USPA BOD 2018 Election Results.

Some expected, some surprise, some disappointments.

https://uspa.org/Information/News/uspa-board-elections-conclude?fbclid=IwAR2Z0TOMWHfYtyuHyOUxYsL3Pkes1EgtODIuJw1XppMaxJeM_Kt_OrHz8Ks

It would be an interesting piece of information to see the last time all of these folks jumped. For some, I think it's been a while...

Skwrl

It would be an interesting piece of information to see the last time all of these folks jumped. For some, I think it's been a while...

I made 250 +/- in the last year. Typical for me.

Most on the board are very current jumpers. A few only make an occassional hop, and one I believe hasn't jumped in more than 20 years.

Quote

I made 250 +/- in the last year. Typical for me.

I see your posts for Chuck Ways every week, and have seen the videos. Maybe, some day...

Congrats on your selection.

Alix Hubbard from the Southeast is also very, very current.

flyhi

Quote

I made 250 +/- in the last year. Typical for me.

I see your posts for Chuck Ways every week, and have seen the videos. Maybe, some day...

Congrats on your selection.

Alix Hubbard from the Southeast is also very, very current.

Thanks! I do hope you join us for some hops!

Looking forward to serving with Alix. She has attended the past couple board meetings and seems to be a great lady.

If you look in the Election Issue (October issue) of Parachutist, each board member's bio includes a line for jumps in the past year. Some chose not to answer, but most did.

Certainly something to consider but, I'm not sure how much it really matters. be better to have people involved in the sport but, I wude rather see BOD members that are putting members 1st. Sherry Butcher and Mike Mullins have both strongly supported using members money to fund the debacle known as the National skydive museum. Hoping both will listen to what the members are saying here and make some better decisions in the future. You both want it built? No problem, pay for it yourself or find another way to fund it.

Wish we had a like button :) Not often me and Billy agree but on this I agree 100% it needs to be built IMO :)

Quote

It is quite possible that the majority of the membership wants the museum, and thus Butcher/Mullins ARE putting the membership ahead of a vocal minority who want it defunded.

+1

We have representatives because polling the entire USPA for every issue isn't feasible. Personally, I'm in favor of funding the museum.

Since we are funding the museum, will USPA members get free admission when/if it is built?

billvon

It is quite possible that the majority of the membership wants the museum, and thus Butcher/Mullins ARE putting the membership ahead of a vocal minority who want it defunded.

Bill, I'm not so sure about this. How are we learning about the opinions of a "vocal minority"? If you are refering to those who post on dropzone.com, well, yes, they are vocal because they are comfortable using dropzone.com.

But there may be many others that are against USPA donating to the museum, but are not comfortable talking about it in public.

I would think that there is no way to really know. People don't always tell us what they are really thinking.

I realize that I am saying that there is a problem, but that I am not providing a solution. I can't think of one short of holding a gun to everyone's head and forcing them to vote their opinion on it or something like that.
.

peek

***It is quite possible that the majority of the membership wants the museum, and thus Butcher/Mullins ARE putting the membership ahead of a vocal minority who want it defunded.

Bill, I'm not so sure about this. How are we learning about the opinions of a "vocal minority"? If you are refering to those who post on dropzone.com, well, yes, they are vocal because they are comfortable using dropzone.com.

But there may be many others that are against USPA donating to the museum, but are not comfortable talking about it in public.

I would think that there is no way to really know. People don't always tell us what they are really thinking.

I realize that I am saying that there is a problem, but that I am not providing a solution. I can't think of one short of holding a gun to everyone's head and forcing them to vote their opinion on it or something like that.
.

I would bet money that most USPA members don't know anything about it.

billvon

Quote

But there may be many others that are against USPA donating to the museum, but are not comfortable talking about it in public.

Of course. As there may be people who want USPA to support the museum, but is uncomfortable talking about it because of all the vitriol.

I think it's a bad idea personally. But from the one poll here, feelings are fairly divided about it. And given that, board members may be supporting what they believe the membership wants.

The BOD is not supposed to do what the members want, but what is good for the organization. I don't see how this museum arrangement is going to be good for the organization financially. We took an arrangement that had no cost to USPA (land donated and the building to be built with donations) and made it a large financial commitment for years to come with little to no benefit to the organization.

top

Quote

I suspect many people think museum -> more popularity of skydiving -> more members -> better for the organization. (I don't think a museum will do that much, but it will probably have a small effect.)

I don’t know what impact a museum in FL would have on promoting skydiving.

From the museum’s web site;

“Saturday, March 28, 2015 - 21:01
The Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame is pleased to announce it is collaborating with Skyventure iFly to co-locate the Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame with a 16-foot iFly wind tunnel in North Orlando, Florida. The museum is currently working with a leading design firm to combine building space and functions and iFly is actively searching for a suitable piece of property as a venue for the combined facility. The co-venture is expected to open its doors in 2018.”

I emailed the museum and got this response;

“Good morning, as soon I answer your question, I will be wrong. However the best estimate we can give you is that we are three-four years from opening the doors. However, if iFLY accelerates their timeline, we will move sooner.”

My concern is USPA donating a large amount of money to a project that still has an expected opening of 2018 on it’s web site, but is at least 3-4 years from that now and that is only a guess at best. What happens to all that money if the project never gets built?

Derek V

So the USPA will have a total financial burden of just under 300k$. with over half being contributed over the next 6 years. At the end of 2017 there was about 39k USPA members.

Soooo....yeah, I'm ok with the USPA taking ~1.25$ of my dues every year (total averaged 6y) to help promote skydiving over the long term. Really since 112,200$ has already been spent I am 100% OK with the USPA using ~ 0.75$ of my membership fee (66) each year for 6 more years to go towards the museum.

What is the membership getting for their $ and when will they get it?

Derek V

Hooknswoop

What is the membership getting for their $ and when will they get it?
Derek V

Personally I am fine with the USPA chipping in a little bit for this museum, but I am with grimme, I would like to see the presentation. Hopefully it will answer the obvious question for me:
"How can the museum backers be sure that this $ ask is the last time they will come to USPA with hat in hand?" I don't want to set a precedent that now the USPA is financial backer of the museum, with potential further support required.

As for what I expect to get out of it? I expect it to get built, so that one day I can go and see the memorabilia. That's it for me. I don't care about growing the sport or whatever other greater societal good people are thinking of. Just let me check out the gear, look at the trophies and what not.

Seth

I'm a USPA member and am all for the Museum. But mostly because:

Hooknswoop

...Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame with a 16-foot iFly wind tunnel in North Orlando, Florida.

So, it is not a case of NIMBY, but YPIMBY (Yes, Please In My Back Yard). Fund away and get this built now!

LeeroyJenkins

So the USPA will have a total financial burden of just under 300k$. with over half being contributed over the next 6 years. At the end of 2017 there was about 39k USPA members.

Soooo....yeah, I'm ok with the USPA taking ~1.25$ of my dues every year (total averaged 6y) to help promote skydiving over the long term. Really since 112,200$ has already been spent I am 100% OK with the USPA using ~ 0.75$ of my membership fee (66) each year for 6 more years to go towards the museum.

Yes, this. It's hard to get too worked up about whether they are wasting a few cents per month. Even the entire membership dues are about half of what I pay for Netflix or Hulu. I'm sure someone will make a "slippery slope" argument that in the future I'll be paying thousands of dollars, and when membership dues grow much larger then I will care more. But I just cant find the justification to care about $66/year, for which I get a nice monthly magazine and lobbyists in DC to fight for our sport.

But to answer the question about whether members will get free admission, how about you get your $4.50 discount to cover your personal share of the museum investment. Would that satisfy you?

it’s bad enough that every USPA thread turns into a “those worthless jerks do things I don’t like” slugfest, but do they also have to turn into museum bitch sessions?
I love watching the same people argue that USPA SHOULD be the drop zone cop about almost everything, but shouldn’t require my buddy to pass a flight medical to do tandems.

Quote

I love watching the same people argue that USPA SHOULD be the drop zone cop about almost everything, but shouldn’t require my buddy to pass a flight medical to do tandems.

you mean.... SHUDE, lol