American Kitefliers Association

Each NKM chair handles events in their own way. There was no plan ever submitted this year about notes or gifts. The only plan submitted this year was for the workshop challenge grants. Those grants were very successful and allowed several events to take place. NKM is all about education.

Nothing was better than the year Jackite gave out all those kites. I'm not sure how they afforded all those kites but I would like to thank them again Ive participated every year in one way or another but it's nice to bring kites to new people and educate them in the aspects of kiting and maybe lure them into our world.

Jackite has supported National Kite Month every year, and is doing so again this year. Woody makes a great point, it's all about bringing kites to new people, showing them some simple fun in our complex world. Each of us participates out of love of kiting, not because we were bribed.

Thats logical..

Capt_Richard wrote:

Has anyone received an acknowledgement after registering an event? The original plan was to once again send a thank you note along with a handy item as a gift when you register your first event. In the past it worked very well to encourage the members to register additional events. Here in Region 8 we are slightly behind out past totals but that still leaves us with almost 1/3rd of the total number of events listed worldwide.

I thought we were excluded in Colorado due to myself not posting the events properly. Last year, 2010, I received the $50 check and a Jackite bird  with banner pole, for posting several events to the AKA and NKM calendar.The $50 went into the RMKA fund (towards paying Meetup.com $75 for our Meetup site six month subscription where we post our events)
Acknowledgement without any gift can be Free, aside from postage and the paper, printing, and labor expense (that could be voluntary) a paper certificate of achievement would cost. Just a mention of individuals and their clubs which led to the forming of NKM events in the following (summer ) issue of Kiting would be Fantastic enough!
Perhaps Richard, other contributors, and myself were expecting just acknowledgement in 2011 and were not aware in advance there were any changes in the incentive programs that we assumed still existed..

In 2011 a decision was made to emphasize education during National Kite Month, which is truly the goal of NKM. At no time was an incentive program announced. The first chair of NKM resigned less than 3 months after taking over the position. One person was willing to step up and take over.
NKM is a joint effort of AKA and the KTAI, all decisions are made jointly as to where the money goes. The workshop challenges were a great success with 5 groups receiving money. This money made a huge difference to these groups.
Should there have been "official" acknowledgement? Maybe, but no one stepped forward as willing to do it. Every envelope mailed out costs $1.50. That takes time and money away from the workshop challenges.
NKM is our celebration and outreach effort to the rest of the world. Do we still need bribery to participate?
The AKA is a volunteer association. What gets done is because someone is willing to devote their time and energy to doing it. It's not too early to plan for 2012. Who's willing to help?

As for myself, the satisfaction is in knowing that my Club and I were able to promote kites to the public by adding events to the April calendar and have them included in NKM.
Everyone knows that I am willing to do everything I can to volunteer my time and sometimes money if I have any to spare, to help NKM and ALL kiting causes.
The challenge to this I'm finding is getting any response or acknowledgement, just an email stating that my material submitted was received, even if is horrible and boring compared to  the West and East Coast clubs, and the photos are not good enough resolution to be added to Kiting magazine.
Being elected or hired in any volunteer or paid position in the AKA does not seem to require any research done by the position holders to look for news and events, recruit new members, go to cities or towns, organizations, etc to set up kite festivals, etc. When people volunteer their time, they can only do what they have time to do, but it's MUCH better if everyone can just Get Along, and help each other. I can submit stuff ALL DAY but if you (Barbara, Phil, RD's, ) do not process it or at least tell me it all "Sucks" so I have time to Start Over, edit, find better pictures, interview my club for better information, Consult with, meet with my club members whom have taken better photos and get them on CD and not copy a Thumbnail from Facebook, etc.
If I'm elected to Regional Director  I will interact more with EVERYBODY in Region 7. I will look for News from R7, and hope to have material from everyone early so I can process it and get it submitted Early. If I have Work and other problems interfering with my time for the AKA, I will still send out notices, news, etc and Get Help from my Club and all the other R7 clubs.
ROBIN