Quote Originally Posted by djenders View Post

Personally, I am saddened that you will not be renewing your membership. I hope nothing we've tried to communicate here on the forum has strengthened that position. We all care deeply about an organization that we feel we've built or invested in. I encourage you to call Oshkosh and have a conversation with the Young Eagles team or management. Maybe they can speak more clearly and specifically about some elements of our decision that will help you understand their position.

I'm happy to help make that connection if needed.

Best,
Dennis
And I am saddened that an organization I spent so much time, energy and $$ to help build chose to betray it's membership. But with the current mentality of the EAA leadership, I no longer have any enthusiasm or desire to support the EAA. My and many others comments seeking to modify the new "policy" seem to make little difference to the EAA management. So the one thing I can do that will make a small difference is to withdraw my financial support from the organization.

Nobody is against protecting children from preditors. There really is no discussion about that. Many of us have long felt that there should be more oversight of the kids and a number of chapters implemented a common sense approach to address those issues. But the intrusion of demanding my personal information be turned over to some third party organization so the EAA won't look bad in the press is offensive. The background checks are completely useless and unnecessary, and put individual members at financial risk without providing anything more than a "feel good" for the EAA management. Meanwhile, the EAA staff continues to falsely attempt to equate background checks as Youth Protection.

As for YE, I feel bad for the kids that won't get to fly. The positive effect the YE program had for the relations between the airport and community will be sorely missed. But, EAA management, YOU killed it. YOU chose to implement an ill-conceived policy without engagement or input of those who are affected by your policies. From what I have heard from many chapters and members of other chapters, with a few exceptions, only the large chapters will be able to muster enough pilots to fly kids. EAA management, your actions have consequences. I can only hope that my small action of walking away from the EAA is felt by the EAA management. I doubt they will care, but if a few thousand choose to do the same, perhaps that will get their attention.

-Cub Builder