Model Forum / General / Rockets / December 2004

In the middle of your holiday celebrations with family and friends, I
hope many of you have had a chance to read my latest Model Rocketeer
column, "Pressing the Fight Home".  There, I outline the future we
face unless we win our current legal struggle against BATFE.

As the most recent Joint Statement on Regulatory Matters outlines,
we're making slow but steady progress in the courts.  I believe that
litigation remains our most powerful weapon against the illegal
regulation of the sport rocket hobby.

I need your direct financial support and assistance to press this
battle forward to a successful conclusion.  Our own legal team of Joe
Egan and Marty Malsch have provided us with $3,000 in pro bono work.
As you consider last minute donations as a part of your tax planning,
I hope you'll consider the NAR Legal Fund.  As an additional incentive
for donations, let me offer two other ways your donation might bear
benefits, both for the NAR and yourself.

One long term NAR member, Gary Cole, has volunteered to jump start the
process by providing a dollar for dollar, $3,000 matching grant.  When
you donate, please make sure you ask us to match your donation to
Gary's generosity by marking your check or on-line donation as "Cole
matching" and help us enhance your donation.  

For those capable of donating $100 or more, I'd like to announce a new
premium available for your generosity.  By making a donation in this
size, we'll send you a CD ROM containing all Sport Rocketry magazine's
2003 issues in PDF form as a token of our thanks.  These CD-ROM's are
in production now, and will be available by the end of January 2005.

You can donate today by using the form attached to the latest issue of
the Model Rocketeer or by visiting the NAR website and donating
securely on line at:

https://secure.consumersinterest.com/nar/NARfrompres9911.html#donorform

Your contributions go totally into an account set up to support the
legal fight. No administrative costs are incurred; 100% of your
donations go to prevent the strangulation of your hobby.  

We also can accept stock donations.  Please contact me directly if you
wish to consider donating stock.

Finally, check with your employer about matching donations.  The NAR
is a tax exempt non profit corporation, registered as a 501 (c) 3
corporation with the IRS.  Basic information about a non profit
seeking matching donations is often required by such matching
programs, and can be found at www.guidestar.org.  Please consider this
option as a way to enhance your donation to our fight.

This regulatory fight isn't fun, it's not what we all would like to be
involved in, and it's going to take a lot more effort to finish our
work.  But without such a fight, we face a slow death for high power
rocketry and a bleaker future for our Association.  If at all
possible, please consider making a financial donation to protect an
unregulated vision of our safe, educational and fun hobby.

Pay forward.  Aim high.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Mark B. Bundick           mbundick - at - earthlink - dot - net
NAR President             www - dot - nar - dot - org

"A dark night in a city that knows how to keep its secrets, but high
above the quiet streets on the twelfth floor of the Acme Building,
one man is still trying to find the answers to life's persistent
questions. Guy Noir, Private Eye."