How to Survive as a Chapter

April 2017 - Chapter survival has long been a topic of conversation among chapter leaders. Recruiting new members, keeping current members engaged, the dynamic of introducing younger individuals to a more experienced group of aviators, and using EAA’s chapter resources are usually the areas of primary concern to today’s chapters. However, these issues are not exclusive to today’s generation of EAA chapters.

This month, we will look back on an article featured in the December 1967 edition of Sport Aviation titled “How to Survive as a Chapter.” A guest editor wrote the article, which tells the tale of a once-successful EAA chapter and what caused its ultimate demise. Throughout the writing, the author mentions his ideas on how to keep a chapter healthy and vibrant. You will notice an uncanny similarity between this 1967 narrative and the current best practices distributed to today’s EAA chapters. The story hasn’t changed much, only the year on the calendar has.

Enjoy this “How to Survive as a Chapter" article.