US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

Dear Chapter contacts and concerned pilots:

This year, USHPA has issued new chapter requirements as part of our annual chapter renewal process. The new requirements are also included in USHPA's SOP 06-01.

I urge you to read these new requirements carefully. They include item 06-01.04 F, which forbids chapter officers from engaging in: "Any correspondence in any public media which is critical of USHPA's programs and policies." In my opinion, a healthy organization welcomes and encourages criticism. Threatening to punish any chapter officers who are critical of USHPA is counter-productive, and possibly illegal.

Please join me in asking USHPA to remove this negative language from its SOPs. I suggest you contact your regional directors and other board members to express your opinion.

Thanks for your attention,
David Beerman,
president, MCHGA

Members of the USHPA Board and others,

I just became aware of the recent changes to USHPA SOP 06-01, and I have made our club members aware of this change (see the attached message to the Torrey Hawks below).

At this time, I would simply like to know which Directors worked to insert these new changes to 06-01.04 and I'd also like to know which Directors voted to pass these SOP changes. Which of you has the courage of your convictions to tell me (and the rest of our members) how you voted? Anyone? Please don't be shy.

Thanks - in a very non-critical and non-detrimental manner,

Bob Kuczewski

===================================

Hello Fellow Hawks,

I'm sorry to bother you, but I just got word that USHPA has changed its SOPs in a way which appears targeted at removing the Torrey Hawks' chapter status. In the process, they've laid down some very restrictive rules which could impact all of our clubs and even cause the loss of site insurance in some cases. This could happen now if any club's officers (or members?) are openly critical of USHPA on any public forums - including your own club's local forums!! The full text of the new SOP is available at:

http://www.ushpa.aero/documents/SOP/SOP-06-01.pdf

Here are the parts that concern me most:

06-01.04 Organizational Requirements

In order to obtain and retain Chapter status, Clubs are required to conform to certain organizational standards. These are:

C. Chapters are required to allow membership by all USHPA-rated pilots who are also qualified to fly at Chapter-controlled sites, without restrictions. All Chapter members must have full voting privileges.

Bob's note: This is a problem for the Hawks since we have always required an H4 for voting because Torrey is an H4 site. This is especially important because there's a constant threat of our club being "taken over" by the many paragliding pilots who are hostile to the Hawks. If we allowed any USHPA pilot to be a voting member, then the paragliding pilots (who far outnumber hang gliding pilots in San Diego) could easily take over our club as they have with the SDHGPA. So we (the Hawks Board) will have to decide how to handle this. We may have to either change our bylaws, or apply for an exemption (which I doubt they will grant since this appears to be targeted at us), or we will have to get this SOP changed.

F. Chapters and its officers are required to be goodwill ambassadors for USHPA and are expected to work within the USHPA committee system to support USHPA’s image and support USHPA programs. Chapters cannot on one hand participate in USHPA subsidized programs and on the other take actions which are detrimental to the USHPA and the sport. Examples of actions which may be detrimental are:

1. Any correspondence in any public media which is critical of USHPA’s programs and policies.
2. Any correspondence in any public media which is critical of other Chapters.
3. Any Club policy which is detrimental or causes harm to any USHPA program.

Bob's note: This is a problem for the Hawks and for all other USHPA Chapters. This basically says that if any club officer (and possibly even a club member?) posts anything critical of USHPA on a forum, then that could be grounds for USHPA to revoke chapter status and presumably revoke the club's site insurance. I'm inclined to say that this is a stupid policy, but that might cross the line, so I will refrain from saying what I think. Besides who gets to decide what action is "detrimental"? Who gets to decide what is "critical"? This is basically a license for USHPA to shut down any Chapter they don't like. I don't know what the Torrey Hawks Board can do about this one other than to join the other Chapters who are protesting. I've already gotten a letter from David Beerman (President of the MCHGA) that I've included below. I suggest that our Board vote to back their request to have some of this language changed or removed ASAP.

G. Chapters may not, as a matter of policy, negligently or willfully discriminate against pilots of one glider type, either hang glider or paraglider, or discriminate between pilots of equal pilot rating. Chapters must ensure that recreational flight privileges are made available to any and all qualified USHPA members meeting Chapter site requirements in a fair and equitable manner without discrimination.

Note: This requirement does not indicate that a site cannot be hang gliding only or paragliding only. Glider specific sites are permissible for safety, land owner, and possibly other conditions.

Bob's note: This also appears to be targeted at the Hawks. It basically forbids chapters from declaring themselves as Hang Gliding Clubs or as Paragliding Clubs. Yet it ignores the situation at Torrey where PG pilots can make their first flights there (P0 rating!!) and yet hang glider pilots are required to have an advanced rating (H4). In other words, they're allowing discrimination of the right to actually fly, but they're forbidding our basic freedom of association. Again, I will be asking our Torrey Hawks Board to decide how to handle this one.

In conclusion, it appears that someone in USHPA has a grudge against the Hawks and they're passing SOP changes trying to remove us as a USHPA Chapter. In the process, they're putting all chapters at risk. This was a very very very poor set of SOP changes by USHPA, and I'd like to know which Directors worked on inserting this language and I'd like to know which Directors voted to approve it. I call on all members of the Torrey Hawks to join with the MCHGA President (David Beerman) to protest these changes to OUR national organization.

Thanks for your time. Sorry for the length.

Sincerely,
Bob Kuczewski

P.S. Here's a list of email addresses for USHPA Board members, and a few others who are involved in running the organization. Please feel free to drop them a note if you like.

bolosky@microsoft.com, mark@mgforbes.com, mike_haley@charter.net, richhass@comcast.net, billcuddy@sbcglobal.net, urs@bearimpressions.com, srskypuppy@earthlink.net, dave@davewillsinc.com, brad.reg3@gmail.com, billhelliwell@aim.com, rob@eagleparagliding.com, airutah@hotmail.com, kengrubbs@msn.com, lisa_tate@ushpa.aero, davidhglover@gmail.com, Cloud9SA@aol.com, mikesgnflyn@verizon.net, felipe.amunategui@yahoo.com, awgreenfield@naa.aero, mcelrah@verizon.net, pagenbks@lazerlink.com, info@flytec.com, fly@hanglide.com, bruce@kittyhawk.com, broydg@gmail.com, flyhigh@frontiernet.com, deanfunk@mindspring.com, rod@rodclark.com, wmichelsen@comcast.net, hekdic@att.net, broyles.dave@gmail.com, air_medal@mac.com, jonjames@sonic.net, executivedirector@ushpa.aero, martin@ushpa.aero, tech@ushpa.aero, office@ushpa.aero, beth.hollendorfer@ushpa.aero

========= Email message from Mr. David Beerman =========

Dear Chapter contacts and concerned pilots:

This year, USHPA has issued new chapter requirements as part of our annual chapter renewal process. The new requirements are also included in USHPA's SOP 06-01.

I urge you to read these new requirements carefully. They include item 06-01.04 F, which forbids chapter officers from engaging in: "Any correspondence in any public media which is critical of USHPA's programs and policies." In my opinion, a healthy organization welcomes and encourages criticism. Threatening to punish any chapter officers who are critical of USHPA is counter-productive, and possibly illegal.

Please join me in asking USHPA to remove this negative language from its SOPs. I suggest you contact your regional directors and other board members to express your opinion.

Thanks for your attention,
David Beerman,
president, MCHGA

Bob Kuczewski wrote:Hi Davis,

I don't see any call to ask which Directors voted to support this in both the O&B Committee and the full USHPA Board.

Even if this "slipped through" accidentally, it seems that Directors who voted for it should wear a little egg on their face for not reading what the heck they're voting on.

Maybe you could start by asking Mark Forbes how he voted and whether he read it or not before voting.

Bob Kuczewski

Davis Straub wrote:It was passed at the full BOD meeting without discussion. Probably few if any one knew. Dave Wills, Mark Forbes, and Ken Grubbs were the only members at the committee meeting. I'm following up on this. Read on the forum. Davis Straub

Bob Kuczewski wrote:Was that the O&B Committee or the Chapter Support (misnomer) Committee?

By the way, I find it painful to read forums where I can't post. Maybe you could ask Bill Helliwell and Brad Hall how they voted. They don't seem to answer my email messages. : )

Bob K.

Davis Straub wrote:O and B. They weren't in the committee meeting and like I said there was no dissent in the general, so you know how they voted. Davis Straub

Bob Kuczewski wrote:It's only conjecture to say how they voted unless there's a published list for each vote. That would create a real voting record, and it might make them actually read what they're voting on before being permanently "branded" for all to see.

When I was a Director I read everything I could. I didn't go out socializing, and instead I spent a lot of my time in my room carefully wading through the volumes of crap put out by Dave Wills and his cronies. Who's doing that job now?

Davis Straub wrote:Oh, oh, off the rails.

Bye.

Davis Straub

Bob Kuczewski wrote:Off the rails"? Nope. Right on Target.

Do you honestly think I would have let this slip through without speaking up?

Davis Straub wrote:Nope. Davis Straub

Bob Kuczewski wrote:You get 2 points for honesty.

Have a nice day.

Davis Straub wrote:Unfortunately, you get -1 for condescension and another -1 for cluelessness.

Davis Straub

Bob Kuczewski wrote:Davis,

You kissed the big USHPA butt by giving Bill Helliwell a content-free platform and now he's rubber stamping the party line with no one to call him on it. You get what you deserve.

Unfortunately, the rest of us are getting it too.

Condescension? - In spades.
Cluelessness? - Sorry. Wrong guy.

Bob Kuczewski

Davis Straub on the Oz Report Forum wrote:Bob K. has been on the war path today writing many abusive emails to me today (even though I am on his side, but apparently not enough).

I can certainly understand (and am reminded of it again today) why Dave, Ken, and Mark want to swat that annoying fly.

Unfortunately there is much collateral damage here.

BTW, I didn't notice anything by Bob on the Torrey Hawks forum that would be a problem for the USHPA.

Davis Straub on the Oz Report Forum wrote:I truly wonder if Bob has ever been checked for OCD and autism.

The other half is on US Hawks!!

Free wrote:Davis Straub thinks those emails were abusive?

I think his ego is bigger than his brain.

Dennis wrote:latest "commandment" from USHPA. .