Hear Ye!

February, 2004
No. 441

THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER
by Russ O'Brien

At the January meeting, Valley Forge National Historical Park Superintendent
Barbara Pollarine addressed the group on the topic of the 20-year plan for
the Park and the Valley Forge Signal Seekers' involvement in that plan.

There are numerous facets involved in managing the Park, including
increasing automobile traffic, the increasing volume of visitors,
recreational group interests, deer population, requests for additional
walking and biking trails, river crossing improvements, and access to
formerly unoccupied areas. The Park currently has 85 employees. It was
pointed out that of all the recreational interests using the Park, the model
airplane group is the only one that makes noise.

Planning meetings have been initiated by the Park, and more such meetings
will be held until enough information is gathered to formulate an overall
plan. The VFSS club will be advised of meeting dates and will send
participants.

George Dukes
A memorial service for VFSS member George Dukes, who died on December 26,
2003, was held on January 17, 2004. Three VFSS members attended. A bio
booklet, prepared by the family, will be added to the VFSS historical
records for all to view. The booklet contains a poem written by a neighbor
at the time George left for military service in WW II, attesting to George's
fine character. George was a life-long sailor and was commissioned to make
many museum-quality sailing ship models, which are on public exhibit.

WRAM Show Trip
February 21, 2004
The WRAM Show bus is a full sellout. Bus leaves the church parking lot at
8:30 AM.

Awards Dinner
Camelot Hall, Bridgeport, PA
6:30 PM, February 10
Award winners in the various voting categories, known only to Ed Snead, will
be revealed on this date. Ron Strobel will show a compilation of model
flying activity scenes from the past several years. Members are encouraged
to bring model airplanes as a Show-N-Tell for the many visiting wives who
don't ordinarily see them. The hall is big and we'll find room for them.
As usual, a great meal will be served featuring extraordinarily tasty
choices and low calories.

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APPEAL

Open letter to the superintendence of Valley Forge National Historical Park
and the leadership of the Valley Forge Signal Seekers

Please preserve our privilege of flying our model aircraft in the park.
Include the sport of model aviation as a part of the "Recreational
Experience" component for the park's Master Plan for the next 20 years of
the park's growth.

Historically, the Valley Forge Signal Seekers began flying in the park in
1959 with the permission of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which at the
time maintained the site as a state park. When the Department of the
Interior took control of the park as a federal installation, we were allowed
to continue our use of the facility. Over the years we have maintained the
area that we use, mowing the runway, policing the area, providing
porta-potties along the tree line, and even rebuilding the bulletin board
and shingling its roof. The bulletin board and storage barrels attached to
it are the only physical structures at our site. We are one of the largest,
most active and influential clubs within our umbrella organization and
insurer, the Academy of Model Aeronautics. We have a fine facility. Living
within the area has influenced many of our members' retirements. We like it
here!

We as residents of the tri-state area have watched as urban sprawl has moved
ever closer and have cherished our small "portion of paradise" within the
park. Past leadership of the Signal Seekers joined with the Sierra Club in
its efforts to keep the Toll Brothers Construction Company from developing a
northern area of the park. Many of our older members, although veterans,
believe that a National Cemetery should be placed elsewhere. Some have
expressed that concern to appropriate legislators.

We have an active and supportive membership. Our club has donated money to
the park for the restoration of the Washington Monument, participated in
Bicentennial activities, and maintained a large portion of the luminaries
during Christmas celebrations of the original encampment. We have provided
flight instruction to countless school children from Philadelphia and local
schools, adults, and Boy Scout campers. We have members who are mentors to
area high school science classes that feature aviation. We have embraced
the new technologies available to us and continue to work hard to tailor
them to our flying environment. Our field marshals and the general
membership avidly endeavor to strictly enforce our flying regulations.

Urban sprawl has placed severe limitations upon recreation and "open spaces"
of the tri-county area. Sprawl and traffic have caused problems for the
park, as witness the heavy usage of Route 23 during rush hours.

Our relatively remote location on the southern perimeter, backed up against
the Pennsylvania Turnpike, has served us well. As we fly our airplanes, we
are met with visitors from all over the world who come to see the birthplace
of our nation and become fascinated with our activity. I personally have
met people from every continent. We are ambassadors to the world.

The well-maintained flying field has also served as an evening base for
local astronomers.

In this, our centennial year of aviation, the members of the Valley Forge
Signal Seekers, of which I have been a proud member for 14 years, submit our
request to maintain the relationship to the park which we have shared since
1959. We are there for you. Be there for us!

Warren A. Barrick
Past President
Valley Forge Signal Seekers

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THANKS

The Club wishes to thank Walt Pierzchala for finding a Porta-Potty provider
for the coming flying season. Good job, Walt.

Carl Sutton.

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VFSS BOG MEETING
by Steve Kolet, Secretary

January 6, 2004
Members present: 15 including the President, the non-voting VP, and
Treasurer.
Meeting was opened at 7:00 PM by President Russ O'Brien.

OLD BUSINESS: None

NEW BUSINESS:

Item 1: Bob Sudermann briefed the entire board on the meeting held with
park officials when the special use permit was approved for only one year.
BOG members discussed the possible loss of the site and offered opinions on
how to try to prevent this possibility. Joe Krush and Jerry Cavanaugh were
mentioned as two members who may have a good historical knowledge of VFSS
and the park. Bob Sudermann made a motion to establish a committee to work
on this issue. Motion was seconded by Tom Burns and passed unanimously.

Item 2: The 2004 budget was reviewed by Carl Sutton. Based on last year's
budget/expenditures, VFSS expects to be approximately in the same financial
state. Carl wishes to review the budget/expenditures in September to see
how we are doing. A motion was made to accept the budget; it was seconded
and passed unanimously.

Item 3: The updated Field Management Guide is nearly ready for BOG
approval. Bob Sudermann, Russ O'Brien, Carl Sutton and Steve Kolet will do
a final review and cleanup on January 10th. The updated FMG should be ready
for BOG review in February.

Item 4: The Awards Banquet head count must be complete by end of January.
Ed Snead has the ballots for the Doug Davidson and Tech Achievement Awards.
Some additional awards may be given at the president's discretion.

Item 5: A recent incident with a park flier at our site was discussed. All
pilots using our site must have an AMA license and, if not a member of VFSS,
obtain a day pass. The radio must be on one of our approved frequencies and
use our frequency control procedures.

All business was concluded. Meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM.

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CLUB CALENDAR

Tuesday, February 3rd -
BOG Meeting at the Church, 7:00 PM.

Tuesday, February 10th -
Annual VFSS Banquet at the Camelot, 425 Mill St., in Bridgeport, PA, 6:30
PM.

Saturday, February 21st -
WRAM Show in White Plains, New York. Bus leaves church parking lot at 8:30
AM.

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