How To Organize A Model Rocketry Club For Estes Rockets
Have you been hooked on model rocketry ever since your grandpa gave you your first Estes rockets
? Do you wish you had access to more activities related to the hobby? Perhaps starting a model rocketry club is the answer.
Model rocketry clubs open up an array of opportunities unavailable to individuals. Not only does a club provide a forum for sharing skills and knowledge and working as a team on larger projects, it provides an opportunity for members to pool their resources to purchase more advanced equipment, set up a laboratory or a special workshop. There are also many events, field trips and conferences that are available only once you organize a club.
A great way to get a club started is to hold a demonstration launch, followed by an organizational meeting. The launch can be held in any publicly accessible field. Obtain proper permissions to use it. Then distribute flyers, announcements, and invitations throughout the community.
Spread the word as widely as possible. Contact schools and youth groups. Display flyers at libraries, department stores, and hobby shops. Announce the launch to local media outlets such as newspapers, radio and television stations.
Reserve space for your organizational meeting at this time, as well. The date should follow soon after the demonstration. Prepare flyers and sign up sheets for it which you will use at the demonstration.
The demonstration itself should be set up with safety and enjoyment in mind. A space for spectators should be marked off with flags or ropes. Exhibit tables should be in this area for the convenience of those who wish to view the models up close or sign up for the organizational meeting.
Plan to feature a range of different models and engine types in the demonstration launch, from Estes rockets to Apogee Components or Quest Aerospace. Arrange for a knowledgeable individual who is something of a ham to serve as announcer during the launch. This person should narrate the launch procedure as it happens, explaining the steps and the type of equipment being used. If the narration is entertaining as well as genuinely informative, this will greatly enhance the success of your demonstration. A well-organized demonstration will impress spectators, gaining you new members and general public support for the new club.
Here are some things you will need to cover at your organizational meeting:
- Presiding at the meeting should be the individual who organized the demonstration or someone from the group who sponsored it
- Purpose of starting the club should be announced and explained
- An explanation of the basics of model rocketry should be given (emphasize safety)
- Provide basic facts about the particular Estes rockets used in the exhibit.
- Minimum number of club members should be about eight, with at least one adult supervisor (smaller clubs are possible, but there are fewer opportunities available)
- Appoint temporary committees to get people involved: Activities and Publicity, By-Laws and Constitution, Advisor and Sponsorship, Facilities and Equipment
Wait until your third or fourth meeting to elect officers, collect dues (to pay for all those Estes rockets), vote on by-laws, and set up more permanent committees. In the meantime, working together on the temporary committees allows everyone to get to know one another and get a feel for how this will work. When you meet for the third or fourth time, after having heard at the previous meeting or two reports of the progress of the committees, you are now prepared to establish a permanent structure. Consider it your clubs launch day! Count down the votes, and blast off into a whole new level of model rocketry endeavors. Congratulations rocketeers!
by: Kanooga
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