I'm sure Gypsy is well aware of the thankless task that being in the administration of such a group can be -- everyone will be whining, nobody will be willing to help.
It all depends on how you approach it and what you want to get out of it. I wasn't doing it for myself so I didn't require any thanks as such.
I did make a very real effort to be in communication with the people I was serving via email, phone, the Magazine and by personally fronting up at SIG meetings, and events such as the ANZAC meeting, MANZ meets and Trans-Tasman comps in as many disciplines within driving distance as possible. As such I met a lot of people who were working very hard at the ground level including yourself Bruce. These people don't have a public face but do put in a lot of hours for the sport/hobby in their discipline and/or club. These people are helping and their small contributions across the country make a big difference- maybe not in areas that you'd like to see Bruce but in their own areas of passion. And as I could be seen to be making a real effort and giving things a lot of thought probably beyond the scope of my position on Council as the Competition Manager I did get a lot of positive feedback which was an added bonus I was fortunate though to only be working part time during this period and my older kids were old enough for me to be able to put in the hours needed to give the job the level of respect that
I required to feel I had done well- too much for a volunteer position if you ask me. I left because I was expecting child number three and knew it was impossible to do the MFNZ job and raising the kids both justice at the same time.
Yes there is whining some of it justified and some of it not. I think the general modelling community has a very real lack of knowledge of what the MFNZ Council is supposed to do and what it actually does. They don't get it right all the time- one of the down sides of being human. But they do get the job done when no one else is willing despite having their own life commitments and generally I think it's been at the expense of their own flying.
I also had the advantage of being able to compartmentalize personality from passion- and I met some cracker personalities in my time- not people I'd have chosen as friends but they did become friends because I was able to see past their quirks and idiosyncrasies to the drivers behind their actions- not everyone is willing, or even able, to do that.
I don't agree with your contention that 'Dead Wood Floats to the top' Bruce. I think a lot of the problem lies in an inability to see the sport/hobby as a whole as opposed to from a persons own corner of the modelling world. I had an advantage from that perspective as well in that I don't fly and while I guess I come from an RC Gliding background it isn't the be all and end all for me so I was better able to and very willing to see all facets. (Club vs. SIG, Sport vs. Hobby, Powered vs. not, competition vs. fun fly, 'x' discipline vs. 'y' discipline, builders vs. arf's/rtf's and so on and so on). In my opinion Bruce I think you also have your own corner in the modelling world and struggle to be able to see the world as others see it. And also to see from the perspective of others how your ideas and actions fit/don't fit with their world view. And please don't take that to read that your corner is 'not as valid/as good/ as worthy' than any others because I am not saying that at all- just that they are all different and people find it hard to walk in others shoes- especially when they are happy enough in their own.
I don't have enough information to say categorically if the MFNZ Council has handled this manner entirely appropriately, partially appropriately or not at all appropriately. There are some methods I disagree with but I don't know the thought process behind it all nor the end result they are hoping for so I'm not willing to tender my verdict at the point. My sincere hope is that when all is said and done SWMAC members have somewhere to enjoy their hobby on a regular basis.
Kind regards and apologies that I waffled,
Gypsy