We finally joined NAR

Randy · 2004-01-29T01:24:50+00:00

I've always intended to join the NAR but for whatever reason, just never gotaround to it. Then about 2 weeks ago, as we were planning to finally beginthe 3 stage Saturn V, Verna and I were discussing the current situation withthe hobby. As I tend to do, I began way back when were in elementary school(62-70) and I related to her a brief history of the hobby and the way thingshave gotten to where we are today. The one thing that kept coming up, waswhere would the hobby be without the NAR? What if the NAR had never existed?I thought about that for a while.No matter how anyone may feel about the NAR at present, it's for sure thatwithout the organization, the hobby would not have enjoyed the fantasticflight / safety record it has, for so very long. IMHO, the hobby would nothave grown to the level it has, at least not for the average enthusiasts andmost likely, HPR may have never come about, since most of the HPR peopleI've talked to, started as Centuri / Estes hobbyists.My wife has a way of looking at things that tends to make you really think,and the one thing I discovered after talking to her about this, is thatsince 1968, I've benefited from the tireless and I'm sure at times,thankless efforts, of an organization that I've never really fullyappreciated or contributed to. I never stopped to think of how many ways theNAR has fostered a hobby, that we all love so much and how much I haveenjoyed the fruits of the laborers, of the past and the present. To givecredit, where credit is due.I can remember when the only place to purchase rocketry items, was the onlylocal mom and pop hobby shop in town and most people didn't have one ofthose. You had to be in a relatively large town to have a hobby shop backthen. Most people, if they were lucky, had to order from a Centuri catalog,IF, you could find one. The kid with a catalog in our neighborhood was KING!There is no doubt in my mind, that the reason you can go almost anywheretoday (Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc.) and...

Jan 29, 2004 126 Replies

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Alan Jones 22 years ago

I think most of the NAR Jr. members are hobbyists, while most of the Wal-Mart kids are just playing with toys. There is no way to quantify the level and numbers of kids involved in rocketry for the NAR puroposes of managing sport rocketry, and nurturing the development of young rocketeers, except perhaps by starting with the number of Jr. members and making a WAG.

The NAR does have several "service programs" that serve nonmembers. The NAR web site is a resource that is open to all. Narts products are available for sale to all. Sport Rocketry is available for all at many hobby stores and book stores. TARC is open to all. Certified motors are available to all. The BATFE lawsuit is a service to all (although HPR user certification remains a gotcha). Many NAR sections have lots of non NAR associat members. Jerry, what more should the NAR be doing for non members?

Alan

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Jerry Irvine 22 years ago

I agree with all of the above.

Non-member HPR certs would farm juniors into HPR. HPR is the growth element of NAR and it would be consistent with NAR's other "non-member" accessable programs. That would be major.

Any request for federal permits or even a hint or shadow of it scares away wide groups of people. This is an INTERNAL policy that could be changed. I have beat this to death so for purposes of this post that is enough said.

I have suggested cheater or subscale memberships to make entry to NAR more trivial and then interested folks can renew at full cost.

But the main point that was made earlier is most consumers do not see a "need" for NAR. Without going into details here those needs need to be explored and tested with small groups and scaled into larger groups.

Perception is just as useful as reality.

It would probably help a lot to not have some vendors blackballed while others are welcome so the level of negative noise drops. Most of that is related to the above ATF policy (as distinct from the law).

Jerry

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Dave Grayvis 22 years ago

Jerry, Did you try the ointment yet?

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RayDunakin 22 years ago

Yet another outright lie. Neither TRA nor NAR require federal permits for HPR flyers.

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Jerry Irvine 22 years ago

That was a sad day indeed.

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BB 22 years ago

I hope they'll "retire" his number.

Then again, if I understand NAR's numbering policy correctly, all #'s are auto-retired, i.e. never re-used.

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Jerry Irvine 22 years ago

Correct. TRA too at least rocketry wise.

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