hi guys.
has anybody been having trouble getting there magazines? i have been a member for 3 years and due to a slite problem last year, i did not get the mag. i paid for it. just like this year. but i still dont have any copies. so i am just wondering . has any canadians got thier?
cougar
long live the cup and cris dickson
Are you refering to model yatching as the magazine, then, Yes I too have been slow to recevie my copies. I understand that there behind schudle for release
wind.
i have not gotten any copies since 2003. i talked with michelle. and the understanding i had was that they being stopped at the border. the magazine i refer to is the amya magazine
cougar
long live the cup and cris dickson
True. Meeting the production schedule for Model Yachting has been a problem. As of now, the magazine is running two issues behind the calender. Adding to the lag is that the issue now being worked on has been delayed by another month or two.
The problem is not with getting the mateirials turned in on time or getting the magazine printed. The Section Editors, the Class Secretaries and the other writers have been very cooperative when it comes to meeting deadlines. The problem is that we have been relying on one guy to do all the page layout work. It’s quite a time consuming project to fit together all the articles, photos, ads and other things that make up a sixty page magazine. For the past twenty plus issues, and across the past five years, Jack Gregory has done a magnificent job doing the formatting. Donating his skill and his time like he has been doing has earned him the respect and appreciation of everyone in AMYA. After all, there’s only so much a guy can do and still have time for business, family and a life.
Getting Model Yachting back on schedule is a big concern to Jack, the magazine staff and the AMYA officers. After discussing the burden being put on Jack, and looking over the AMYA budget, it has been decided that it is time for the job of formatting the pages should be done by a professional graphics person or service. Gathering all the parts and pieces for the magazine remains the job of the volunteer staff. But, from now on the page layout work, like the printing and mailing, is to be done by a business service.
Stepping up, and armed with determination to get the magazine back on schedule, is Previous AMYA President and Previous AMYA Quarterly Newsletter Editor, John Davis of DesMoines, Ohio. After being the Features Editor for the recent issues, John is familiar with all that is going on. He is really taking charge at getting things sorted out and up to speed. A graphic art service is lined up. He has persuaded Previous AMYA President and Previous AMYA Mfr. Rep, Paul Meskill to take over as Features Editor. Previous AMYA President and Previous One-Man MY Formatting Dept., Jack Gregory stays on as Managing Editor for the one issue ouf of four that features something other than a Featured Class. John, himself, will be the Managing Editor for the three issues out of four that do feature a class of boat.
Right now, while Jack Gregory is putting the finishing touches on MY #136 (which features the V-32), John Davis is working with a graphics art service to put together MY #137 (which features the Infinity 54). These two issues of the magazine will likely be going in the mail one right after the other. The deadline for submitting materials intended for MY#138 (which features Hardware & Rigging) is three weeks away. For all of this year the deadlines are two months apart, instead of the standard three months. With this schedule, 2005 will see Model Yachting back on track.
Rich Matt,
MY Photo Editor
It really has become bad, and more than counter-productive. Regattas advertised 6 months in advance happen before the magazine with the ad in it appears. I think companies have been created and go out of business before their ad appeared. ouch…
Glad to hear that potentially some help is on the way.[B)]
<u>Personal</u> opinion/viewpoint: [:-thumbd]
As an AMYA member, we have a PIN number. Simply post the articles in a restricted portion of the website - with subscription access based on membership renewals.
For those away from home, traveling, or on business trips - there is always a public library nearby where one can sign in and read the eMagazine articles. I understand there are members without computers (perhaps?) but why make the majority of members suffer with lack of information (or late information) if the majority can access and read on-line?
I am still disappointed that we have so many class secretaries who wanted the job, but cannot seem to provide four or five articles per year for the class they represent. That said - I can also chide those members who for whatever reason are “takers” - not “givers” and who have never contributed a thing to the publication in the form of articles, photos, etc.
Sorry - but a sore subject for me. Maybe things will improve. Can only hope so. Hard to get worse.
<blockquote id=“quote”><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica” id=“quote”>quote:<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”>Originally posted by Dick Lemke
<u>Personal</u> opinion/viewpoint: [:-thumbd]
As an AMYA member, we have a PIN number. Simply post the articles in a restricted portion of the website - with subscription access based on membership renewals.
For those away from home, traveling, or on business trips - there is always a public library nearby where one can sign in and read the eMagazine articles. I understand there are members without computers (perhaps?) but why make the majority of members suffer with lack of information (or late information) if the majority can access and read on-line?
I am still disappointed that we have so many class secretaries who wanted the job, but cannot seem to provide four or five articles per year for the class they represent. That said - I can also chide those members who for whatever reason are “takers” - not “givers” and who have never contributed a thing to the publication in the form of articles, photos, etc.
Sorry - but a sore subject for me. Maybe things will improve. Can only hope so. Hard to get worse.
<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>
Dick,
I completely agree with you. There are three main reasons; I think this would be better than the current system.
It will be significantly cheaper.
We could get the news faster
We could get more news. (People could submit articles to the class secretaries to be published on the sight, and all the class secretary would have to do is proof read it and post it.) So instead of getting half a page of info on a given calls we could get tens of pages.
Time to “BUMP” this topic to get it back on top and the cobwebs wiped off. Last issue I seem to have (or can find) is Spring 2004! No Summer - No Fall, and No Winter 2004! Guess I needn’t worry about Spring 2005?
We are now starting second quarter of 2005 and still nothing. Time to drop AMYA an email and see if someone can get the magazine published - or the articles posted on the website. After all - it IS promoted as a <font size=“3”><u>Quarterly</u></font id=“size3”> publication.
3,000 copies of Model Yachting #136 have just been printed. It’s at the bindery now. It goes to the mailing house Tuesday morning, and it will be in the mail by the end of next week.
All articles for Model Yachting #137, which features the Infinity 54 Class, have been turned in and it is now being formatted by a professional graphics service. New Model Yachting Managing Editor, John Davis, is involved in the Graphics Arts business which means he has background in supervising page layout. This issue should be ready to go to the printer by the end of April.
The deadline for Model Yachting #138, which features Hardware & Rigging, is coming near. There is still time for sending in last minute info, articles and photos.
Model Yachting #139 features the US Vintage MY Group. The VMYG is a well-organized bunch of guys who are probably well-along in providing a fantastic issue. There are no worries about them keeping the editors waiting.
2005 Is the year to get the magazine caught up. The plan is to produce an issue every two months until it is back on the three-month schedule.
Rich Matt,
MY Photo Editor
Rich -
I have written directly to John, and would consider my letter to him a “bitch session”.
While it would be nice to meet the prescribed by-laws of the AMYA in meeting the directed periodical dates established by the Executive Board, and while it is “nice” to see articles of information on a specific class - I am more concerned about ballot issues that never get published, or ballot schedules that get missed because of lack of comunication and discussion. I am concerned about lack of attendance at new regattas because the organizer relied on the publication to bring the race announcement or news to member subscribers. I am concerned about the general lack or tardiness of information and race results.
Why is it OK to use the AMYA web site to promote classes, but it isn’t OK to use a means of contacting and providing information to members? Why do regata organizers have to resort to forums such as this one and WindPower to post notices of races, and results and phoos of same? As photo editor, I see little difference in printed photos at 300 dpi resolution compared to web photos at 150 dpi or even less. Why must a person submitting photos be eeither constrained by the film medium, or by ultra high resolution images - just to meet a publication’s standard? Somewhere there needs to be a balance between a quality publication and a timely one. I would prefer to get timely information, rather than to wait, get a really “slick” looking publication with glossy covers only to find missing class reports and outdated regatta information. The Class featured articles are seldom time sensitive. And instead of spending a lot of time and effort in producing a “paper” publication, maybe the staff needs to go after and “hound” the class secretaries who can’t seem to provide four simple class reports a year. I will specifically point to several whose class always seems to show up as No Information Provided. If you want new members to find this publishing effort valuable, improve the timeliness of content, and do something about those class secretaries “Missing In Action” (or in-Action as the case may be!)
There really needs to be a change here - not to mention the cost to receive out-of-date information. Does $40,000 a year seem a bit steep for old or late information? It does to me.
Hey Dick,
I have to agree with you. Honestly… I would rather see the money that goes to the AMYA quarterly go to sending some skippers to out of the country events… but that is just me. Why NOT put the mag ONLINE… and people can print it out of they so chose??? It would be the SAME thing… on FASTER, CHEAPER, More current, and dare we even get down to ecological issues… how many trees would be spared by removing the need for paper… OK… OK, it equals out by the people printing on their own printers. [:-banghead]
I would like to see (in a perfect world) some of the top skippers being subsidized to attend international events that require large amounts of time and money. Maybe an option to “match funds” could be arranged to help some invited skippers that have achieved the level to represent the class at foreign events.
It just seems all good to me. I don’t see a downside.
[:-apple]
ok
this was not to set up a fight as to what the amya should or should not do. but maybe some good can come out of this. you want my 2 cents.
I am canadain. therefore i do not get as much from the AMERICAN MODEL YACTING ASSC. but what i do get is a link to some good people. some good idea. and some reggatas. the promote a reggata? naww most of the good poeple all ready know where they are, and when they are. I already know what races i will be attending. and I have not gotten a mag. in over a year. what i would like to see. and what i would pay for. is an online mag. With the money collected going toward putting on a reggata. the amya could charge a free on $20 to get into a specail section where you could download a copy using a PIN number. atleast that way . I could get a copy, and my money could help ,with the start of a new reggata? or class.
my 2 cents
cougar
long live the cup and cris dickson
Allow me to repeat below my message of April 1. It hopes to remind everybody that all of us involved with Model Yachting magazine are very aware that issues are behind schedule. Formatting the pages by complicated computer program is a slow process that needs to be done by a person with graphics art skills. For the past five years we have relied on Jack Gregory, a real good guy who has always had the best intentions, to do the job. Real life things such as business and family limited the time available to do volunteer work on the magazine. We on the staff know well what support we owe Jack. We knew better than to think he might be slacking off. We knew it best to ?cut him some slack?. We instead offered encouragement and the hope that he could get things caught up.
You are being asked to be patient, to understand the situation, and to cut us some slack as we make a serious effort to get caught up and back on schedule.
<font color=“blue”>3,000 copies of Model Yachting #136 have just been printed. It’s at the bindery now. It goes to the mailing house Tuesday morning, and it will be in the mail by the end of next week.
All articles for Model Yachting #137, which features the Infinity 54 Class, have been turned in and it is now being formatted by a professional graphics service. New Model Yachting Managing Editor, John Davis, is involved in the Graphics Arts business, which means he has background in supervising page layout. This issue should be ready to go to the printer by the end of April.
The deadline for Model Yachting #138, which features Hardware & Rigging, is coming near. There is still time for sending in last minute info, articles and photos.
Model Yachting #139 features the US Vintage MY Group. The VMYG is a well-organized bunch of guys who are probably well-along in providing a fantastic issue. There are no worries about them keeping the editors waiting.
2005 Is the year to get the magazine caught up. The plan is to produce an issue every two months until it is back on the three-month schedule. </font id=“blue”>
…
Here are my thoughts regarding some recent comments and suggestions that this topic has inspired. I have read the opinions. I can understand and appreciate the ideas and concerns. I hope in turn that you are willing to consider my opinions. Frankly and on the other hand, if Skipper Lemke and anybody other member of this website wants to make Beginning Member, me, a replacement for Doug Lord as a verbal sparring partner; I will just as soon promote myself to OuttaHere Member.
I?m sure a poll taken with members of this forum (?Sort of a select and exclusive poll group, yes?) would show unanimous enthusiasm to replace the printed publication with a website version. Yeah, right. We haul off and make it a requirement that every AMYA member be required to have Internet access. Let me suggest that idea just ain?t practical and it ain?t gonna happen. For example, only half the membership of my club, Chicago R/C MYC, will admit to even having an email address. Reasons for this vary, but the most popular being that they are busy with many things other than computer related and that cell phone voice mail provides unmatched convenience, selectivity and the ultimate in virus protection. Some of the reasons for not devoting much time to the Internet I find humorous. Many folks may give computer a lot of importance in their life, but there are still a lot of folks out there that do not. Tell you what, as soon as my subscriptions to SAIL, Sailing World, Boating, Lakeland Boating, Business Week, Forbes and Coastal Living are only available by Internet; is the day when Model Yachting is available in the same way.
Timely info about upcoming regattas and boats for sale are now available on www.AMYA.org. For years, Doug Hemmingway has done a great job keeping the AMYA Regatta Schedule up to date. Mark Cooper posts updates to the Honest Ahab Classified ads pretty much on a weekly basis.
How about posting articles on the AMYA Website? Yeah, right – again. Refer to this website?s Home Page. See the list of articles posted. Note when it was that the most recent article was contributed. And, there?s complaint that Model Yachting is late?
Friday I was at the printer to see how the production of Model Yachting #136 was coming along. It was ready to be loaded on a truck and be sent to the Mailing House. If copies of this magazine were to be piled up one on top the other, it would make for a stack as tall as a three-story building. It made me feel good to see this. It made me feel good that this magazine represents the good work and the good intentions of the almost four-dozen folks involved in putting it together.
Rich Matt,
AMYA 004
Have to disagree with you Cougar - seems to me we should FIRST be getting what we are paying for. Let the additional costs come later. Right now, AMYA bylaws specify publishing dates. These dates are not being kept and over a period of three-four years, publishing dates have been missed and promises (and excuses) are made. Yet the elected executive commitee and the magazine editorial staff continue to chase old technology, experience the same problems and issues and it seems nothing significant has changed. John is the new managing editor, and I will give him his opportunity to turn things around - but once again, it appears no one in either of the two groups is looking at improving the direction - they seem to keep fighting with the process - and it’s an old, cumbersome process that has proven it’s inability to be timely over and over again!
If you have paid your money for dues, why shouldn’t you expect to get what you paid for? I’ll be happy to take $25 from everyone reading this. In fact, I’ll even send you some kind of membership card. I’ll promise you a magazine every 3 months, but it will only be a promise. Are you really saying this is correct? Are you saying you would pay an additional $20 just to get an online version? You are missing the point - there is no hard copy - so it is impossible to have an electronic one!
Just for the hell-of-it… grab any topic posted here, on WindPower or on any website. Just one topic. How much information did you get out of reading it? How much information was relative to your needs? How many times did someone else write in with additional information or ask further questions or ask for needed clarification? How many topics had photos included in them for better understanding - or hell, just for the ego of showing off a recent “masterpiece”? Now - look at the dates and times of the posts. Notice they are often quickly posted after the initial article or post? Notice that some are mutliple questions - often minutes apart? THIS is what is lacking in a printed publication.
Look at the last magazine, and let’s take Will Gorgen’s article on sail tune as an example. Be honest - how much was entirely new - and how much was a repeaat of discussions on this very website? I found that much of what was printed was stuff Will posted earlier - and his posts were often in greater detail - and even better for me as a reader - I could post back questions I didn’t understand for more clarification.
Within a week or two, I can find race results AND a lot of photos of pretty much any regatta being held. If I can’t find it in the class website - I can go to a club’s website and probably find it. It is this ability for quick information, and timely information, and ease of interaction that the AMYA has decided to continue to compete against. My feeling is they (AMYA) are spending too much money chasing an old idea. And these are probably many of the same guys who will spend countless hours trying to explain why it doesn’t make sense to spend money to try to make a 1980’s “M” Class boat competitive with one of 2003 design! (no offense to the vintage “M” guys - but recent posts here seem to allow me an example).
Anyway - I just think there are ways to really improve the process - but it seems no one is looking.
In casse you haven’t taken the time to read - here is the section of the AMYA By-Laws that pertain to this issue:
SECTION 11: Official Publication
11.1 The Association shall publish an official periodical newsletter. Through it the Association will provide information for the benefit of the members concerning the Association?s activities which may include: dates and location of regattas including regional and national championships, items of general interest such as, but not limited to, technical articles, etc., notices of important meetings and other business of the Association. (2005)
11.2 The Executive Board shall set closing and publication dates for each issue. It shall also provide the Editor with guidelines for edition size, production budgets, quality standards, general content, etc.
11.3 The publication will provide for paid space advertising for marketing equipment, supplies and services for the model yachting hobby. Rates for such advertising space will be established by the Executive Board. Advertisers will be provided with a complimentary copy of each issue in which their ad appears.
The bolded sections I added for emphasis! Where to from here?
dick
maybe i missed my piont. the piont i was trying to make was. it is easier and faster to do it electronicly. email your article into whomever. then they can put together a online version. i dont think the mag. should be race ceneterd. it should be focused on new designs. new tech. and up coming BIG reggatas. there is another quaterly mag. out there, and they seem to have it together. 4 issues a year, and always something new to decided how to build something. i am talking about the SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT. now this magazine is for radio controled submarine. i wonder why we cannot get the same thing out of the amya. if this is a problem i would give you $20 for a online version atleast i would get something.
Dick as of right now . i have not gotten anything for the last year. and I am paid up. so right now. I feel like i have thrown my money down the hole. and i am not renewing this year
cougar
long live the cup and cris dickson
Sorry and my apologies - I “did” miss your point.
Rich - as a member of the MY production staff - it is my hope the following opinions and views, while quite different than yours, do not lead to a “sparring match” as they are given simply as a viewpoint. One that can be accepted or dismissed - as your personal opinion may warrant. Indeed you are not a “Replacement Doug Lord Verbal Sparring Partner” - you seem to be the only person to answer my emails or responding to these posts … other than those who seem to be in agreement that a web couldn’t be a bad thing.
Your comments do bring forth an issue that has been hinted at by some AMYA members in the past, and one that I will come right out and ask. If you can answer - fine. If you can’t please forward to those who can/will. At issue are general questions - and general dissent if someone were to have it. Strangely (and suspiciously) absent from M.Y. (Model Yachting) is any forum, letters to the editor, voices from beyond - or whatever else you want to call it. There is NO two-way communication. I have never (NEVER) seen any opportunity to have a letter printed, whether pro AMYA or in protest of decisions and some ideas put forth. The AMYA “M.Y.” is a one way communication. FROM the AMYA - never back from members. Yet - emails to persons remain/go unanswered. One of the biggest recent “flaps” was the strong discussions and opinions about financing executive travel for an AMYA meeting that co-incided with a race week. It was a “HOT” topic, yet the only place dissent and contrary or negative opinions were to be found were on discussion boards - no letters to the editor were ever printed, and based on what I read on the forumns, I find it hard to believe none of the members opposing the idea were really developed or discussed within the AMYA “M.Y.” - so if these forumns turn ino “sparring matches” - I only ask what other forum is there to “sound off”?
Hoefully Rich, you will accept these comments in the spirit in which they were intended - to make good ideas and a publication even better - or as a suggestion on how a change might help. If you must accept these as personal attacks - my apologies - and just pass them on up to someone who will consider needed changes. In the meantime, I will continue to wait, as I have in the past. Let’s hope you are right about <blockquote id=“quote”><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica” id=“quote”>quote:<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”>2005 Is the year to get the magazine caught up. The plan is to produce an issue every two months until it is back on the three-month schedule.<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>
I’ve been following this thread with intrest. Just a couple of observations from a new guy. I have not yet joined the AMYA because I have yet to finish a boat that meets one of the class guide lines and there are no clubs within 125 miles of me. In my internet quest for information, I have come across a number of sites that encourage joining the AMYA, if for no other reason then “the quarterly magazine is worth the membership fee”. I have seen a number of club sites that publish their monthly newsletters, on line, on time, every time. I find it hard to beleave that a national association with approx. 3000 members, can’t seem to come into the '90s let alone the 2000s and put your’s on the net also. I have a simple desk top publisher, on my computer, that could handle a newsletter/magazine format.
I agree with what Dick said about communications between the AMYA and it’s members. Which raises the question, why are we talking about this and other topics, here. Why doesn’t the AMYA have a forum like this one on their web site? It could do nothing but bring the members “home” and be able to get quick responses from the association, that we could all express our views in.
Rich, It appears that the AMYA annual income is approx. $75,000 yearly from your members and $??? from adveritizing and $??? from the ship’s store. With those annual resorces and what you receive from the clubs, there is no excuse for not making the type inprovments talked about on this thread.
After following all of this, I’m not so sure I want to belong to this kind of outfit. It appears that the AMYA is not well orginized. If you can’t follow, the above portion of, your own by-laws, then which other by-laws are not adheared too? At this time “my check is NOT in the mail”
Oh Well!
I think we shouldn’t talk money! and let’s not forget that most of the work is volunteered, that said, I am NOT into the AMYA…living in Japan, I don’t see the point…but I have to agree that it seems that the by-laws talk about a quarterly magazine…which was a reason for me to become a member…hey whats 20 U$ anyway…but if there is no such quarterly magazine…I will stay internetish!
Some classes (the Seawind) are publishing a free pdf type online located here:
http://www.seawindrc.com/us-scoa/usscoa.asp
I am not into the US-SCOA (again living in Japan), but the internet makes it available for everyone…even better its free…makes me wonder!!
My not even 0.2 Yen
-Wis
_/ if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it! _
Rich,
This may be hard for you to seperate… but at least as far as I am concerned… I have no problem with the performance of ANY member of the MY staff… I know that it is thankless work, and that yourself and many others have given of their own time and money and effort to make the magazine better… and are working hard now to see it get back on track.
But to be honest with you… if Samantha and Genie both showed up and zapped everything right, with color pics and articles and everything on time and where it should be… I would STILL support the move to an electronic media.
It just makes sense.
If your club has less than 50% internet access… I can only say how sad that is, and how incredibly unusual. I can not say for certain that the main club here has 100% but I can say we have better than 95%. My smaller club that I am just forming, has 100% internet access and they use it. The club in Austin, would appear to be about the 90% mark as well, and in my travels the numbers of other clubs are equally high.
The beauty of it is… internet access is not going to be required of 100%… those individuals that want the printed word can still obtain it. I don’t see what harm could come from allowing the AMYA to have an online magazine that can be up to the minute current.
I believe that it is going to happen, it will only be a matter of time… -or- <u>something worse will happen… namely the Class Associations will just discover that they don’t need the AMYA, and they will fragment off and simply do their own thing.</u>
I would hate to see that happen, but I don’t know what exactly is going to prevent it. One thing that made the AMYA have value for the guys that were out away from the larger clubs… in areas where there was little to no sailing… was the enjoyment that they received from reading about the other regattas. Those reports, and NOR’s and pics… are going to be completely available, and NOW…where as even with an on time magazine, there is going to be 3-4 month lag for events.
If I want to host a local regatta, and I put out the NOR the day after the MY closes it’s issue, there is still going to be a MINIMUM THREE MONTH LAG under perfect conditions.
Same thing with Regatta results…I don’t know anyone that is going to wait to read about it in print, when they saw up to the minute results online, 100 times more pics than any magazine could ever HOPE to provide, even live cams on the dock, interviews taken on the scene… not reported 3rd hand. My Nokia Cell phone has internet access now, I can update results on my website between heats
Technology charges forward, and the numbers of those that can’t/won’t access it electronically are diminishing daily, and I can not see where their numbers will ever increase. 78’s, record albums, 8 tracks, Beta video, they never came back and never will, and for the AMYA being able to put this info on the net is a WIN/WIN deal. There will be a need for some printed versions for some time to come, but the options are almost limitless, and the savings in Association funds would be enormous!
Imagine how many ways that AMYA could use that money to promote the hobby in general and events in specific.
It is still going to take the talent and hard work of individuals such as yourself that are willing to give up from their lives, time to make these things happen, but those efforts will reach so many more people in the long run, and provide so much more information in a truly timely manner, that is has to be a wonderful improvement over a printed media under even the best of conditions. [:-angel]