[Paul462]

Fellow SOAPA Members and interested casual readers,

On February 11 we held our Mid-Winter Teleconference, attended by Jerry De Santis, Larry Bowdish, Keven Kenison, Mary Lightfine, and Paul Rooy. The following was decided:

1. Jerry submitted his treasurer's report - we have $1,586.21 in the bank! (minus the cost of the Mid-Winter Teleconference, of course...)

2. Proposed By-Laws Rev. February 11, 2006 were approved, with a change to Par. 6 to provide a more specific mechanism for determination of the officers slate decided upon by the Executive Board, and correction of some typos. and to allow the Executive Board to make decisions during the Mid-Winter Teleconference. The By-Laws will be submitted to the membership for approval during the 2006 SOAPA Fly-In.

3. $400/day for a conference room for two days - approved.

4. $500 to send out postcards advertising the Fly-In - approved, with the proviso that a poll be taken during the Fly-In to determine how many attendees came to the Fly-In due to the postcard mailing.

5. Fees: $150 per plenary session attendee, $75 per significant other for the social events if fees received prior to 30 days before the start of the Fly-In. $175 per plenary session attendee, $100 per significant other for the social events if fees received subsequent to 30 days before the start of the Fly-In. Fees are 100% refundable if refund request is received prior to 30 days before the start of the Fly-In; no refunds thereafter.

6. Events: Try to include maybe a Thu PM Skymaster Happy Hour with first drink paid for by SOAPA and a Fri boat trip (maybe around $50/person cost?). Or maybe dinner one night for around $50/person? A pre-fly-in event could be a "Behind the Stage Tour" of a Vegas show at 2:00 PM Wednesday. Larry will investigate a Lake Las Vegas "Booze Cruise", and Paul will investigate a Lake Mead boat tour of archeological sites recently uncovered by descending water levels in Lake Mead.

7. Speakers possibilities:

Peyton - 337 Acrobatics (1/2 hour).
Larry: Line up "Flight to Alaska by ADF", C&D Enterprises heater company, SIMPLE GREEN presentation, 15 minute Herb Harney video on flying Michigan.
Jerry: Get Don Nieser Comodore Aerospace.
Paul: See if Galen Hanselman (author of "Fly Idaho") or Sparky Iveson (author of the "Mountain Flying Bible") can talk about extreme mountain flying off short/high/soft/unpaved strips out in the middle of nowhere without getting et by a bear.

If anybody has speaker suggestions, please let Jerry or Larry know!

Well there you have it, folks! Yet another successful Mid-Winter Teleconference - Jerry and Larry enthralled us with stories of the heavy snowfoll descending outside their windows (700 OVC), and the rest of us thanked our lucky stars for being located further south. Keven is looking for a P-337, so if you were about to toss yours, don't do that - give it to Keven instead!

We appear to be well on track for the 2006 SOAPA Fly-In. Jerry and Larry, if you need assistance, do not hesitate to ask us!

Paul