Do you ignore your staff? Do you have an inferior NPL?

[alanmack]

Is it because you do not want to be seen standing up in front of real pilots to demand that your needs be met that you leave it to the same few people each year to stand up for your rights at the Aero Club's AGM?

Do you know that you pay over R300,000 each year for, inter alia, a bunch of people to be of service to you. Sure these people go to work - do you not think that you should ask what they do there?

At the last Aero Club AGM we clearly stated our requirements and the staff have ignored us - we simply wanted them to consult with us on our needs and to draft a business plan with an enabling budget to deliver on it.

We have clearly stated that we want to have the permanent staff check our membership data base - it is a mess and it has been that way for a year. RAASA is now checking it against their records for us and we are now going to pay someone else to maintain it because you ( Microlight and LSA Pilots) do not pitch up at the AGM - so your existence is ignored!

You guessed - we have been ignored - again. As the largest section of the Aero Club we are milked for our subscription revenue and the so called real pilots get to use it - they cannot even take a morning to check the postal codes on our address list.

So - you can roll over again or you can pitch up at the next Aero Club AGM and demand to be heard.

See the MISASA section for the minutes of the AGM

MISASA AGM.jpg (63.54 KiB) Viewed 1803 times

NOTICE TO MEMBERS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 71st Annual General Meeting of members of the Aero Club of South Africa will be held at 6:30pm on Wednesday 24th October 2012 at the Harvard Conference centre – Rand Airport, Germiston, for the following purposes:

1. Verify and sign the minutes of the 70th Annual General Meeting held on the 26th October 2011.

2. To consider the Annual Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2012, together with the reports of the Auditors and the Directors.

3. To receive the Chairman’s report

4. To elect a maximum of Four Members to serve on The Board in terms of Paragraph 7.8.4 of the Articles of Association.

5. To transact such other business as may be transacted at an Annual General Meeting, and which is provided for in the Articles of Association.

6. Section Reports will be documented in the Annual yearbook.

An Ordinary Member is entitled to appoint another Ordinary Member as his proxy to attend, speak and vote in his stead except that a proxy may not vote on the election referred to in Paragraph 2.1.1 and 7.8.4 of the Articles of Association. Proxy forms appointing a proxy must be filed with the Chairman or Secretary before the meeting begins. The vote of an Ordinary Member whose subscription is in arrears will not be taken into account.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD

TO : Aero Club of South Africa Members and Association Committee members

DATE : 11 September 2012

PS - The pics are of the MISASA AGM at Kitty Hawk - ever had to ask for a breakfast doggie bag?

[Tumbleweed]

Only coz no one else wants a go and I'll try not appear anti -establishment

Is it because you do not want to be seen standing up in front of real pilots to demand that your needs be met that you leave it to the same few people each year to stand up for your rights at the Aero Club's AGM?

I are a real pilot. We tried to attend on Saturday but weather turned us back. I cannot attend AeroClub AGM's so there needs to be a process where our representatives stand for us. Won't the elected committee count?

Do you know that you pay over R300,000 each year for, inter alia, a bunch of people to be of service to you. Sure these people go to work - do you not think that you should ask what they do there?

You're referring to the Aeroclub portion. We presume that they're undertaking their obligations to which the elected sub sections employed them to do which amongst others is to maintain a database and allocate membership funds. I think they just like our 1000 members @ R300 to cover the fixed overhead.

At the last Aero Club AGM we clearly stated our requirements and the staff have ignored us - we simply wanted them to consult with us on our needs and to draft a business plan with an enabling budget to deliver on it.

If the staff have not complied with the clear request and instruction from the executive then they have to be held accountable. If the employed manager can't delegate this role then he needs to replace incompetent / unwilling staff or put in extra time and tackle it himself.

We have clearly stated that we want to have the permanent staff check our membership data base - it is a mess and it has been that way for a year. RAASA is now checking it against their records for us and we are now going to pay someone else to maintain it because you ( Microlight and LSA Pilots) do not pitch up at the AGM - so your existence is ignored!
You guessed - we have been ignored - again. As the largest section of the Aero Club we are milked for our subscription revenue and the so called real pilots get to use it - they cannot even take a morning to check the postal codes on our address list.

See this RAASA affiliation just muddies the waters. Set a motion of us to maintain our affairs and deduct a value from the R300.00 Aerclub levy and apply it to Misasa for admin duties. Also advise them that your electorate has lost confidence in their payment system and you can propose an alternative that suits our convenience.

Does the chairman of the Aeroclub acknowledge that he and his sub sections are not getting results from the employed management as per their instructions or does he think things are just OK?

If he acknowledges his lack of confidence in the staff then he should consider to apply a disciplinary processes to enforce our mandate from the elective or replace them. Maybe the problem lies with him.

[quoteSo - you can roll over again or you can pitch up at the next Aero Club AGM and demand to be heard.][/quote]

80% of membership is from out of town or simply have faith in Misasa to represent them at the aeroclub AGM. Why should normal members have to attend the agm to vote? Can the elected committee of Misasa not represent its members with numbers? Set the proxy in motion.

And DON’T TAKE KAK FROM KABOUTERS

[kloot piloot]

Understandably a lot of out-of-town pilots won't be able to make the AGM.

How about we get you (our committee) as many proxies as possible ? That would help, wouldn't it ?

Imagine if you had the backing of say 500 MISASA members at the AGM by means of proxy ...

That should make the Aero Club and staff a bit jittery

[KFA]

Problem is that these meetings only take place in the GP area and not all pilots can attend. I am sure everybody with a plane will be interested if it was more accesable? I tried attending the MISASA AGM on Saterday but could only get to the GP area and back today due to the weather. Not as if we didn't try and I am sure there are a lot of pilots that feel like I do about regional meetings.

[alanmack]

Tumbleweed your words of wisdom are absolutely fitting but unfortunately they apply in the real world. The board consists of persons that represent sub-sections with say 50 members - with over 1,000 members we should get 20 but actually we get 2. Then another 4 are appointed at the AGM so the opinions of MISASA expressed at the last AGM were simply ignored. To vote for the 4 extra seats you have to arrive - in person at the AGM on 24 October. Actually we have never wanted nor tried to attempt any kind of takeover as we believe we should all just work together but it is a simple case lethargy winning the day. See MISASA's minutes in the MISASA section - we have essentially given notice of a "long game" to appoint further representation in a year's time so that then - maybe - we will be heard. Who knows, if our members do arrive at the AGM maybe our simple call for clerical competence will be heard. I do appreciate that many are out of town folk but on average from all sections over the last 5 years or so about 30 people (in total) attend. I can count on one hand the number of MISASA members that attend and those that were there will tell that two MISASA members tried to express the need for service delivery but hey - at the board - they had to deliberate if our call for action was even made!

So, how many local MISASA members are there? If 10% of the local membership arrive we will not fit in the room. If just one third of the Microland pilots arrive we will have 50% of the vote but we are not trying to get the vote - we just want you - the silent majority - to pitch up and have your say! If you do not then just be happy to pay for a clubhouse that you do not use.

[KFA]

I do agree that the amount of seats given should be proportional to the amount of members that they represent and not the amount of members present at a meeting. I think it is only logical (democratic)

[Gyronaut]

Give us something tangible that Aero club and their affiliates do for us, the FORCED subscribers, perhaps we will attend.

Google Aero Club : Governing body of recreational aviation. So we, the affiliates, pay to be GOVERNED? But Why?

SAPFA - Powerflying
AVA - Virtual Aviation
SSSA - Soaring Society
BAFSA - Balloons
SAGPA - Gyroplanes
PASA - Parachutes
MISASA - Microlights & LSA's
SAMAA - Model Aircrafts
DAASA - Disabled Aviation
SAC - Aerobatics
SAHPA - Hang & Paragliding
ASSA - Airshows
AHASA - Homebuilders
EAA - Expiremental Aircrafts

List your achievements in the past 12 months please, then perhaps you will get more interest.

We're already GOVERNED by CAA and RAASA.

[Louis Cole]

Count me in Alan,I'll see you there.

[Loco]

Count me in Alan,I'll see you there.

me too...

[kloot piloot]

So, how many local MISASA members are there? If 10% of the local membership arrive we will not fit in the room. If just one third of the Microland pilots arrive we will have 50% of the vote but we are not trying to get the vote - we just want you - the silent majority - to pitch up and have your say! If you do not then just be happy to pay for a clubhouse that you do not use.

Sorry Alan, but where am I missing your point ?

Why don't you tell us what you need to be pushed through at the AGM and we, MISASA members, will make sure that you receive enough proxies to get a majority vote.

You do not need a room full of people to do this. We live in an electronic age and I am convinced that we can give our representative at the AGM a huge voting power by proxy.

I support Alan's frustration. Put the proxy form up here for download and you have my vote.

[Bundy]

I will be attending the AGM as well. (I will push for attendence from the Microland side)

After spending just over a year on the Misasa commitee, I have yet to see what the AeCSA actually does for Misasa. (or any of the subsections for that matter). For the most part, I believe we are all kept in the dark as to what goes on in meetings, and the day to day running of an organisation tasked with representing the interests of Recreational Aviation as a whole.

An AGM for instance should be scheduled and located to make it as easy as possible for as many members to attend as possible. Wed evening mid week does not fall into this category for me I'm afraid. I agree fully (and it was discussed at our AGM on Sat) that the proxy system is the only way to get our voices heard.

Alan, I believe it is time NOW to get what we want. Put the proxy forms up here so that we can garner enough support before next week.

I attach here one of the most important topic's from Misasa's 2012 AGM Minutes

The various instances of no or poor service and the
indicators of a lack of support for MISASA were tabled for review and discussion. The
option of breaking away from the Aero Club completely was discussed and it was
decided that the strategy of taking our grievances to the Aero Club Board on a formal
and informal basis had been fruitless. It was noted that the last Aero Club AGM had
passed a resolution to table a business plan with an enabling budget for the delivery of
required services to the membership. Sadly this direct requirement of the executive by
the members in general meeting has been ignored. It was resolved to give notice to
the Aero Club at the AGM of the dissatisfaction of MISASA with the services of the
executive management of the Aero Club and to propose four additional members for
election to the Board of the Aero Club at the 2013 AGM. In addition it was resolved to
appoint a lawyer to investigate the requirements for the calling of a special Aero Club
meeting to discuss their non-performance. It was resolved to promote the attendance
of the membership at the AGM and to publically engage the Aero Club on matters
relating to their consistent non-delivery of the required services to MISASA. The
members accepted the nominations of Mervyn Reynolds, Donald Hicks, Henri van den
Berg and John Boucher who agreed to stand for election to the Aero Club Board at the
2013 AGM and it was resolved to take legal council on this matter so as to ensure
compliance with the Articles of Association of the Aero Club.

[alanmack]

You are not permitted to vote for representatives by proxy - so step 1 is to - again - express dissatisfaction - if local members come - it will look like we care vs it being a case of - year after year - myself and Robert Gassmann versus the rest. If we actually get support we can call for a special meeting and change the articles - re what they do - as far as we can see they open the doors and go to work but what is done is unknown! See the last year's mag where we gave the Aero Club the Wally Award - that tells the story - but even that did not help.

[nicow]

I'll be there...with some Potties pilots.

[kloot piloot]

OK, so it looks like another Groot Trek back over the Jukskei next week then.

alanmack, any idea where to find their Articles of Association ? Does not seem to be on their website.

[Tumbleweed]

Has anyone lobbied the other sections and would they support a vote of no confidence?

What happens if you just phone the top oke /chairman to have a dop'chop with other sulking sub sections and explain that the majority is being marginalized and he needs to avert anarchy by just becoming competent?

Surely he’ll come to reason. How can the balloon section and the Airshow SA with a hand full of members share the same amount of votes as Misasa? Too much old boys club here.