[JoeF]

So, no second yet? Any second, Sam? Bobk? BillC? ScottW? Passing the motion will direct us to jump into massaging the ingredients of a mission statement.

Meanwhile the motion may be discussed .

[Bill Cummings]

I typed this up earlier and didn't have a chance to post it right away.
I'll have to go back and catch up to you all.
Here is what I had:
This would be a big move. I keep telling myself that I am a Trial board member.
Any decision here is a practice session that at some later point may be considered by an officially elected board as either guidance or the will of founding members of the US Hawks.

It’s like when the break was made from England.

Trying to compare this move with the founding fathers of the United States
is even more problematic.
The Torrey Hawks have different requirements in their by laws than my RGSA club might settle on. This could be looked upon correspondingly as States retaining control over matters that they say the Federal Government has less of a stake and must allow the State’s preeminence.

I’m wondering what my imaginary trial constituents would advocate although on my own I would for the time being associate myself with both the USHHGA and the USHPA. I may later revisit this decision.

Here in USHPA region 4 I haven’t been made aware of hostility between our combined membership. I do see it in San Diego California but only know of it at one site. (Torrey Pines.)

Region 4 to my knowledge has no private business causing such angst among the USHPA membership arising from any perceived unequal treatment.

Rick, Joe, and others have made compelling arguments as to why insurance, insurance costs and in recent years our missing detailed accident reports have become the elephant in the room that only a few are seeing and talking about.

[Bill Cummings]

I'm still trying to catch up to you all.
Is there a typo in this paragraph below?
(injuries/dames to self or others' person or property.)

Safety: USHHGA will steadily foster a culture of safety that aims to more than fulfill the safety guides of the Federal Aviation Administration. USHHGA will maintain the message that each hang glider pilot is 100% responsible for his or her actions, equipment, launch decision safety check, and injuries/dames to self or others' person or property. Members will agree to hold USHHGA harmless in all instances of loss, damage, or injury. Hang gliding responsibly takes active awareness at all points of handling one's gear on the ground or in the air; even with great care, the activity of hang gliding may result in injury or death to pilots and others; and such risk is carried by the hang glider pilot entirely.

[Bill Cummings]

Okay I'm just about up to speed, my previous post might not be important now.
Moving on:

1. Our official name is the "US Hawks Hang Gliding Association". Informally, we could go with "US Hawks" or "USHHGA". I like them each for different reasons, so it might be worth a discussion by the Board.

2. I'm not quite sure about the need to emphasize "airframed". I know that both "hang gliders" and "paragliders" could fit under the term "hang glider". Indeed, people unfamiliar with either term will sometimes choose the paraglider as the one that's mostly being "hung" from. But that's contrary to the common usage in the sports where a "hang glider" is understood to be the airframed craft that we fly. So this point would be worth some discussion.

3. I don't know that we need to explicitly state that we won't rate canopy-based parachuting any more than we need to say that we won't rate SCUBA diving. There is a friction between hang gliding and paragliding that partially arises from being forced into the same national organization for a long time. That story will certainly be a big part of our history, but I'm not sure if we need to call it out in our mission statement.

Just so the final statement answers the unspoken question about hooking a motor on and what a HG is.
EDIT
I think the US Hawks will be easier for the public to remember but once we get them on the site we can tune them in to the fact that we are also USHHGA.
Someone might snap up and sell us our url address if we post our intentions too soon.

[JoeF]

"and injuries/dames" Yes, typo : )

Intended: "and injuries/damages"
Thanks.

[Bill Cummings]

I move that work be done towards forming a USHHGA Mission Statement.
Maybe some preamble study: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_statement

Sample effort: =======================================

Mission Statement

USHHGA's mission is to serve airframed hang glider pilots in the United States of America in effective ways in order to support their safe and enjoyable hang gliding.

The association will forward its mission through:

Advocacy: USHHGA will communicate with agencies, organizations, and individuals whose interests affect airframed hang gliding recreation and sport.

Communication: Externally, USHHGA will advance the positive awareness of airframed hang gliding among the non-flying public. Internally, the organization will cultivate a culture of communication, fairness, and transparency.

Community: USHHGA will promote a sense of community among members.

Launch and Landing sites: USHHGA will support the development of new launching and landing sites for airframed hang gliding. USHHGA will act to help preserve existing launch and landing site agreements for airframed hang gliding.

Learning: USHHGA will support learning by providing online open ground schools for general and special-skill sectors, safety programs, and a pilot forums. Online written tests will assist in rating pilots' knowledge base. Mentorship including observation of flight practices will be encouraged among members to foster safety and learning.

Safety: USHHGA will steadily foster a culture of safety that aims to more than fulfill the safety guides of the Federal Aviation Administration. USHHGA will maintain the message that each hang glider pilot is 100% responsible for his or her actions, equipment, launch decision safety check, and injuries/dames to self or others' person or property. Members will agree to hold USHHGA harmless in all instances of loss, damage, or injury. Hang gliding responsibly takes active awareness at all points of handling one's gear on the ground or in the air; even with great care, the activity of hang gliding may result in injury or death to pilots and others; and such risk is carried by the hang glider pilot entirely.

Clarity regarding aircraft: USHHGA will continually clarify that airframed hang gliders are very distinct from high-aspect-ratio collapsible parachutes (sometimes called paragliders). The clarification will occur in educational programs, news releases, and letters. USHHGA will not rate canopy-based parachuting activity.

  I second the motion   (work be done towards forming a USHHGA mission statement.)

[JoeF]

While waiting for the motion to move towards passing,
one may ask if there is anything in the following that might be massaged into the USHHGA potential Mission Statement:

To refrain from actively promoting hang gliding to those who have not found hang gliding. ???? DISTINGUISH between "promoting" and "support" to those who have found hang gliding. Consider the strength of PASSIVE PROMOTING ... living the sport and dream in safe manner with joy. People may be attracted to the joy observed.

To refrain from actively marketing hang gliding. Why? DOES USHHGA really care about "actively marketing" hang gliding; consider refraining from actively marketing and put such energy into direct support of members who have found their way to USHHGA. Won't marketing already be sufficiently does by manufacturers, gear sellers, event promoters? What if USHHGA put zero energy and expense into marketing, but rather emphasized communication among members for site matters, gear matters, buddy-system matters, safety, design, aerodynamics, flight planning, small recreational gatherings, ... Hang gliding need not be sold; hang gliding is a gem that is open to all right now, if only they care enough to reach for personally flying. Consider spending zero funds and energy in "actively" marketing or "actively" positioning the sport in any particular market place. Just live out the sport and recreation. People will ask and approach and find hang gliding.

Methodically protect launch and landing sites by polite and responsible relating with all parties affected by hang gliding at the sites.

To provide a polite, welcoming, fair, and transparent community for persons approaching members of the USHHGA.

To provide online tools, talk rooms, and friendly forums for those just approaching hang gliding. USHHGA could be found to be a quality source for links to information, perhaps.

[Bill Cummings]

Joe F.

Consider spending zero funds and energy in "actively" marketing or "actively" positioning the sport in any particular market place. Just live out the sport and recreation. People will ask and approach and find hang gliding.

Before USHGA started the towing committee I had already decided the truly interested people will pester me to find out how they could start flying.

To entice someone into the risky sport of flying, people that aren't already straining at the leash, is a disservice to the sport and the individual should they end up hurt or worse.
The lowest reading on your personal guilt-o-meter will be for the pilots that were going to fly come hell or high water.

I think Rick M. was correct in saying that the move to reduce the number of special observers was money driven and I think it was accomplished by regional directors that had business or training school interests.
I saw that as a conflict of interest and regional directors (RD) that hadn’t divested themselves of business and school interests when they became directors should have been required to abstain from voting on issues that affected them financially. Any RD that the published minutes show did not abstain from such votes and was oblivious to the appearance of impropriety should be barred from holding a RD position and another vote held.

What Joe F advanced above is a concept that should be addressed in the US Hawks Mission Statement.
Bill C.

[JoeF]

Consider in a potential Mission Statement:

No support or training or SOP for "instructors"
but only support and information for mentoring, coaching. There are ways for a non-commercial education system in the hang gliding community.

The USHHGA might live fully separate from commercial tandems and commercial schooling.
Maybe refrain from the urge to compete with HG-PG orgs that ride along for the advertising funds from schools, instructors, and manufacturers. VanillaVillage comes to mind. Maybe let the USA know that there is an org that nurtures mentoring, coaching, collaboration, teaming, gathering. Bolster such processes with ever deepening articles and files and discussions. Each member could trace learnings and skills; others could see the tracings and progress.

[Bill Cummings]

Consider in a potential Mission Statement:

No support or training or SOP for "instructors"
but only support and information for mentoring, coaching. There are ways for a non-commercial education system in the hang gliding community.

The USHHGA might live fully separate from commercial tandems and commercial schooling.
Maybe refrain from the urge to compete with HG-PG orgs that ride along for the advertising funds from schools, instructors, and manufacturers. VanillaVillage comes to mind. Maybe let the USA know that there is an org that nurtures mentoring, coaching, collaboration, teaming, gathering. Bolster such processes with ever deepening articles and files and discussions. Each member could trace learnings and skills; others could see the tracings and progress.

This actually puts into words exactly the way I have been doing thing these past years.

Showing pilots how I tow. Answering their questions and not charging for my information.