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I am interested in getting active with my local chapter, but I am not sure how to make contact other than showing up at the monthly meeting. Is that the correct way? I emailed the president from the contact information listed on the EAA chapter section, but never received a response.
I am researching the RV-12, and would love to get involved in the chapter for more insight, thoughts, and experience. I am an A&P, which I thought could possibly help the chapter.
Going to the monthly meeting is your best bet. Be aggressive and introduce yourself to the members there. Some Chapters are a little tribal and shy away from people they don't know. It may be tough at first, but keep going and don't get discouraged. The long term benefits of your bold efforts will pay off.
"Some chapters are a little tribal"..........that is putting it kindly. If you are interested in an RV, best bet is seek out local RV builders. they may or may not be members of the chapter. just my experience. some great RV builder forums out there.
A lack of email response may be just a case of email filters causing your inquiry to not be seen. Call one of the chapter officers, if possible, or go to a meeting. EAA corporate indicates typical chapter membership yearly turnover is 20%. New members are essential to keeping the chapters alive. Keep trying.
Jim
Rochester, mn
Chapter 100 president
Some chapters have a dedicated email account like "prez@eaa2576" which doesn't get monitored daily. As others have said, just show up at the meeting. If they have a website, there's usually contact info for the officers, board, and other areas like Young Eagles, Newsletter, etc. Start going down the list, calling each one. You'll reach someone. But most first contacts are made at the meeting. Trust me, as an A&P, you'll be welcomed...
Thanks for the info guys!! I will just go to a monthly meeting. Is there a secret handshake to get in if my chapter is a bit tribal? ;)
Just show up a bit early, typically at least one officer will be setting up for meeting and you can introduce yourself before the meeting starts. If the chapter has a 'projects' or 'completed' section it may be good to review that and if there is an airplane you are interested in, ask if the builder/pilot of X typically comes to meetings. It is a decent conversation starter.
I had come to my chapter once - I was left hanging, feeling unwelcome, and did not come back for nearly a year. I bought a project and knew I needed the community to support me in getting it going. I went back and broke into the group. Tribal is a great word. I got involved and stepped through leadership. When I came up to president I set up a welcome table just inside the door with the sign-in log book. That person would greet all and make sure a new person would be paired with a member of similar interest. That member would introduce that guest in the general meeting. It worked really well..... I didn't last sadly. My chapter, like many others, is at a critical point of membership/leadership.