The Future of the SubCommittee?

[thordesign]

Kurt,

Again, in my opinion, your

[color=#000000]Kurt,

Again, in my opinion, your points are very well made and correct.

Let me site an example of a very small group that grew so large on the internet that they were bought out by a major R/C magazine and now it is professionally published and on the news stands.

In 1995 a small group of back yard experimenters with r/c micro electric and CO2 airplanes started a web magazine that was just a collection of self posted .pdf files and photos for the rest of the group to read (which is what I am suggesting as a simple interim solution)-(http://ezonemag.com/ does the very same thing and they have grown so large that they are now sponsored by MAN and now are part of rcgroups.com.) R/C microflight charged $13.00 for a yearly subscription to read and download the .pdf files, use the message board, and links to lots of personal websites, and a few odd vendors. They grew for several reasons]

[don prince]

I'm not the expert to

I'm not the expert to tell people with more experience about running The Subcommittee and how to do things... However, I do agree that most likely the SC will follow the path of the SCR. This publication makes the Subcommittee the premier organization for it's members. At $26 the SCR is a bargin, and at $70 it's a stretch in today's economy... perhaps somewhere in between?

Most of us hold down a full time job and have family's to consider. I believe Jeffrey LaRue has contributed greatly to the SCR over the years and everyone owes him a debt of gratitude.

I have contributed an article to the SCR... Perhaps not the best, and not published as of yet, but I tried. Also, I have volunteered to help at one time with the SCR, but I don't have the software required to provide that assistance.

I think Skip's Idea about more people sharing the work load makes sense. Many of us members would be willing to help, but someone has to be in charge and drive the schedules.

My Idea is to have many contributing editors who will commit to producing articles for the SCR on a schedule set by the managing editor (yearly basis). They could be subject matter experts, and publish articles on their favorite class, model, of sub. My interest is primairly German WWII U-boats. Of course, the managing editor should have a backup article/articles if someone can't make their deadline.

I would be willing to be one of those contributing editors, if I had the software that's required for the SCR. I plan on retiring from my job at the NCR Corporation in about 5 years (or less), and then could perhaps take on more responsibility for the SCR.

Regards,
Don_



Edited By Don Prince on 1095622619

[anonymous]

A compromise. Print the SCR

A compromise. Print the SCR and run it on the Internet too for those who wish. This to either to satisfy both camps and eventually transistion to a all Internet publication. Have incentives to move to the Internet version in place. Each member going to the internet will be lowering publication printing costs bit by bit that would be used for other needs. Over time, let the chips fall where they may.

Regardless, we will need a editor and staff, and a sharp web master which we have already in place for this new shift in direction.

Don't loose focus, these are all important issues, but we still need a new Editor. Designing and building a plane is one thing, but without gas, the whole effort is......ka ka.

Steve Reichmuth



Edited By Dolphin on 1095623216

[JWLaRue]

>>> I would be willing

[color=#000000]>>> I would be willing to be one of those contributing editors, if I had the software that's required for the SCR.

Perhaps I have failed in my efforts, so let me state this as plainly as possible]

[skip asay]

I’m sure that there are

I’m sure that there are many groups that have flourished on the internet. But there is no way that guys whose interest is flying can be compared to those of us who fly underwater. It just won’t work. No matter how inviting a deal on a submarine kit is or how much effort is put into explaining that “submarines don’t rekit”, etc., if the potential buyer doesn’t have an interest in submarines to begin with, he’ll walk away. Period. But the guy who builds anything that flies can (and does) move sideways to micro flight or helicopters, etc., and does it easily. It’s still flying. Having a booth at 3-4 trade shows (not including SubRegatta) per year for the past 12 years has given me opportunity to debate this issue with too many thousands of flyers. And the ratio of flyers to submariners is at least about 5000 to 1.

For the SubCommittee to grow, we have to get the message spread as widely as possible to grab those few hardy souls out there who either don’t know about the SubCommittee (there are more than you think) or have heard about the SubCommittee but don’t realize what it can do for them. This means the subcommittee should advertise in the major magazines. At least some of them have reduced rates for organizations. To go web based only would certainly add a few members but would just as certainly reduce the total membership by well over half and more likely by more 3/4. Would that really be a step in the right direction?

As far as advertising is concerned, it’s not so much the content of the ad that matters but the repetition. It has to be there every issue. The hobby business is overrun by businesses who are here today and gone tomorrow and magazine readers know it. When I started advertising in RC Boat Modeler, I didn’t see anything to write home about until after the 3rd or 4th issue. Then it was “Katy, bar the door!” To advertise in only a couple of issues is a waste of money. When that potential buyer opens his new issue and doesn’t see your ad, you’re history in his book.

A major issue to keep in mind concerning the growth of the SubCommittee is that the economy is in the toilet at the moment. Too many model projects are on the shelf in the back of the closet because the disposable cash isn’t there like it was several years ago. When a guy’s 401K devalues by more than 50 per cent, he doesn’t think about spending any money on hobby stuff. And again, I rely on my trade show experience. I have gotten to know many vendors in other markets (airplanes, surface boats, helicopters, cars, etc.) and have discussed their tremendous drop in sales at each show so it’s not just our little niche that’s suffering.

What we have to do is keep the SCR going (and improving) and the #1 priority there is to get some more people to stand up and DO SOMETHING.

Skip Asay

[thordesign]

Skip,

I never meant to compare

Skip,

I never meant to compare the shear numbers of r/c airplane guys with bubble heads. You are absolutely correct! I was simply trying to point out that the model is out there and it does work on the web. Your comment on the state of the economy is well taken.

Obviously some change must occur for us to survive. If the SCR is to continue in some printed format, maybe not even what we have right now, then more folks must stand up and help.

Jeff,

Since cost is a MAJOR concern, are there some ways that we could cut printing and production costs that would ease the financial burden a bit, but still keep a magazine in production? Just a thought...although I know lack of available content and volunteers is still the #1 concern.

[JWLaRue]

Matt,

Cutting costs? Sure, we could

Matt,

Cutting costs? Sure, we could do things like reducing the number of pages in each issue or even reduce the number of issues produced per year.......but right now containing costs is not a problem......!

-Jeff