EAA cuts

[Sonex1517]

Again, I'll say it. The problem EAA has is an age problem. Look at the active members of chapters, what age are they? Why is it that they are all older, while there are very, very few young people?

Its an age crisis, and this might be their way of trying to draw more people in.

You hit this one on the head! Until this is openly discussed, and addressed, I don't think this is the last cuts or reductions we'll see, regardless of the reason....I went off on a rant about this last fall after visiting another EAA chapter....I'll leave it at that, but it is way past time to get this conversation started in the open.

Sorry for the thread hijack....

[Tom Downey]

Cost cutting, realignment, or what ever handle you put on it is natural in these tough times. I see no problems with that if it proves to be better for EAA. we will wait and see.

[Tlim486]

Having Joined EAA last year, with plans to build and fly my own airplane like many others of EAA, My heart goes out to the people that just got downsized, this appears to be a plague that has effected Corporate America, been thru it. I hope our Mr. Hightower believes none of what he hear's and half of what he see's guiding us forward. To many times in my experience it effects the wrong people. Godspeed

[vaflier]

Does anyone know if Adam Smith is still around, or was he downsized ?. Recently tried to contact him and have not received a response. I understand that if he is still there he may just be swamped with all the changes.

[homebuiltairplane]

In response to asking what my source was for stating that there was talk of giving pay raises to the VP's, what does it matter? My question is it true or not? If I say my source is Tinkerbell but it is true, IT IS STILL TRUE. So far no one has said IT IS NOT TRUE. I hope my source is wrong... I'd like to think that EAA isn't so obtuse as to not understand how it looks. I'd like to think EAA's executives are working for the members. But so far I'm not seeing ANYTHING to convince me.

[Dave Stadt]

Does anyone know if Adam Smith is still around, or was he downsized ?. Recently tried to contact him and have not received a response. I understand that if he is still there he may just be swamped with all the changes.

Adam resigned about the same time the reductions were made last Thursday.

[Frank Giger]

The reason there are a lot more sixty-something year olds at EAA meetings than there are 30 and 40 somethings is pretty simple:

There are more of them than their are of us. They don't call them "Baby Boomers" for nothing....and if you're in your mid forties, welcome to the demographic trough in US population.

[Chad Jensen]

In response to asking what my source was for stating that there was talk of giving pay raises to the VP's, what does it matter? My question is it true or not? If I say my source is Tinkerbell but it is true, IT IS STILL TRUE. So far no one has said IT IS NOT TRUE. I hope my source is wrong... I'd like to think that EAA isn't so obtuse as to not understand how it looks. I'd like to think EAA's executives are working for the members. But so far I'm not seeing ANYTHING to convince me.

When you join a board at the time you did, and make your first post about questioning pay raises, it raises some eyebrows as to who you are since there is no signature or indication in your forum ID. I can say with some certainty that there is no one on this forum that knows the answer to your question. I certainly don't.

[steveinindy]

I think you're vastly oversimplifying the age demographics issue Frank.

[Buzz]

EAA is not the most financially transparent organization. I'm not sure that membership is anywhere near 170000. If you look at the last financial report on the web 2010 here on Page 25, and you take the "Membership dues and subscriptions" and divide by $40, the number is around 143000 members.

The key is to then look at the "Publishing and member services" numbers you see that EAA is bleeding money on membership.

It is clear that EAA makes their money on AirVenture and related items, like "Commissions and royalties" which is about branding and "Donations".

I believe that EAA should stop fooling their membership and just admit it, they are AirVenture, Inc. They are certainly not a homebuilder movement anymore.

Every religion has to have it's churches. Take away AirVenture, [with all it's limitations and worts] and the homebuilder movement will be a fraction of what it is.

One was never going to be able to run a decent organization on the $40 a year they collect from me and you.