November 2007 Meeting Minutes

KCAR club meeting
Date: November 10, 2007
Time: 2 to 4PM
Loc: Trails West Library, Independence, MO

The meeting was called to order at 2:08 p.m., by KCAR President, Randall Jessee.

Meeting attendees:
• Tim Burger
• Blake Goddard
• Amber Goddard
• Randall Jessee
• David Lucas
• Michael Montieth (Guest)
• Alan Shaffmaster
• Lee Walker (Guest)
• Bob Wingate

Reports:

Treasurer’s Report:

Bob Wingate reported that there hasn’t been any change in the KCAR treasury since the September meeting, and our current balance is $671.69 - $606.59 of which is in the checking account. However, the latest bank statement indicates we actually have $703.59.

Alan said that he has yet to cash the check we wrote him on May 19, but this still leaves $35 more in the account than expected.

Bob suggested that this is either due to forgetting to record a deposit, or more likely, a math error in preparing the reports sometime during the last six months or so. He will make a detailed comparison of his reports and the bank statements, and report back.

Randall made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report, which David Lucas seconded.

Equipment Committee Report:

Dave Bucher couldn’t attend the meeting, so he sent his report via Randall. Construction of the new electrical ‘snake’ — from the launch controller to the six pads — has been completed. Dave will let us know when the next KCAR equipment trailer build day will be. He is also willing to be our equipment manager again in 2008.

Operations & Publicity Committee Report:

Randall showed the excellent certificates for winners of our competition events, designed and printed by Martin Hudecek-Ashwill, who was unable to attend.

Contest & Records Committee Report:

David Lucas reminded us that our KCAR competition meet, which was weathered out from the original October date, will be this coming Saturday, November 17, at Shawnee Mission Park.

We are to arrive at SMP at 9 a.m., to allow us to set up the range, check in, and complete entry forms before the launch range opens at 10 a.m. David asked us to bring whatever stopwatches we have, and reminded us that there will be ribbons and trophies for the winners.

Bob asked the group which event we should drop first from our official list, considering we were late with our publicity, and have been weathered out from our first launch date; it seems unlikely we’ll have enough competitors from outside Section 505 for a full Regional Meet. While we can still choose to fly all events for kit prizes, we will probably need to decrease our total NAR points from 80 down to 60 or 40. We could either decide this now at the meeting, or at the field on the day of the contest.

Blake proposed we drop Science Fiction and Future Scale from inclusion in the NAR point totals, as it appears more contestants have built Helicopter Duration models. This would bring us down to the point limit for an Open Meet, and if we didn’t have the numbers for that, we could then fly B Helicopter Duration just for kit prizes and not for NAR points.

Randall then said since he was also a member of the Columbia Rocket Club, and as he has not yet competed this year, he would be willing to compete as a member of that NAR Section to help us keep our competition more than a Local Meet. David Lucas checked the requirements in the “Pink Book” and said we should be good for an Open Meet, considering we could have people compete as independent.

Blake made a motion that if necessary, we drop the Science Fiction and Future Scale event from our official events first. This was seconded by Randall, and it passed. (And at some point during the meeting, Randall reminded us that there will be a sport launch at SMP this Sunday, the day after the competition.)

David and Bob opened discussion of which NAR competition events we’d like to fly at both the Spring and Fall contest meets in 2008. This way, we’d be able to get the word out much earlier, in time for long distance NAR contestants to plan to attend. Bob suggested that we might want to match our events with some of those which will be flown at NARAM-50.

We then asked the group which events people would like to fly. Suggestions for the Spring contest included D EggLoft Altitude, C Payload, B Streamer Duration Multi-Round, Set Duration (50 Seconds), and D Boost/Glider Duration, all of which will be flown at NARAM. For the purposes of our Spring contest and considering the sizes of the fields at SMP, we could choose a smaller impulse class for Boost/Glide, such as C B/G. David also suggested 1/2A Rocket/Glider Duration and Plastic Model Conversion as options. For the Fall contest meet, Bob suggested Sport Scale, and a SuperRoc event. David suggested A SuperRoc Altitude. The Contest and Records Committee will make the final list, which will be announced no later than the launch this next Saturday. There was general agreement to fly our Spring meet at field A, which although it has more trees, is a larger area.

Old Business

1. Election of Officers for 2008:
   David Lucas made a motion that we postpone the election of officers one week, to a special meeting on the field; that way everyone would be there. This was seconded by Randall Jessee, and it passed.
2. KCAR Equipment still at the Case Farm:
   Bob Wingate reported that he left a phone message at James and Tricia’s number, to determine a good time to stop by and pick up the KCAR flag and other equipment we may still have in their barn loft. The call has not yet been returned.

New Business

1. KCAR By-laws amendment:
   Since KCAR has grown, and having made an announcement at the September meeting of this proposed change, Bob Wingate made a motion that “We amend the KCAR By-laws to separate Secretary and Treasurer into two separate Offices”. This would be accomplished by changing the list in the By-laws Section on KCAR Officers from Secretary/Treasurer to Secretary and Treasurer. This was seconded, and passed.
2. Barrier around launch pad area:
   Alan Shaffmaster said we ought to re-establish the pennant flag crowd control barrier around the launch pads, leaving only one opening, at each launch; we have gotten lax about this in the recent past. He suggested a portable wooden structure which would be easy to set up and quicker than pounding in the rebar and covering each one with PVC pipe. There was general agreement that until we get a quicker set up support system made, we need to make sure we set up the rebar, PVC pipe and pennant flag barrier at every KCAR launch from now on.
3. KCAR Website:
   Discussion ensued about improvements to our current website, and / or the advantages of setting up a new KCAR website. As several web savvy KCAR members have expressed a desire to help with this project, Bob suggested that we form a Website Committee. Any KCAR member who wanted to be a part of this committee would be welcome, and the KCAR membership as a whole could trust them to make good, informed decisions about website changes and improvements. Randall Jessee made a motion that we establish a Website Committee, with original members being Tim Burger, Blake Goddard, and we also invite Mike Monteith who had to leave the meeting earlier. David Lucas seconded this, and it passed.
   Tim Burger then cautioned us that while there are some good website hosts out there, the good ones usually want payment for a three year period. Tim suggested we amend the motion to limit the amount of money spent to $250. David Lucas moved that we authorize the Website Committee to select the website host, limited to $240 for the first three years. Randall seconded this, and it passed.
4. Newsletter:
   Blake Goddard read an excerpt from the Editor’s Space column in the current issue of Sport Rocketry magazine, about the LAC Newsletter Competition. A quote: “Several clubs now create their newsletters as PDF files that they provide to their members electronically, only printing a few copies as needed.”
   In discussion it was brought up that there have been a couple of sample KCAR newsletters in the past; the one Dave Bucher produced was mentioned. A couple of challenges are that newsletters demand a dedication to putting in sufficient time, and that they depend on enough submitted material to carry the newsletter on to more than one issue. There was general agreement that if there was interest in a KCAR newsletter, that the Website Committee would be a good place for this.
5. K. C. Public Library Displays:
   Bob Wingate reminded the club that we are coming up to our KCAR rocket display at the Trails West library in January. Bob also showed a bookmark he picked up at Hobbytown USA, promoting “The Year the Space Age Began: an exhibition Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Launch of Sputnik”. This is currently showing at the Linda Hall Library until December 14, then the exhibition will move to the Kansas City Public Library at 14 W. 10th Street, from January 7 to February 28, 2008. Bob suggested this was a shot in the dark, but that we might want to contact someone at the K.C. Library, to see if they would be interested in KCAR participating in some way.
   Tim said the downtown Library was right next to where he works now, and that he is there on his lunch hour often. He volunteered to talk to one of the librarians about this.
6. Research and Development:
   Blake Goddard is interested in researching the use of carbon fiber (graphite) rods as launch rods, in part because they are rust proof. Alan Shaffmaster moved that KCAR purchase two carbon rods for testing as launch rods for R&D for Blake. Randall Jessee seconded the motion, which passed. Blake will purchase the rods, and will be reimbursed.

Adjournment:
President Randall Jessee adjourned the meeting. We will meet again on Saturday November 17 during the launch at Shawnee Mission Park, for a quick election of KCAR Officers for 2008.

Respectfully submitted by Bob Wingate, KCAR Secretary / Treasurer 2007.

Return to Meeting Minutes Index
KCAR Home Page
Email: nar505@yahoo.com

Page created on February 28, 2008