip Barber's State of the NAR speech at NARAM-53

[Peartree]

I haven't seen anyone provide a description of Trip's speech and there were a few interesting points that he included that have been topics of discussion on various TRF threads so here is a summary...

Membership: During the big membership push last year we reached a high of 5150 but after the drive ended things began to slide a little and have drifted down to a current level of slightly less than 5000 members despite the $5 bonus offered to recruit new mwmbers.

Finances: We currently are very healthy financially with approx. $300K in unrestricted funds. This means that we can afford to provide increased services.

Our Magazine is excellent: Advertising revenue provides $6K per issue which is 25% of cost. But, more articles are needed. (More on this later)

Outreach programs are doing very well: Our participation in programs like TARC, 4-H and NASA SLI are reaching young people and are the epitome of paying it forward.

Priorities: Trip's priorities are to make safety the priority or our entire organization. Unsafe flights still happen and they shouldn't. Major accidents and injuries are rare but in this world of litigation, we are, honestly only one major accident away from being regulated out of a fun hobby. Our hobby must continue to grow, both in membership and in the number of sections/clubs. Expanding our high-power programs and launches if also a priority as is providing better national support to our local sections.

Concerns: 1) Again, unsafe rockets that should not get flown, still get flown. We're better than that and we need to be more careful. 2) We are not attracting enough young people to our membership. Junior membership used to be over 1000 but is now only 600. As a result, we do not have enough persons age 25-40 who can move into leadership as older members "retire." 3) New member retention is not high enough. Personal contact with these new members is needed. 4) Continued development is encroaching on lands previously available to fly on and landowner fears of "safety" or litigation continues to reduce access to launch sites. 5) More NAR volunteers (including Trustees) are needed to improve services and programs both locally and nationally. Trip pointed out that currently we have the MONEY to provide additional services but what we lack is the PEOPLE to have good ideas and to administrate these new services.

Membership Survey: 843 members took the 2011 online survey (nearly all adults) this also provided 65 pages of text comments in addition to the answers to the 30 survey questions. Overall, no program was "broken" but all left room for improvement. Three particular areas stood out as in need of improvement: Increased support to local sections, a complete redo of the NAR website, and enhance the "how to" article content in Sport Rocketry. The number one impediment to members' enjoyment of the hobby is access to launch sites. Lots of divergent (that is no agreement) opinions on the need for changes in competition or HPR programs. There is, however, significant agreement and support for education programs.


That gets me about halfway through Trip's speech but now I need to go to work...

 

[bandman444]

One of his last points was, I think, very important, at least for where I live.

I don't know about any of you, but I just got another envelope from nar with a decent amount of money in it, from recruiting new members. These were people I knew, and honestly, I don't think half will ever renew their membership. Here where we can't launch anywhere. ROC is 4 hours away, SCRA is 3, TCC is 4, DART is probably 6 or more.

When you tell a regular high school student that they are going to spend a whole day launching rockets, they will think that's great. Then they realize we meet at 6am, drive for over 8 hours and launch just 2 rockets.

We have tried twice now to start a local NAR section, to just launch LPR. We aren't trying to start a80 member high power club, we wanted a place to launch lpr for fun, and my high schools Tarc rocket. Maybe it's because I try to obey the rules? If we just went and launched somewhere, we would be OK? I refused to go to launches that aren't approved. Our "wanna-be-section" met monthly with 10 people who were dedicated to launching and having fun. Unfortunately, one of the requirements to be a section require a monthly launch, well we, couldn't do that.

I wish there was some way for National to get involved to help the "wanna-be-sections" that can't do it by themselves.

Bryce

 

[ClayD]

One of his last points was, I think, very important, at least for where I live.

I don't know about any of you, but I just got another envelope from nar with a decent amount of money in it, from recruiting new members. These were people I knew, and honestly, I don't think half will ever renew their membership. Here where we can't launch anywhere. ROC is 4 hours away, SCRA is 3, TCC is 4, DART is probably 6 or more.

When you tell a regular high school student that they are going to spend a whole day launching rockets, they will think that's great. Then they realize we meet at 6am, drive for over 8 hours and launch just 2 rockets.

We have tried twice now to start a local NAR section, to just launch LPR. We aren't trying to start a80 member high power club, we wanted a place to launch lpr for fun, and my high schools Tarc rocket. Maybe it's because I try to obey the rules? If we just went and launched somewhere, we would be OK? I refused to go to launches that aren't approved. Our "wanna-be-section" met monthly with 10 people who were dedicated to launching and having fun. Unfortunately, one of the requirements to be a section require a monthly launch, well we, couldn't do that.

I wish there was some way for National to get involved to help the "wanna-be-sections" that can't do it by themselves.

Bryce

I dont bat an eye to drive (6hours round trip) to fly rockets. even if only 1 or 2.
My son since he was 3, now 6 loves it to, when we hit the last city before our launch site, he starts asking if different people are going to be there...
(which tells me this kid loves going and hanging out... not just rockets.)

High power is non existant for less than 3 hours, then 4-6 then 9 hours.

GOOD TIMES,
your right though, national associations would benefit from developing ranges across the country. if you can keep them flying people will come...

 

[shreadvector]

NAR HQ (Marie, when she returns from vacation) can supply a printout of NAR members within an entire state or within a range of zip codes, so provide her with a desired list of zip codes.

You can then contact those NAR members in your area and start working to obtain a launch site locally. Use the basic guide I have on the SCRA website (Links page: "Get Your Own Launch Site"). When you approach the landowner (person, school or park administration) be sure to already have measured the available site for launch and recovery and make it CLEAR that you wish to obtain permission and a permit for an appropraite power level so that you can launch AND recover within the permitted area.

The NAR list will help you get more aduilts and families who might be able to help with this effort.

You can also put posters up in normal hobby shops (with permission) and also use "LAUNCH SITE INFO" stickers on all rocketry products at larger mass merchandiser type stores. They do not allow hanging or displaying signs, but they usually give permission for the stickers since it helps their customers avoid the $1000 fine for launching illegally. (That's $1000 and/or up to one year in jail for EACH launch).

There is no requirement of a number of launches per year for an NAR section: https://www.nar.org/cabinet/charter.pdf
I have no idea where you got the "monthly launch requirement". After all, many locations are frozen tundra for many months a year and cannot possibly have launches. Ditto for TX and FL when they have gigantic "Burn Bans".

One of his last points was, I think, very important, at least for where I live.

I don't know about any of you, but I just got another envelope from nar with a decent amount of money in it, from recruiting new members. These were people I knew, and honestly, I don't think half will ever renew their membership. Here where we can't launch anywhere. ROC is 4 hours away, SCRA is 3, TCC is 4, DART is probably 6 or more.

When you tell a regular high school student that they are going to spend a whole day launching rockets, they will think that's great. Then they realize we meet at 6am, drive for over 8 hours and launch just 2 rockets.

We have tried twice now to start a local NAR section, to just launch LPR. We aren't trying to start a80 member high power club, we wanted a place to launch lpr for fun, and my high schools Tarc rocket. Maybe it's because I try to obey the rules? If we just went and launched somewhere, we would be OK? I refused to go to launches that aren't approved. Our "wanna-be-section" met monthly with 10 people who were dedicated to launching and having fun. Unfortunately, one of the requirements to be a section require a monthly launch, well we, couldn't do that.

I wish there was some way for National to get involved to help the "wanna-be-sections" that can't do it by themselves.

Bryce

View attachment LABL2WWW.DOC

 

[Peartree]

They do not allow hanging or displaying signs, but they usually give permission for the stickers since it helps their customers avoid the $1000 fine for launching illegally. (That's $1000 and/or up to one year in jail for EACH launch).

Simply to keep things in context, this may still be a good idea but I don't think that these sorts of fines exist anywhere except in California.

 

[bandman444]

Perhaps the rule is you "must" have an owner approved launch site. An monthly "cabinet" meeting?

Not the point of this thread though, where can we find the other half of the speech?

Bryce

 

[Peartree]

Perhaps the rule is you "must" have an owner approved launch site. An monthly "cabinet" meeting?

Not the point of this thread though, where can we find the other half of the speech?

Bryce

Sorry, I couldn't get it all typed in before I left for work. I will post the rest when I get home this evening.

 

[Peartree]

Based on the above, Trip announced that the NAR Board intended to do take the following actions:

1) Increase national support for section launch site access by a) accumulating and distributing "lessons learned" from sections, b) develop a briefing to use when seeking access from landowners and c) put all the relevant support material on one website page.

2) Restructure the NAR website - develop specs and solcit bids for new website development

3) Enhance the "how to" content in Sport Rocketry by beginning to offer a $250 payment for 1-2 substantial "feature" articles per issue on "how to" and or technical topics.

4) Offer free NAR banner to each section (someone posted a link to a photo of this somewhere already)

5) Shift to credit card style NAR membership cards (personally I don't see the advantage, IEEE, my professional society is the largest in the world with something like 500,000 members and those membership cards are almost exactly like the ones that NAR has already).

6) Enable online section renewal

Next came a section that Trip described as "Volunteer Needs" again saying that while we have a good bank balance (aka CASH) and we can afford to offer increased services, we do not have the volunteers needed to do it.

"The programs and services that your dues make possible need more volunteers to deliver them."

We also need a) Candidates for election to the Board of Trustees, b) Section Activities needs someone to develop materials for sections to use getting/keeping launch sites, c) Education Committee needs educators to help develop new products to support other educators using rocketry, and d) Every committee is just 1-2 deep and needs more people to share the work and to improve services.

In other developments:

The igniter issue with BATFE is not an immediate threat - we met with them on March 8 to open a dialog - it went well. Detailed regulation is not a part of their near-term plans (in fact, Trip said that BATFE recommended against pushing this on our own as regardless of how "friendly" to our hobby BATFE rules might be written, they would, by necessity, get pushed up to the Department of Justice for review and final approval at which time it become political, completely out of the hands of BATFE and who knows how it might look when it is finally enacted. BATFE recommended that the best course of action was, basically, to let sleeping dogs lie).

NAR will begin recognizing section websites for excellence this year in addition to the newsletter recognition - the revised section recognition program will begin in 2012.

NAR will award 10 Cannon teacher grants ($500 each), 10 NAR scholarships ($1000), $10K in section safety grants plus $2200 in R&D prises, $3200 in NARAM travel grants for B divisioners and Sport Rocketry now has multiple 56-page issues each year

One last note about Sport Rocketry, there have been several conversations regarding why this magazine isn't longer and why we don't get a better value for our membership dollar in this regard. Trip was VERY clear that we currently get several 56-page issues along with our 48 page issues. We can currently afford for *every* issue to be 56 pages but the single reason that we do not is that the membership is not contributing enough articles to fill the longer format. Simply put, if you want a longer magazine you're going to have to get busy writing stuff folks.

 

[Peartree]

Trip also addressed another subject that I have seen discussed around here, namely insurance. As of April, our insurance coverage has been doubled from $1 million to $2 million and coverage for Canada has been added. Also, our $100,000 coverage for fire damage at the launch site has been increased to $300,000 and participating TARC and SLI teams will be covered under on our insurance at SECTION LAUNCHES.

I will add a few more notes later this evening...

 

[bandman444]

I truly wish there was something NAR could do to help the "California" issue.

I'm no lawyer or expert (Shreadvector?) but what can we do to help? I don't know exactly but there are quite a few "large" clubs in CA that I know would benefit from some National help. Not to mention the vendors (specifically motor) that could benefit from an opened California market?

That covers a lot of different things, but I would love to see the day where rocketry people ask where you are from, and when you reply California they don't automatic think about the state with the ridiculous and numerous laws that seem to suck the fun out of it.

Thank you very much Peartree for you coverage.

Bryce

 

[edwinshap1]

Simply to keep things in context, this may still be a good idea but I don't think that these sorts of fines exist anywhere except in California.

and now you see our predicament lol

I have no idea where you got the "monthly launch requirement". After all, many locations are frozen tundra for many months a year and cannot possibly have launches. Ditto for TX and FL when they have gigantic "Burn Bans".

i'm gonna guess and say that it's required to schedule at least one launch a month, but if it becomes too dangerous to launch, or the launch site is overrun by a renaissance fair, other arrangements can be made IE other launch/recovery area, or the launch will be scrubbed and a make up launch can be scheduled, or the launch can be cancelled.

 

[Peartree]

I truly wish there was something NAR could do to help the "California" issue.

I'm no lawyer or expert (Shreadvector?) but what can we do to help? I don't know exactly but there are quite a few "large" clubs in CA that I know would benefit from some National help. Not to mention the vendors (specifically motor) that could benefit from an opened California market?

That covers a lot of different things, but I would love to see the day where rocketry people ask where you are from, and when you reply California they don't automatic think about the state with the ridiculous and numerous laws that seem to suck the fun out of it.

Thank you very much Peartree for you coverage.

Bryce

You are very welcome. BTW, Trip did mention that wherever possible NAR is very interested in finding ways to help hobbyists and clubs in California simply because despite the additional regulations, a significant percentage of the NAR lives in CA (I don't recall the exact number but it was something like 30-40%). This percentage may in fact be related to the regulations in CA but anyway...

There are some changes to NFPA 1125 which covers manufacturing and certification of motors. The latest edition went into effect on June 20, 2011. Among the changes included in this revision: a) the propellant mass limit for "model rocket motor" was raised to 125gm: 160N-sec and 80N average thrust limits remain. b) Added major labeling requirement to sparky motors and other 'G' and below motors that are considered HPR. c) Clarified that only solid propellant motors can be "model rocket motors"; all hybrids and sparky motors are HPR. d) Adjusted some requirements for certification testing.

There are also some changes to NFPA 1122/1127 which cover flight safety. these changes are still in draft form with one review remaining (October 1-3) before they go into effect in mid-2012. All changes reflect NAR/TRA consensus: a) Greater standoff range required for "mass" launches (which if I recall, during Q&A Trip thought that this was 10 or more simultaneous launches, but this could be more, I'm fuzzy on that). b) For HPR with on-board pyro systems: must only be armed when in launch position; then minimum people allowed at the pad. c) All references to court-cancelled BATFE requirements were removed.

Trip then spoke about why at $62/yr our dues represent a great value for the hobby. No surprises here, you've heard this all before.

Finally, in a section entitled, "What Can You Do?" there was: 1) Fly Safely and ensure that others around you do the same. 2) Recruit new NAR members, HPR certifications, competitors 3) Volunteer to help with your section or a national committee. 4) Do community outreach to community leaders, young people, parents and to those who work with young people.

At some point, Trip also mentioned that the $5 recruiting bonus for members has been extended to hobby shops also. All hobby shops that belong the the National Association of hobby stores (whichever association that is) have already been notified but only about 2000 out of 10000 hobby stores belong to this association. NAR is more than willing to invite other hobby stores but does not have contact info for them. If your local store does not have this info, you are invited to collect enough information for the NAR to make out and mail checks to them (a name and an address basically) and pass that information along to the NAR board.

 

[Marc_G]

Great write-up, PearTree! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rocketman248]

5) Shift to credit card style NAR membership cards (personally I don't see the advantage, IEEE, my professional society is the largest in the world with something like 500,000 members and those membership cards are almost exactly like the ones that NAR has already).

Out of everything you posted, this sticks out at me. Is there a reason why? It just seems silly to me, and probably a waste of money.

 

[Peartree]

Great write-up, PearTree! Thanks for sharing.

It was pretty easy. Trip had handouts with the Powerpoint slides on them (even though there was no projector for the powerpoint)...

 

[gagreen]

I truly wish there was something NAR could do to help the "California" issue.

I'm no lawyer or expert (Shreadvector?) but what can we do to help? I don't know exactly but there are quite a few "large" clubs in CA that I know would benefit from some National help. Not to mention the vendors (specifically motor) that could benefit from an opened California market?

That covers a lot of different things, but I would love to see the day where rocketry people ask where you are from, and when you reply California they don't automatic think about the state with the ridiculous and numerous laws that seem to suck the fun out of it.

Thank you very much Peartree for you coverage.

Bryce

This was covered pretty well i thought. There are quite a few members in ca and from what i took from trips answer to the ca laws was the nar could not provide direct funding for lawyers for a specific state. He is willing to provide the ca clubs with any and all helpful info the nar can provide.

There is no simple way to fix what ca laws have done to rocketry. I believe that a simple weekend convention where the ca nar sections and tripoli prefects can come together to try and come up with a fundraiser to pay for for lawyers or lobbiests. That is just a start of what needs to be done. I am not anywhere near ca so i have no firsthand experience to the pains that you guys have.


On another note the future of the nar and the hobby is at stake not because of legislation but because of involvement by the demographic that only a few weeks ago i became a part of, 25-35. I felt a bit of motivation to step up and begin talking to more of my friends about the hobby.I am also working on different ways to make rocketry more appealing to folks my age. I encourage anyone else who wants to help to pm me and we can bounce ideas back and forth and possibly develop something that will not only help the nar but maybe tripoli and the hobby all together.

Peartree covered trips address very well i can't come up with anything that he missed.

 

[shreadvector]

Out of everything you posted, this sticks out at me. Is there a reason why? It just seems silly to me, and probably a waste of money.

The xerox type (laser printer) toner peels off the thin cards when they are stored in a wallet within a vinyl sleeve.

 

[shreadvector]

I do not think the permit requirements for launch sites will ever go away in CA because of the very real danger of fires, injury and death.

Ditto for pyrotechnician license requirements for HPR.

As for the archaic law with the 500 gram weight limit and the Fire Regulations with the references to old editions of NFPA codes, they can be changed, but the process can take 3 years and SOMEONE has to do the work. This would usually start in an established committee which has not met in years:
https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/advisorycommittees/advisorycommittees_ssfac.php

https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/advisorycommittees/pdf/ssfc/ssfcroster.pdf

There are at least two Fire Officials who are active in rocketry (Model and High Power), but they are not able to help with the effort to get these revisions underway. That is very, very unfortunate.

 

[edwinshap1]

The california requirments for classifying motors as experimental HPR before they can legally be flown and the M motor limit don't really make sense as it pertains to where these motors actually get launched, and how well controlled these sites are. At NSL we put out fire extinguishers for every row/side, and there was a little joke contest in the works, whoever lights the ground on fire wins the contest I know that LUNAR doesn't launch during the summer months due to crops and dried grasses, and even just with the requirement to have a fire marshall okay the launch site would negate any legal launching of motors in dangerous/unsafe conditions.

 

[o1d_dude]

SARG doesn't launch from June through October because of fire hazard as well.

Even in non-drought years like this one in Cali. Those of you in the Southeast, welcome to our world. Global weirding at its finest.

 

[boomtube]

2010; the year I became a Born again rocketeer was great. I went to more launches than I could keep up with and that wasn’t even counting the half dozen solo launches at my local bigopenparkthingy.

2011; STINKS ON ICE.

If 2012 doesn’t show some marked improvements over 2011 I won’t be renewing my NAR membership for its third year.

Why support a hobby you have no chances to participate in?

 

[edwinshap1]

2010; the year became a Born again racketeer was great. I went to more launches than I could keep up with and that wasn’t even counting the half dozen solo launches at my local bigopenparkthingy.

2011; STINKS ON ICE.

If 2012 doesn’t show some marked improvements over 2011 I won’t be renewing my NAR membership for its third year.

Why support a hobby you have no chances to participate in?

you live in OK, just travel a little north east and you'll be at one of the best launch sites in the country, Kloudbusters :O I'm guessing your problem with the 2011 flying season was the burn bans, well thats a price we gotta pay to keep the hobby clear from legal troubles, and burning our launch sites down c:

 

[boomtube]

A five hour drive, one way, isn’t what I think of as “A little north”.

And it isn’t all about the burn bans. I read up on the Amarillo Tripoli and I think; wow that’s not that far, and no sooner do I get involved in rocketry than they pull a brain dead stupid stunt and loose their launch field.

Then P.A.R.C. looses their field

and then the burn bans and. . .

 

[ClayD]

A five hour drive, one way, isn’t what I think of as “A little north”.

And it isn’t all about the burn bans. I read up on the Amarillo Tripoli and I think; wow that’s not that far, and no sooner do I get involved in rocketry than they pull a brain dead stupid stunt and loose their launch field.

Then P.A.R.C. looses their field

and then the burn bans and. . .

i see on the site Potrocs got a new field in keyes and sunset tx...
no updates on them flying.
i have family out that way, hopefully they get geared up and i can double up some rocket and familty visits.

 

[boomtube]

I can’t even find Sunset TX on a map but Keyes is way, way north of Amarillo and for me; it might as well be on the backside of the moon.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one or more fields open up for the PARC NAR club out of Piedmont OK. That’s only a 90min drive for me so unless gasoline hits $5 a gallon I can live with that drive.

I’ll be at LDRS for my Cert 1 flight and High Frontiers assuming the Governor’s State Wide Burn Ban doesn’t shut down that launch for 2011.

I was informed that the Tulsa Tripoli group that sponsors High Frontiers can usually get a variance/waiver for the ban since the city of Pawhuska stations a fire truck and personal at the site.

 

[ClayD]

I can’t even find Sunset TX on a map but Keyes is way, way north of Amarillo and for me; it might as well be on the backside of the moon.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one or more fields open up for the PARC NAR club out of Piedmont OK. That’s only a 90min drive for me so unless gasoline hits $5 a gallon I can live with that drive.

I’ll be at LDRS for my Cert 1 flight and High Frontiers assuming the Governor’s State Wide Burn Ban doesn’t shut down that launch for 2011.

I was informed that the Tulsa Tripoli group that sponsors High Frontiers can usually get a variance/waiver for the ban since the city of Pawhuska stations a fire truck and personal at the site.

my bad its sunray tx.

the variance and wiaver i am really worried about for pawhuska, since we are the "county model" under normal circumstances I would say yes they could... but since Ms. Government issued the state declaration, I dont know if the OSFM will issue such a document. the new drought things has really muddied the water on who has authority over the bans, the county/ or the state(who previously didnt interfere...)
I planned on going, and probably will if they have it. its 3 hours same as argonia for me, but i kinda like the area..its pretty coool...
we can always launch ON the runway!

 

[boomtube]

I cna't find Sunray either.

 

[ClayD]

due north amarillo, between i-40 and okie panhandle boarder.

 

[gagreen]

I can see your issue with not rejoining due to flying field restrictions or lack there of. This was one of the points of trip's address tho, the nar is working on putting together a how to package for gaining new fields. Currently they are seeking more and more input from members to expedite this process, but the nar is an association of volunteers and as a member its a great opportunity to get involved not only with your section but the nar itself. There are alot of clubs out there whose members expect to show up and fly while the officials take care of the not so fun stuff, this usually ends in a disbanding all together as the officials get worn out and burnt out. The duty of hunting out a new field should not be dependant on the "club" but the CLUB including everyone. I am an avid outdoorsman so i spend a ton of time talking to landowners seeking permission to hunt, hike, fish, or photograph on other peoples property. The hardest part is getting the nerve to come up to knock on the door, after that conversation comes pretty easy with most people if they know you are sincere and come off responsible. I personally have permission to fly on about 10 dif properties and well over 1k acres just by striking up conversation from being involved with the local 4h. May have even created some new rocketeers through the conversations furthering the security of a solid launch site.

I know not everyone has the time to go out and do this stuff but it will make your rocket experience way better. a big part of the hobby to me is the social aspect involvement and a personal investment of time is not as bad as you think. Now the nar cant stop a drought and it sucks for ya'll in burn ban states i cant say i feel your pain, but i do sympathize.

The nar also cannot go beyond providing all the safety and solid facts to help out with california, trip stated that directly. So i also feel for the rocketeers of ca, but it is what it is write your congressmen lol. You guys are always welcome to come fly with us outside of ca.

To get back to topic of the address i believe we are skipping the meat and potatoes of the address and going for the small stuff here. NAR needs volunteers, ideas, and help becoming the association that will both grow and expand the hobby. More members = more benifits, more benefits = happier members.

Trip challenged all of us to step up our involvement and its not in places that require a lot of time. Simple ideas that you have to make the nar better just spend a little while putting them into action or get them to someone who can put the idea into a presentable package.

Volunteering isn't for everyone but, it is rewarding especially if its something that helped you out. Why not share it, and make everyones life easier. The nar is doing well and constantly fighting to make our hobby safer, more accessable, fun, and give back to educators and students, but it is lacking volunteers. The more of us involved the better educated hq is about our wants and needs as members.

Please don't take this post as a bash or anything but helpful. I really mean no offense and have no ill feelings for folks who simply can't volunteer. We are all in this crazy hobby together and its a really good group of folks and i look forward to meeting as many rocketeers as i can in the future.

 

[boomtube]

Assisting my “Local” NAR section would be a lot easier if my local NAR section was actually local.

And for me to find a launch site out where I live wouldn’t do the rest of the club members any good and I have no community connections out where the majority of the remaining club members live.

Ultimately it wouldn’t do any good at this point in time if we should get a new launch site. The entire state of Oklahoma is under a Governor imposed burn ban so nobody is doing any launching anywhere.

This situation isn’t going to change anytime soon.

LDRS and High Frontiers are my last hopes for any launches for the remainder of 2011.

Here’s the deal; if I’m not burning more dollars in motor costs than in NAR membership costs then something is seriously out of whack and 2011 is headed that way with a vengeance.