The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

**myles yancey** · 03-31-2010, 04:14 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Guys,

Lets be patient here. I don't think we are talking about abandoning the printed copy. I think what is behind this is an effort to keep the costs down for our members that do not reside in the US. These guys are getting hammered with a cost that is MUCH higher than the domestic rate. We need to come up with a way of accomodating them. They are a very important segment of our membership....If we don't do something for them, we will certainly lose the non-United States membership...

Well at last someone has finally started to see the light, yes there is more to it then has just been said above, but i will not dwell on that, how many people would be welling to write their own column so that the magazine would have a certain amount of techincal information being supplied on a regular basis to be printed.
This would help the new people coming into the hobby so they would someday be able to build their own models with out asking a lot of question which most of us already know the answer to, it would also give them the confidence to keep building, knowing that there is someplace they can go to get the answers with out always asking for the answers.

**steveneill** · 03-31-2010, 04:35 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Myles I'm not sure I can answer all those questions but I can answer many of them. Most of my building is from the hip. I'm not into the physics as much as I am good at dead reckoning.

It's one thing to complain(darn I've done plenty of that). It's another to offer help. I'm offering to help. I'm writing building articles as it is for SCR.

Steve

**myles yancey** · 03-31-2010, 05:26 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Myles I'm not sure I can answer all those questions but I can answer many of them. Most of my building is from the hip. I'm not into the physics as much as I am good at dead reckoning.

It's one thing to complain(darn I've done plenty of that). It's another to offer help. I'm offering to help. I'm writing building articles as it is for SCR.

Steve

That is all true but you are one of how many people Steve, everyone has some type of complaint and that is not the problem.
The problem is trying to get a constant flow of information of how to build articles, technical information just plain articles on
RC model building, static model building, these are just a few things that need to be fixed.
The new members are lost when trying to build their models we need to help them.
We need to get back to our grass roots, what the magazine was built on, that is not to say the other articles people have to offer are of any less value because they are of value.
We have people who don't build RC models and we need articles that they would enjoy reading as well.
We need a select few people to take up the role of being an Editor of a column on a regular basis on things they have an understanding and knowledge of.
We at the SCR are thankful for your articles and thankful for the fact that you admit you don't have any real answers to solving the problem but I have been trying
to get people to solve the problem, members have asked for just this type of solution I am pointing to above and they still don't step up.

Myles

**steveneill** · 03-31-2010, 06:03 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Building seems to be at an all time low these days and I know part of the reason. Still I know there must be people building and not posting on the forum.

If you do take the time to post on the forum, a build plus pictures, it's not that much harder to make an article out of the build thread. I would think people would want to do such a thing personally.

I build at least 4 boats a year. Mostly for customers now and once in a while for myself. I will make articles for them all if that will help. Or you could turn that into a column. It's a start.

Now who else will write building articles? Static I do once in awhile too but it's not always subs.

Anyone?

Steve

**JWLaRue** · 03-31-2010, 06:14 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Well, since I more-or-less started this 'conversation', let me share with you some of what is behind my thinking. In no particular order, here's my 'stream of consciousness thinking' and what I worry about:
[list]- I want to see this hobby continue to grow. To do that, I believe that the SubCommittee needs to look beyond the paper-printed SCR. Even beyond the web site. Part of this (imho) means that we need to embrace technologies for content creation and delivery that were not possible or practical several years ago. The question I have is]

Okay...that's what's rolling around in the back of my mind...hopefully it will help folks to understand where I'm coming from on this.

-Jeff

**myles yancey** · 03-31-2010, 07:16 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Well, since I more-or-less started this 'conversation', let me share with you some of what is behind my thinking. In no particular order, here's my 'stream of consciousness thinking' and what I worry about:
[list]- I want to see this hobby continue to grow. To do that, I believe that the SubCommittee needs to look beyond the paper-printed SCR. Even beyond the web site. Part of this (imho) means that we need to embrace technologies for content creation and delivery that were not possible or practical several years ago. The question I have is]

Okay...that's what's rolling around in the back of my mind...hopefully it will help folks to understand where I'm coming from on this.

-Jeff

Thank you Jeff for stating some more of the problems we are facing.

I am still looking for people to become columnist for the SCR would anyone like to write their own column on a regular basis,s.

Thanks again Myles

**roedj** · 03-31-2010, 08:12 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

To All,

I have been reading this discussion with great interest and would like to add my voice/vote on the issues being discussed.

1) Why do I belong to any "R/C model submarine" forum? - One reason and one reason only - to learn how to build R/C model submarines.

2) Why do I belong to the SC in particular? - One reason and one reason only - because it affords me the access to a great collection of world class R/C model submarine designers and builders who will answer my questions, even if they're really stupid (the questions, not the builders), with patience and professionalism.

3) Does the existence of the SCR figure in my decision to belong to the SC in any way? - No - when I get it, I look through it once - wish I could ask the writer a question or two - and put it on a shelf where it sits.

4) Well then, why do I pay when there are other forums that are free and have some of the same world class designers and builders? Because in my little black heart I want to support an organization that gives me 1) and 2) and puts on a Sub Regatta where I can learn even more face-to-face.

5) In the future would I continue to support an organization whose membership dues go in large measure to publish a magazine I barely find any use for? Not sure. Now that I'm retired I have to watch every penny.

My future membership in the SC will be based on the continuing availability of 1), 2) and 4). Nothing more, nothing less.

Looking for that elusive "hole in the ocean",

Dan

**JWLaRue** · 03-31-2010, 09:23 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Dan,

Good, concise and well articulated feedback.

-many thanks,

Jeff

**pirate** · 04-01-2010, 07:35 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Jeff LaRue,
I think you had a good idea that may have gotten lost in the clutter. You said that the cost of an international membership is a key issue in retaining Int. membership, and that cost is a result of having to mail a hard copy of the SCR out of the country. And this was your main reason agreement for a PDF version. Well, I'm jumping the fence on this one, because for that reason I can agree.

Your idea of making the SCR available as a PDF "only" to overseas members is a very good solution. And I say "only" because we have to make it easy for the membership chairman and SCR editor, and hard copy producer (printer) to have a simple list to use for mailing. Right now it is everyone, and that is I think three separate mailing lists if I remember right; 1st class U.S. (about a week for delivery at most), 3rd-class U.S. (up to two weeks for delivery), and International (i don't know how long this takes). But we know every member gets oneâ€”easy. If we sent some to international, and some to U.S. in two mailing classes, and some Int. PDF only, and some U.S. PDF only, then you're increasing the number of lists to keep track of it all.

Making all International members PDF download only would really simplify things for those jobs. And if U.S. members chose PDF download that would be fine too. We'd just have to keep an eye out to determine at what point it is cost prohibitive to produce the hard copy. You'd have to deal with those that dropped out because of the hard copy going away at that time. But it would reduce the number of lists by one (Int mailings turns into PDF, and U.S. PDFâ€”no lists really even has to be generated for these because download would be self-serve. So all you're left with is U.S. 1st- and 3rd-class mailings.

So we know it would cut Int. membership costs, but to what. There still has to be some financial support for the club from those members for the website and administration (whether the Int. members participate in our fun runs or regatta or not, some of their dues do help support these thingsâ€”sorry, but it's true), and there has to be a value to still producing a magazine, whether paper or online. But in the end perhaps it keeps, or even renews some Int. membership.

And this really is an easy thing to do. Just need the download capacity on the website. I think all that needs to be done is make a link to the PDF file and it will download or open, and then it can be saved.

**JWLaRue** · 04-01-2010, 10:00 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Pete,

I do see that as a possible solution...perhaps one of many that need to be explored, but that was not my original intention in starting this dialogue. My intention was to start the conversation to see what others thought and to solicit possible ideas. The PDF for international members is one idea that someone brought up, but I would not want to mislead anyone into thinking that this was where I was specifically heading.

For me, there is still a lot of discussion needed...and it needs to offer the entire membership a voice, not just those of us who frequent these forums. Of course it is the Executive Committee that is the body empowered to enact any changes, if any....and they are definitely watching this thread.

-Jeff

**myles yancey** · 04-01-2010, 10:08 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Pete,

I do see that as a possible solution...perhaps one of many that need to be explored, but that was not my original intention in starting this dialogue. My intention was to start the conversation to see what others thought and to solicit possible ideas. The PDF for international members is one idea that someone brought up, but I would not want to mislead anyone into thinking that this was where I was specifically heading.

For me, there is still a lot of discussion needed...and it needs to offer the entire membership a voice, not just those of us who frequent these forums. Of course it is the Executive Committee that is the body empowered to enact any changes, if any....and they are definitely watching this thread.

-Jeff

Jeff I agree with all you have said here especially the show below.

For me, there is still a lot of discussion needed...and it needs to offer the entire membership a voice, not just those of us who frequent these forums. Of course it is the Executive Committee that is the body empowered to enact any changes, if any....and they are definitely watching this thread.

Myles

**pirate** · 04-02-2010, 05:38 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Seems like an article in the next SCR is called for outlining this and some possible directions to take. A reply card could be inserted on the same page in the magazine with poll questions to be checked off and some comment lines for members to send back in. So those that aren't active on this site can see what is going on and have a chance to give their preferences.

State that if they really care about the direction the club takes they better fill it out and send it back because that is what you'll base your decisions on. Maybe do it for a couple of issues so as many people as possible get a chance to speak out.

**thor** · 04-02-2010, 05:41 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

Pete,

That is an excellent suggestion! I think we have a basic framework of discussion here that we can all work with.

Matt

**steveneill** · 04-02-2010, 06:31 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I agree because it would seem based on response here and the poll only a small few of the overall members actually visit this site regularly.

Steve

**boss subfixer** · 04-02-2010, 07:35 PM

Re: The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

I agree because it would seem based on response here and the poll only a small few of the overall members actually visit this site regularly.

Steve

Or don't care enough to say anything.

The Future of the SubCommittee Report?

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