AIR SPORTS INTERNATIONAL

   The FAI, in common with its national member bodies (the NACs), still remains essentially an organisation run by unpaid volunteers. The handful of people in the FAI Secretariat do not have the time - or indeed the required specialist knowledge - to do all the work carried out by the 150 or so elected officials in the various FAI Commissions, Committees and Working Groups.

   In recent years, we have reinforced the professional, paid staff by taking on, part-time, a magazine editor, a press officer, a World Air Games Managing Director and, most recently, a web-site co-ordinator. But we are still a long way from becoming an all-professional organisation, and for long into the future we will depend on volunteers.

   Nevertheless, our Members increasingly (and understandably, given the prevailing consumer ethos in society) demand professional levels of service in return for the subscriptions they pay. This is manifested in low tolerance of the delays that sometimes occur in decision-making and delivery of services. So the pressure comes on the volunteers to perform as though they were paid officials, even though they are doing the work purely for love and glory.

   If this is not carefully managed, it does not take long before the volunteers start saying: "Look here, I'm doing this for nothing. Let me do it in my own time, and in my own way!" Or "All right, so you want me to perform to specification: How much are you going to pay me?" Or worse still: "Enough of all this administration. I'm going back to flying". Already we are seeing how difficult it is for volunteer organisations to find competent and willing younger people to replace those volunteers who retire after years of altruistic service.

   How can the FAI handle this dilemma?
   We have clearly indicated the way we intend to proceed. The Business Plan, adopted by Council in May, sets out goals and business strategies. For example, Goal 8 reads "Establish effective management and budget processes in all FAI programs and activities".The strategies proposed to reach this goal are :

	Restructure FAI office management and staff personnel as appropriate to pursue planned programmes, projects and activities.
	Improve the quality and skills of FAI management and staff as required to achieve planned goals.
	Provide incentives to FAI management and staff to focus attention on achieving established FAI goals.

We are becoming a much more business-like organisation. Our impending move to Lausanne signals a break from the past and a clear commitment to a business-oriented future. We must continue, progressively, to run our operations in an increasingly professional manner. But for many years ahead, the volunteer will remain at the heart of FAI business. Let us recognise and value his contribution, respect his right to a private life with some flexibility, and not make excessive demands. As long as we depend on volunteers, we cannot always function in exactly the same way as a commercial organisation, even though that is our ultimate aim.

Max Bishop
Secretary General FAI


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