Hear Ye!

December, 2002
No. 427

From the President,
Warren Barrick

Thanks to all who came to the 2nd annual Flea Market at the church on
November 16th. We had a torrential downpour all day, but that didn't stop
the members who had something to sell or buy. It may not have been a huge
financial success - it wasn't intended to be - but it was fun and many of us
were able to get rid of some old stuff and buy some new.

By the time you read this the club will have new officers for 2003. The BOG
will vote on December 3rd. I am not running for reelection. I am winding
up my second two-year stint in that office and am eager to pass on to
someone else the fun and responsibilities of the VFSS presidency. It has
been a real blast. I am particularly thankful to the members who served on
the BOG during my tenure and the members who assumed a great deal of
responsibility in doing everything from setting up canopies at fun flies,
cooking, mowing the field and holding positions such as field marshal.
Thanks also to those of you who survived my terrible "busts" and awards at
the annual banquet.

I still hate ARFs and I look forward to seeing all of you at the field as I
continue my quest to be an exceptional flier of flivers. Good luck to you
all, and may all your crashes be small ones.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

REMEMBERING GARY SORRELL
by John Powell

You may already know that one of our long-time members, Gary Sorrel, died in
November at the age of 53. Among the large gathering at Gary's funeral
service in Norristown were nine VFSS members including two past Club
presidents.

I really don't know many details of his life - he was a flying buddy and we
spent a lot of time talking about airplanes and thermals, not about work! I
know that he worked in computer support services and with graphics
applications. He also spent four years in the Marines and was a Vietnam
vet.

I believe Gary joined the Club in 1981. Certainly he was already a fixture
in the soaring group when I turned up in 1984. I spent most Sunday mornings
with Gary for 18 years and was always happy to see him.

Now a short digression about winches! For glider flying the thing that's
most necessary after decent weather is a working winch system. When there's
only a short period every week when the field can be used safely for
soaring, it's important to have a glider winch available so that as many
people can get launches as possible. But a winch + retriever + batteries +
turn-around pulley + toolbox is a heavy load to carry and a lot of work to
set up on the field and take down again at the end of the session,
especially on a hot day. Then during the week, someone needs to maintain it
and charge the heavy-duty batteries - at their home, at their expense!

I go into this much detail because for many years, Gary dependably kept the
Club winch equipment, serviced it, brought it out to the field in his black
T-Bird, and usually did the set up and takedown work. The rest of us (i.e.
people like me) just turned up in mid-morning when the lift was beginning to
develop, put our planes together and went out to fly. I always had excuses
why I couldn't take over the job: my car was too small, my back was too
sore, I didn't have a garage... You get the picture. Gary provided a huge
service for the glider group and it was all too easy to take it for granted.

Gary was quite patient with us Club members but very patient with beginners
and taught many people how to fly RC at Valley Forge. He also served on the
BOG during 1992 and 93.

He was a prolific builder and an excellent craftsman. My first attempt at
an electric glider consisted of an old "Paragon" fuselage mated to a Larry
Jolly "Meteor" wing that Gary gave me. We called this plane the "Metegon"
and in all honesty I can say that it flew better than any of my later more
sophisticated electric projects - getting seriously specked out on most
flights. I put that performance down to Gary's wing building. He also
worked with Mike Popescu for a time, manufacturing foam glider wings for the
"Esteem" design.

It may be a platitude to say, but one of the reasons that many of us stay in
this hobby and come out to the field as often as we can is because of the
quality of the people we meet there and the pleasure of their company -
sometimes the Sunday morning flying sessions look like a men's chatting
society! We'll miss Gary. Going flying without seeing him on the field
just doesn't seem right. He should have been with us for another 50 years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VFSS BOG MEETING
by Dee Messina

November 5, 2002
17 members present
Meeting opened by President Barrick at 7:05 PM.

OLD BUSINESS

1. Our contracted park permit is good until December 2003.

2. Bob Engman will be speaker at December club meeting.

3. Flea market at the church November 16.

NEW BUSINESS

1. Election of club officers for 2003 at December BOG meeting.

2. Membership applications for 2003 will be in December newsletter.

3. Delaware Savings Fund will remain as is for year 2002. Treasurer's report
shows we are solvent.

4. Al Campana will head up a coffee and donuts membership drive. This will
take place at our club meetings. The BOG approved. Members will pay by the
honor system.

5. Banquet preparations for 2002 are underway.

6. Nominations for the Doug Davidson and the Technical Achievement Awards
will take place at the December club meeting.

All business concluded.
Meeting adjourned at 7:38 PM.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CLUB CALENDAR

Tuesday, December 3rd -
BOG meeting at the church at 7:00 PM. BOG will elect officers for 2003.

Tuesday, December 10th -
General Membership meeting at the church at 8:00 PM. Nominations for Doug
Davidson Award and Technical Achievement Award will be accepted at this
meeting only. Speaker will be Robert Engman, and you are asked to bring
guests. Raffle and Show-N-Tell as usual. Applications for renewal of
membership will be given to those who did not receive a Hear Ye.

Tuesday, January 7th -
BOG meeting at 7:00 PM at the church. New BOG members to attend. Rm. 207 in
the classroom building.

Tuesday, January 14th -
General Membership meeting at the church. Election of Awards winners for
2002.

Tuesday, February 11th -
Annual Awards Banquet at the Camelot in Bridgeport, PA.

Saturday, February 15th or 22nd -
WRAM show in White Plains, N.Y. Joe Weizer will have complete details.
$40.00 per person.

Feedback or comments to: Marilyn Ayres , HearYe editor
Michael Myers, Webmaster

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