Newcastle Aero Club
Met office.
You are correct in what you say under section 2.
However, Elia Golfin genuinely has the members of the club at heart, it has made him sick at what has happened and how we have been treated over the years.
His ultimate goal would be to run a members club for the most important people which ARE the members, make no mistake - he wants to bring back the "feel good factor" to our club, make it THE place to fly and socialise. Of course it will be run as a business, that fact has never been hidden, perhaps if it had been run as a business in the past and not as a gravy train then we probably wouldn't be in this mess now.
AR the bar manager has just finished an in depth business plan for the social side and without the interferance of a committee & Barry Lawson it will be a winner.
Good financial planning and back up is a very important factor in a proposal of this magnitude so I would guess there would be some changes but who would mind changes to make something a success?
I haven't seen Elia's mission statement, financial statement or full business plan but parts of that have been disscussed in depth and the areas which need the most attention and the areas which need less attention.
So please don't think that if Elia Golfin is the new owner then things will drastically change, we will be flying for a rate which maybe less than what we have been used to for a while and that must be good news.
If a guy has a sound plan that will save our club then that must be good whether for business, pleasure or whatever.
A major point in this proposal was negotiating a new and on going lease with the airport, I do not know exactly what the terms are but I gather it is long term.
Mark my words, the members will be the first people Elia will discuss anything with instead of instigating something which has nobodys approval, we have seen the results of that policy.
I myself have seen over the years people come and go, people who have just got fed up with the way things were run but as we all know now, making a noise about it or writing a letter to the committee about it was a complete waste of time.
I will never forget at a monthly committee meeting a letter was read out from a member who I knew personally and was friendly with. The points made in the letter were 100% valid points which deserved a reply a certainly some points could have been followed up for the good of the club - the reply from messers Coulson, Todd, Lawson was, and I quote "file it" - that letter was taken away by ex treasurer K. Todd and never discussed again. I mentioned this to the member who said to me why do I waste my time - needless to say how correct he was.
A new owner with plans, no committee - oh how I wish.
Thanks
M