Policies and Procedures Refresher

The Society for Aviation History operates on volunteer labor, there are no paid employees. Most of our volunteers are working at least 40-hour-a-week jobs, some more. We may not be able to reply right away to an email, so please give us some time (it might be a few days) to get back to you.

Educational Programs

When it comes to our educational programs, the deadline to reserve a seat is typically Tuesday of the week of the lunch. The society has to provide a guaranteed count and pay for those who have reserved at that time.

Thus, if you have reserved and wish to cancel after the deadline, we cannot refund your money as we've already paid for your lunch. If you have been unable to make your reservations until the last minute, please confirm with the program director via email whether we can accomidate or not.

Occasionally, the question arises as to whether or not a member can attend an educational program without paying? The answer is: No! SAH rules require a prepayment so we can have the correct number of meals on hand. In addition, the fee covers the room cost, the meal, the program, and any speaker costs. If you show up without being on our reservation list it will cost $50. The board of directors has enacted this policy to end the number of people who show up unannounced. This causes problems for the restaurant/hotel, and has resulted in a number of our volunteers/board members giving up their seats or meal choices to accommodate unannounced guests. This is not fair to those who work so hard for the society.

I'm sure you'll agree that our educational programs are some of the best, bringing the men and women who've made aviation history to tell their stories first-hand. Over the past years we've had the principal scientist who investigated the crash site of the USS Macon, a female astronaut with the most time in orbit, the first pilot to fly the B-2, the first to fly the SR-71, and the first to fly the F-117. Our panel discussions have been tops, such as the history of Pan Am Piston-Powered Airliners, the B-47, B-52, and F-111 crew panels, and the aerial gunnery symposium at Stockton. A side bonus of our educational programs is the society's tours. We've been on the USS Hornet, to the mothball fleet, the tank collection, the Nike site, and the two Mustang restoration facilities in Salinas to name just a few; take a look at our TOURS page.

Board of Directors Meetings

Society business meetings are open to all members. The dates and locations are shown in the calendar of the newsletter and on the society's website. All members are welcome to attend, however, we request you "reserve a seat." These meetings are held at the board members private residences, and some meeting locations are smaller than others and arrangements need to be made to accommodate guests. We do welcome your input.

If you would like to present new ideas to the board, please email a DIRECTOR to be slated on the meeting agenda.

For the record, December is the society's annual meeting. At this time, society elections are held. If you would like to run for a chapter office, please write or call to have your name placed on the ballot. Typically, the call for nominations goes out in September of each year. Please note that directors serve without compensation.

Society Dues

Membership dues are due by January of each year. Dues are $35 per person with spouses being given a complimentary associate membership.

If we have not received your payment for renewal in January, you will be dropped from our membership list.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any member of the board of directors. Thank you all for your consideration and cooperation with these policies and procedures.