My name is Martin Henry, I’m a grumpy old hang glider pilot that has been flying since the early 70’s and have pretty much been a member of the HPAC/ACVL for most of the years that it has existed. I currently fly a rigid wing hang glider and on occasion, drag out my paraglider for little airtime. I have held positions on pretty much every level from local all the way up to the President of the HPAC/ACVL. I have been known to rant and rave about various causes and issue within our sport but like most that do volunteer to “serve”, did so with the best of intentions.
My most recent rantings included discussions involving last year’s financial plan for the HPAC/ACVL and the services this association provides. The essence of my complaint is the organization is becoming a bureaucratic beast that will consume all that we pour into it and through the years is yielding less and less to the members it was intended to serve. It is my opinion, the HPAC/ACVL is now focused on “Paper” and not on “Pilots”.
I guess I better insert this personal confession… I was probably responsible for this current state of affairs. Back when I was the HPAC/ACVL prezz, I implemented the “paid administrators” position. At the time, the intent was to compensate an individual for the basic running of the association. The position was intended to deal with our paperwork and membership services ( lick stamps and mail out our newsletter ….bet not many of you knew we actually had a publication?). Yup, it was pretty “Micky Mouse” and had some serious shortcomings, but it did work and it did provide basic membership services. Somewhere along the way, the administration became the “Thing” that ate “our” association.
Ok....., so what’s my gripe now?
It's sort of an accumulation of the same festering theme, what do I “get” for being a member of the HPAC/ACVL? (old people like to fester and enjoy being entrenched in hopeless positions…..). After all, HPAC/ACVL wants $175 to be a member…. So what’s in it for “me”?
Apparently less and less every year (while the administration takes more and more?).
What has brought me to my current position was my expired membership. It got me thinking, there is only one remaining product the HPAC/ACVL provides its general membership and that is our insurance. Well the value of this insurance is suspect at best and is often the only stick the administration has at hand to “make” you join, it got me thinking (never a good thing….), the industry standards for the sale of an insurance product is to make sure you know when your coverage has lapsed. The insurance industry wants to make darn sure they won’t be extending any coverage if you don’t pay your bill… Members of the HPAC/ACVL do not receive membership renewal reminders.
If you do a search of the HPAC/ACVL database, with a back date of one month you can see who has expired, for BC alone, there are 40 members that are expired (membership wise
). https://www.hpac.ca/pub/?pid=145
Run a 6 month window, and the number jumps to 70+. True, the bulk of your search will yield expired memberships that are within the one month window but also true is there is a substantial group of members that sit in a 3 month search. They legitimately may not be aware their membership has expired.
What amazes me is how the association that has what could only be described as a voracious appetite for revenue does not consider membership renewal notification as a key and very valuable service? Also, does not apparently view the lapse in insurance as a valid risk to the association?
In comparison, down in the "Excited States of America", USHPA starts sending email notification notices out at least 3 months in advance and hounds you with reminders right up until you finally fork over the payment! Oh, by the way, USHPA provides insurance, 12 magazines, a E-News letter and enough notices regarding governance to choke a horse (in that vain, USHPA is pushing to equal the dysfunctional nature of the HPAC/ACVL? )
Ok, what’s the point of this post?
I don’t like the direction the HPAC/ACVL has gone and I don’t feel it serves and or provides me as a member anything of value. I wish more people would care but it seems its much easier to just join and not give a crap about what’s going on. As the saying goes, “Fair enough” and to each his/her own.
What is not fair is the members having to put up with people like me bitching and moaning about our dysfunctional association. So here is your opportunity to shut me up!
I’m running a poll… “Should I STAY, or Should I LEAVE”?
I figure in recent years, I have only stayed so that I have a right to voice my opinion. There is little other reason to stay. Yah sure, the HPAC/ACVL can blather on about how important their insurance is and how important it is to support your national association, but truth is, about the only thing your supporting now is the “thing”. I have insurance from USHPA, I have my USHPA ratings and for anything else I will “self-insure”.. I get the USHPA rag, the USHPA E-news letter and look forward to the never ending “Governance” debacle….
After discussion with a few other rigid pilots (The 3 of us in B.C.), We think its time to form our own Canadian Rigid Wing Association. We won’t have a news letter, membership cards or any of that other crap but will get together occasionally to discuss things that include flying and not paper.
So? Should I stay? Or should I Leave?
Cheers
Martin Henry (currently ex-member HPAC/ACVL #02)
)
Advance Iota (Purple, white and lime green)