ROCStock Is Coming! Sign Up for Range Duty
Posted: May 13, 2013 Filed under: Launch Announcements Leave a comment »The ROCStock XXXVII Range Duty signup sheet is online and ready to be filled in! Grab your preferred job and time-slot before they fill up!
Visit: http://www1.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=rocrangeduty
Sign up TODAY!
Launch this Saturday May 11th 2013
Posted: May 6, 2013 Filed under: Launch Announcements Leave a comment »Fellow ROC Members,
This is our monthly announcement that this Saturday (May 11, 2013) is the next ROC Launch. While the current weather is cool and unsettled, projection for the upcoming weekend is for warm and sunny weather. We are beginning to enter the time of year when the desert can be hot, so attendees should be prepared. Overnight lows are expected to be in the 50′s and daytime temps could be in the high 80′s. At this time, winds look to be westerly and low to moderate in strength. Dress in layers for a range of possible conditions. As usual it is expected the best conditions will be in the early morning, with wind speeds gradually increasing after mid-morning. Be sure to bring (and drink) plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock to avoid getting burned. We are expecting our regular food vendor to be in attendance, in addition to our rocketry vendor.
*** RANGE ASSISTANCE ***
We were very close to canceling the launch this month due to a lack of volunteers to tow the club trailer. At the last minute, Richard Dierking was able to rearrange his personal schedule to help out. Please express your appreciation to him for making the launch possible. As helpful as this is, it does not relieve the problem for future months. As Veni announced in her President’s message the other day, the board has made the decision to scale back on monthly launches to address this problem. Starting after June ROC-Stock, we will not bring the large club trailer out, and will only bring as much range equipment as we can with a smaller utility trailer. On the plus side, this will allow many more members to be able to help with the towing. We hope this will inspire many of you to set aside one month of the year to volunteer your time and effort to help the club in this way. On the negative side, the smaller launch setup will mean fewer pads and potentially longer waits to fly. We will see how this works out after several months.
Concerning this month’s launch, there will be a couple of board members out on Friday for early preparations and moving equipment between our storage sites in Lucerne Valley. They have expressed the need for additional help, so if you are interested in going out Friday to assist, please contact us for details and so that we have a head count.
As usual, we are dependent on YOUR HELP both to set up and to operate the range — the range doesn’t open in the morning until range duty slots for the day are filled. We have continued to have chronic problems with getting people to sign up to help on the range. This month we will be experimenting with a new system to help with our short-handedness. We will have “roaming RSO” volunteers. The idea would be that rather than sitting at a table in the sun for a couple of hours to safety check rockets, the roaming RSOs could remain at their campsite (or wherever they like) wearing an orange vest or other garb identifying them as an RSO. Flyers wishing to have a rocket checked would approach the RSO at his/her camp and get the flight signed off there. The roaming RSOs could be on duty for as long as they like, and could take off the vest when they didn’t want to be disturbed, such as when prepping their own flight. If we get enough people to participate, it should go a long way toward improving our volunteer situation and perhaps also reduce congestion at the range head. So if you are a Level 2 or better and are willing to serve in this way, please sign up and inquire at the registration table.
Even with lots of roaming RSOs, we’ll still need people in positions like LCO, pad manager and pad helper. As always, we need your help or we won’t fly, so do your part!
SIGN UP HERE NOW: http://mysignup.com/rocrangeduty
Don’t let that sign-up sheet be empty on Saturday morning. Please let the board know in advance if you have any large projects or unusual support requirements that we should know about.
*** EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE WORK PARTY 5/12 ***
This is another reminder of the trailer and equipment cleaning event to be held at our storage site at the Sundowner Inn, near the launch site. The work party will be on Sunday, May 12th on the day following our monthly launch starting at 9:00 am. The purpose of this work party will be to prepare for June ROCStock, and paint our new storage container. You’ll be able to camp overnight on Saturday and attend the work party the next morning and save an extra drive. Please come out and help!
*** GENERAL INFO ***
Non-member daily launch fee is $15 and the paid-up member fee is $5. Everybody needs to register and get a wrist band to fly. All participants and spectators need to sign a liability waiver. Please be aware of the requirement to follow all safety rules and procedures while attending the launch, and make sure that children are supervised by a responsible adult at all times. Overnight camping is allowed as usual, but be sure to keep all campfires in above-ground containers to comply with BLM rules, and pack your ashes and wood debris out with you when you leave. Let’s always try to leave the playa a little cleaner than we found it. Portable toilets should be delivered on site by Friday to support overnight campers and setup.
Let’s fly rockets! We’ll see you on the lake bed!
———————————————–
Greg Lyzenga
ROC Vice President and Board Member – NAR #13295 / Tripoli #12088
A letter from your ROC President
Posted: May 4, 2013 Filed under: ROC Board of Directors Leave a comment »To my fellow rocketeers, we are experiencing some issues in the club that need immediate attention. The problem is lack of volunteers to help with the duties required to run our launches.
I do not want to diminish the efforts of the volunteers who do step forward and give of their time at every launch. Without them we would not have the launches we do. But it is always the same members, and frankly its not enough. Too many of us are working too many shifts, sometimes the entire day for your enjoyment. Many times forsaking their chance to fly.
With that I want to remind each one of you that your Board Members are also volunteers. We do not get compensation for our efforts in running the club. There are many things we do behind the scenes, such as deal with the BLM, FAA, NAR, TRA, equipment maintenance, manage the website, answer questions, order porta potties, etc. As well as making sure we continually meet the qualifications required to be a not-for-profit entity.
For some reason, many of our members and daily fliers assume that it is our JOB or DUTY to also run each launch and personally fill all the necessary positions. THAT IS NOT THE CASE! We are rocketeers first and we also come to fly. With the size of the club and only 9 board members it is impossible for us to do it alone.
Some of the comments I have heard are “I pay my dues or flight fees, therefore I am doing my share!” While the board members may not have to pay flight fees while they serve, we still have to pay our BLM, TRA and NAR fees just like everyone else. We pay for out T-shirts and other items. We do not get discounts just because we are on the board. The funds we collect go to pay for things like storage of our equipment, the porta potties we all use, maintenance on our equipment and trailer, etc etc. It does NOT pay for us to run the launch for your benefit.
Another comment “I don’t know how to be an LCO, RSO, pad manager, etc.” We all had to learn sometime. Every board member is willing to take an interested party under our wing and show them how to do any of the jobs they can or want to do. All the procedures and requirements are listed on our website, on the volunteer sign-up link. You do not need to be a ROC member, and in many cases you don’t even need to be a flier to help out. I personally have volunteered at every launch I have ever attended here or elsewhere over the last 15 plus years I have been a rocketeer. Even my very first launch. It is a great way to meet your fellow fliers. If I can do it, so can you. We need you to use this sign-up sheet and prepare in advance to help out.
The board has been trying to come up with ways to encourage volunteer participation. From range duty, to set-up, tear-down and trailer towing. To that end, beginning in July we will be using a smaller trailer for our regular monthly launches. This means less set-up and tear down time, and the smaller trailer means more people will be able to tow. But it also means less equipment, fewer launch pads and longer lines.
We are going to experiment with a new RSO program, that Greg will explain in his next launch announcement.
Here are some other ideas we are flirting with:
- Cancel the launches
- Raise launch fees, volunteers will get to fly at our current rates.
- Collecting a fee from fliers that can be reimbursed upon completion of a range position.
- Making everyone that flies sign-up for a volunteer position as part of their sign-in procedure.
We need your help and your feedback on what can be done to increase volunteer participation, before we implement a more drastic plan.
Thank you for your time,
Veni Van Norman
ROC President
Time to Sign-up For Range Duty
Posted: May 4, 2013 Filed under: Launch Announcements Leave a comment »One week until Launch! We need signups for Range Duty.
Visit: http://rocstock.org/range-duty-positions-and-procedures/
for descriptions and a link to our on-line signup.
Posted: April 8, 2013 Filed under: Launch Announcements Leave a comment »
Fellow ROC Members,
A quick reminder: this Saturday (April 13, 2013) is the next ROC Launch. Weather forecasts currently indicate clear sunny weather for the launch. Temperatures are warming up and the currently strong winds should have diminished by the weekend to 10 mph or less. Overnight lows will be in the 40′s and daytime temps should be around 80. Dress in layers for a range of possible conditions. As usual it is expected the best conditions will be in the early morning, with speeds gradually increasing after mid-morning. Be sure to bring (and drink) plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock to avoid getting burned.
*** RANGE SETUP ***
We are fortunate again this month that Richard Dierking has volunteered to tow the club trailer and begin early setup of the launch range. With adequate help from the membership and cooperative weather, we hope to have the range open by 7:00 a.m. Saturday. *IMPORTANT APPEAL* We do NOT have volunteers lined up for trailer towing for the rest of the year. We NEED VOLUNTEERS to commit to help out if we are to put on launches. People who want to tow the trailer should receive orientation to learn the job. Anyone who is interested will have the opportunity this month to shadow Richard as he tows the trailer between the launch site and our storage site 3 miles away. Please contact the board and/or Richard to arrange for orientation, so that you can learn the ropes and be ready to volunteer in the coming months. We look forward to your participation! On Friday the day before the launch, we’ll be taking delivery of the club’s new storage container at the Sundowner Inn. If you are free to come out on Friday, you can help with installing the container and learn about towing the trailer at the same time.
*** RANGE OPERATION ***
As usual, we are dependent on YOUR HELP both to set up and to operate the range — the range doesn’t open in the morning until range duty slots for the day are filled. With the warming spring weather, we can expect more flyers to come out wanting to fly. It won’t be possible if everyone ignores (like last month!) the need to sign up for range duty. We need your help or we won’t fly, so do your part!
SIGN UP HERE NOW: http://mysignup.com/rocrangeduty
Don’t let that sign-up sheet be empty on Saturday morning. Please let the board know in advance if you have any large projects or unusual support requirements that we should know about.
*** EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE WORK PARTY 5/12 ***
This is advance notice of a trailer and equipment cleaning event to be held at our storage site at the Sundowner Inn, near the launch site. The work party will be on Sunday, May 12th on the day following our monthly launch starting at 9:00 am. The purpose of this work party will be to prepare for June ROCStock, and further details will be provided in subsequent announcements. We may also be painting the new storage container, so your help is needed for that too. You’ll be able to camp overnight on Saturday and attend the work party the next morning and save an extra drive. Put it on your calendar now! (You can work in the morning and get home in time to grab a shower and take Mom out to a nice Mother’s Day dinner!)
*** GENERAL INFO ***
Non-member daily launch fee is $15 and the paid-up member fee is $5. Everybody needs to register and get a wrist band to fly. All participants and spectators need to sign a liability waiver. Please be aware of the requirement to follow all safety rules and procedures while attending the launch, and make sure that children are supervised by a responsible adult at all times. Overnight camping is allowed as usual, but be sure to keep all campfires in above-ground containers to comply with BLM rules, and pack your ashes and wood debris out with you when you leave. Let’s always try to leave the playa a little cleaner than we found it. Portable toilets should be delivered on site by Friday to support overnight campers and setup.
Let’s fly rockets! We’ll see you on the lake bed!
———————————————–
Greg Lyzenga
ROC Vice President and Board Member – NAR #13295 / Tripoli #12088
