Nonprofit but management

Dear Reader

This guiding principle from the late 1990s comes from the Institute for Association, Foundation, and Cooperative Management (VMI) at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. At the time, it was rumored that the professors had even sewn this slogan onto their underwear. At first, this statement—which is clear in and of itself—somewhat puzzled me, especially from the perspective of our model aircraft clubs. Non-profit organizations—such as clubs, foundations, or interest groups—thrive, in my view, on idealism and the joy of being able to undertake and achieve something together. Prerequisites for this include shared or similar interests and, for example, the opportunity to operate a flying field together or organize an event. Let’s not forget the grassroots work in youth development, carried out with great dedication and expertise. Model aircraft clubs thus make a contribution—one that should not be underestimated—to the upbringing, education, and social development of Swiss youth.

Club life—not just in model aviation—has changed significantly in recent years. After the war, model aviation groups mostly had to make do with very modest means; it was no coincidence that they were supported to the best of their ability at the time by the Swiss Pro Aero Foundation, both financially and through the distribution of the legendary toolkits. Today, our model aircraft clubs are in a much better financial position, and some of the federations have amassed considerable assets. Unfortunately, this has not had only positive effects on camaraderie and idealism. The handling of money, in particular, repeatedly leads to heated discussions. Even the important “social function” often evaporates faster than the fuel in beautiful jets. Some of our members are interested only in their own activities and disappear after their flight just as quickly as they arrived. With a bit of luck, you might still hear a “Hello” and “Goodbye.” I don’t want to generalize about all of this. Nevertheless, we must not simply turn a blind eye to such developments—which, fortunately, are (still) in the minority—if we don’t want to risk our proud model flying clubs withering away into mere investment companies. Unfortunately, I don’t have any ready-made solutions for how we can save model flying groups and clubs for the future. However, in my next editorial, I’ll try to offer a few tried-and-true tips—as the saying goes, “Nonprofit but management.” Until then, I wish all active and dedicated model aviators much joy and fulfillment in their commitment to this truly wonderful hobby!

Thank you very much and best regards, Emil Ch. Giezendanner