| A Look Back at 25 Years by Buster Hinkle. |
The organizational meeting to form a model airplane club in Temple was held at 7:30pm February 16th, 1973 at the Texas Power and Light building in Temple. Seventeen people attended. John H. Greiner presided over the meeting. First club meeting was held March 2nd, 1973 - 15 members present. November 15th, 1973 - voted to pave 200' X 50' runway on a portion of the old city dump ground with the permission of the city. August 5th, 1974 - the city sprayed oil and spread pea gravel for $465.80. April 1975 - erected a shelter. September 1975 - poured concrete for U-control circle. November 1975 paved taxi way from shelter to runway. June 10th, 1976 - first sanctioned fun fly. Six pilots with John Greiner and Todd Brooks only Temple members to wintrophies. Thanked Killeen club for bringing nearly every one of their flying members. August 29th, 1976 - first informal pattern contest. Two trophies awarded. August 2nd, 1978 - started looking for a new flying site for several reasons, main reason a near-by microwave tower was causing radio interference. Dec 4th, 1978 - members voted and passed a motion to separate the secretary and treasurer positions. March 5th, 1979 - club decided the Corps. Property has possibilities, will look at McGregor Park next Sunday. May 7th, 1979 - decision was made to accept the McGregor Park flying site as a permanent location. November 1980 - the 150' X 50' asphalt runway was constructed for $1,840 by Odell Geer Const. Co. July 1981 - killed grass growing through asphalt. August 22nd, 1981 - shelter posts installed. September 26th, 1981 - shelter roof completed. July 9th, 1984 - shelter cement poured (and taxi way?) April 5th, 1986 - runway was extended 125 ft to the south. Sept 13th & 20th, 1986 - club members sealed runway with paint rollers. April 24th, 1988 - laid base for 150 ft asphalt north. May 5th, 1988 - laid asphalt on north end. July 30th, 1988 - cleaned new parking lot and installed posts and cables. August 12th, 1989 - extended shelter to the north. September 1989 - cement poured for shelter extension and pilot boxes poured. October 2nd, 1991 - sprayed sealer on 300' X 50' asphalt September 1993 - erected used storage building. May 1994 - constructed the final stage of toilet facility. October 1994 - cleared out all brush south of runway. January 1996 club incorporated. April 1996 - 300' X 50' runway resurfaced. April 19th, 1997 - total rebuilding of shelter roof with 'R' panels, and pilot box safety barriers installed. July 1997 - New l6hp twin cylinder 42" riding mower purchased. August 1997 - installed an old military storage locker. April 1998 - installed 30' flag pole with airplane weather vane. The club archives does not have any minutes from Jan 1982 through Aug. 1985. The minutes from July 1991 through January 1997 were given to secretary Jeff Coons in January 1996. Anyone who knows anything about the missing minutes please help me to get them into the club archives. President VP Secretary Treasurer Safety Field Marshal1973 John Greiner Melvin Watson Charles Elliott * Sargent at arms No newsletter was printed in 1983 through 1988. In the December 1982 newsletter, the club did not elect 1983 officers due to not enough members present who were willing to serve. The club does not have any documentation for 1983 or 1984 officers. Bill Murray remembers he served as secretary but didn't remember what year. He also thinks he served as treasurer for three years. President - Frank Sodek Jr joined the club in January 1990. 1990 - Most members - 87 |