Yeah, that's my beef with the NAR... seems like they're only about three things anymore-- 1) HPR, 2) TARC, and 3) competition. Everybody else need not bother.
Since I don't particularly give a rip about ANY of those things, that means NAR is basically irrelevant to me. I USED to be a member just to get the magazine, but no more... $60 bucks a year for dues is simply TOO MUCH for a magazine that is almost SOLELY dedicated to those three topics and none other, or if anything else IS in there it's an abbreviated footnote or afterthought at most.
NAR has gotten away from its roots, which is why, IMHO, membership has virtually stalled and they can't keep anybody for more than a couple years. The mandatory insurance has driven the price of membership to insane levels (even for kids its pretty ridiculous now) and a lot of that cost is probably being driven by HPR... lets face it, HPR is inherently a riskier activity, like it or not, believe it or not. I'm not saying its IMPOSSIBLE for someone to get seriously injured or killed in model rocketry-- we've had several incidents to the contrary (usually idgits trying to recover their rockets from power lines, but also the kit that got darted by the X-15 years ago at a scout thing). So far the only flight-related fatality has been that guy that got nailed by a ballistic HPR a couple years ago out in California at a scout HPR thing... although there has been a SIGNIFICANT number of VERY near misses, which would have almost certainly ended in instant death and some which resulted in burns or other injuries, or expensive damage to property. That's why we don't allow HPR on our farms... take that crap somewhere else...
Anyway, NAR is seemingly only interested in the HPR flier, so they can get more money out of them for certs. They like the TARC thing because it creates a lot of hoo-hah for them, and probably gets them a few new (transitory) members... and then there's competition, which the NAR boo-hoo's is dying out, but then they've allowed a handful of old graybeards to control competition with an iron fist, and make the rules to their liking and in their favor, so most folks simply say "why bother". Add that with the fact that most younger people nowdays simply don't have the time or money to go to the far end of the country for a week of competition (NARAM) and they refuse to streamline that either to create more appeal to younger members, (mostly because the graybeards want to hang out for a week and stretch it out as much as possible methinks) and only a select handful are considered "worthy" of participating in the internats, let alone have the time or money for it...
Is it any WONDER that the NAR is becoming irrelevant?? Most HPR fliers are Tripoli members, as that organization was MADE by and for the HPR rocket enthusiast... NAR opposed HPR for a LONG time, even "regulated" against it, until they figured out they were losing money as people with money decided "if it comes down to a choice between HPR and LPR, screw NAR and LPR I'll just jump ship to Tripoli and fly with them exclusively". NAR quickly deduced that their stance in opposition to HPR was getting them nowhere and the money was leaving with the guys jumping ship, and quickly recanted their position and created their own HPR base, basically mirroring Tripoli (except in a few respects I think). Now they seem to want to cater to the HPR fliers and LPR/MPR non-cert fliers are just "free to hang out with them"...
No thanks...
Later! OL J R
My MUNIFICENCE is BOUNDLESS, Mr. Bond...
Without some of the opponents on the other side of the aisle signing up it can be a bit one sided, but as been said previously, Some believe they won't sign up here because there is no safe space here. damn sorry went way off on a tangent).
