NAR Section News
As of October 1, 2021
Active NAR Sections: 224
New Sections –The NAR would like to welcome the Jersey Shore Rocketry Society (JSRS) Section #898 out of Keyport, NJ and the Southern Vermont Rocketry Society (SVRS) Section #899 out of Guildford, VT. For more information about these Sections or to find the closest one to you, visit the NAR Club Locator page. Don’t have an active Section located near you and you’re interested in chartering your own? Please reach out to the Section Activities Chairman for more information!
High Power Certifications –NAR HQ has been receiving an increasing amount of certification documents that are incomplete. Section Certification Teams need to ensure that all required information is filled out and all documentation included when either sending it to HQ or returning it to the certification candidate for submission. Please double and triple check your forms before submitting them!
Section Grants –There’s still time to apply for a 2021 Section Grant! All eligible Sections are encouraged to take advantage of this generous offer to purchase items such as fire extinguishers/sprayers, fire-fighting tools, welding blankets for ground cover, launch pads, PA systems, weather stations, promotional items, kits for outreach events, etc. Once approved, Sections can receive up to a maximum of $250.00 within a week or so of submission! Simply fill out and submit the online Section Grant Form.
Launch Sites –Is your Section looking for a launch site? We all know that having a launch site is vital to the success and growth of a Section. The online Section Guidebook has a chapter on Launch Sites which contains a lot of useful information that may help you find and secure permission for your Sections launching activities. The Section Activities Chairman may also be able to help with assessing sites, locating landowners, providing letters of support, as well as other assistance.
Thanks,
SAC Chairman
As of September 1, 2021
Active NAR Sections: 223
New Sections –The NAR would like to welcome the West Texas Space Vaqueres (WTSV) Section #896 out of San Angelo, TX and The Hyperon Project (HYPERON) Section #897 out of Indianapolis, IN. For more information about these Sections or to find the closest one to you, visit the NAR Club Locator page. Don’t have an active Section located near you and you’re interested in chartering your own? The NAR is still looking for members to charter Sections in the states of Delaware, Idaho, Mississippi as well as others. It’s a simple, painless process and best of all, it’s FREE! If interested, please reach out to the Section Activities Chairman today!
Section Types –As mentioned in the last eRocketeer, the NAR has implemented a trial change to its Section types. Effective immediately, current “Private” Sections will be reclassified as “Organizational” Sections and a restructured “Private” Section option will be added. The three Section types and their descriptions are as follows:
Public Sections–Open to anyone and require at least two (2) NAR members to charter and then five (5) members to renew. Public Sections are eligible for all Section benefits, including Section Grants and Landowner Site Insurance as long as they meet the minimum membership requirements.
Organizational Sections–Formed by schools or other organizations (e.g. TARC, Scouts, school groups) that limit participation to their students and faculty and/or members of their organization. They require at least two (2) NAR members to charter AND renew (this is a change from the previous five member requirement). All Section members are encouraged to join the NAR but it is not required. The existing NAR members would be responsible for all activities conducted by the Section. They are not eligible for Section Grants but ARE entitled to Landowner Site Insurance as long as they meet the minimum membership requirements.
Private Sections–Formed as a local group (e.g. friends, families, etc.), they require a minimum of five (5) NAR members to charter and renew each year. Private Sections are also not eligible for Section Grants but they do qualify for Landowner Site Insurance as long as they meet the minimum membership requirements stated above.
All Sections require at least one (1) NAR Senior member among their membership.
To learn more about any of these Section types, visit this NAR webpage or contact the Section Activities Chairman.
Thanks,
SAC Chairman
As of June 3, 2021.
Active NAR Sections: 219 (+1 overall since May)
New Sections – The NAR would like to welcome the Deer Valley Blackhawks (DVB) Section #890 out of Phoenix, AZ, and the Los Angeles Aerospace and Rocketry Club (LAARC) Section #891 out of Los Angeles, CA. For more about these Sections as well as to find the nearest one to you, visit the NAR Club Locator page. The NAR is still looking for members to charter Sections in the states of Delaware, Idaho, & Mississippi. If interested, please reach out to the Section Activities Chairman today!
Free Membership Certificates – Has your Section presented its 2021 free membership certificate yet! This is a reminder to please take advantage of this program and get a rocketeer involved with the NAR today! It’s FREE!
Website Excellence Award – All Sections that have websites linked from their club listing on the NAR’s website are automatically eligible. Judging starts this month so make sure your site as well as the link to it is up to date! You can visit the Website Excellence Award Web Pagefor more information about the award.
LAC Newsletter Award – The June 30th deadline will be here before you know it so don’t forget to submit your Section Newsletters to be eligible to win the coveted North American Rockwell Trophy! For more information visit the LAC Award Web Page.
Section Grants – Don’t forget to apply for your 2021 Section Grant! Your Section is eligible for up to $250 to use for safety and range equipment as well as other items. Simply fill out and submit the online Section Grant Form to apply.
Section Related Questions – Remember, for the fastest response, all Section related questions should be directed to the Section Activities Chairman and not NAR Headquarters.
SAC Contact – Chuck Neff, NAR Section Activities Chairman, at sections@nar.org.
As of April 1, 2021.
Active NAR Sections: 228 (+2 since January)
New Sections – The NAR would like to welcome the Vocational STEAM Works Rocketry (VSWR) Section #888 out of El Cajon, CA, and the Northeast Michigan Rocket Association (NMRA) Section #889 out of East Tawas, MI. For more about these Sections as well as to find the nearest one to you, visit the NAR Club Locator page.
Section Grants – Applications for 2021 Section Grants are being accepted! Simply fill out and submit the online Section Grant Form to apply for up to a $250 grant. If you need ideas on what to use the grant for, contact the SAC Chairman.
Free Membership Certificates – Each Section should have received a link to download their 2021 Free Membership Certificate. One (1) certificate is allowed per year and is to be used for new NAR members only. Please take advantage of this program and get a Rocketeer involved in the NAR today!
Section Groups – Is your Section interested in creating its own email discussion group which includes an expansive set of web-based group communication tools such as a calendar, wiki, file and photo sharing areas, and even chats? Each Section has the ability to create a subgroup of the main NAR Groups hosted on the Groups.io platform and enjoy all the available features. Contact the SAC Chairman to get your Section Group started today!
Section Insurance Certificates – Remember that both the Section and Landowner Insurance Certificates expire on or around April 5, 2021. New certificates will automatically be sent to the Section Contact before that date. You do not need to resubmit sites if you currently have an active certificate. If you need to add a new site, you can submit it using the online Form.
Section Related Questions – Remember, for the fastest response, all Section related questions should be directed to the Section Activities Chairman, not NAR Headquarters.
SAC Contact – Chuck Neff, NAR Section Activities Chairman, at sections@nar.org.
As of January 1, 2021
Active NAR Sections: 226 (+5 since November, +18 overall since last year at this time)
New Sections – The NAR would like to welcome the Chico Rocketry and Aerospace Club (CRAC) Section #883 out of Chico, CA, the Yuma Arizona Model Rocketry Society (YAMRS) Section #884 out of Yuma, AZ, the Kingman Rocketeers (KR) Section #885 out of Kingman, AZ, the Panhandle Rocket Club (PRC) Section #886 out of North Platte, NE, and the Count Down Cardinals (CDC) Section #887 out of Bloomington, IN. For more about these Sections as well as to find the nearest one to you, visit the NAR Club Locator page.
Charter A Section – Do you enjoy launching rockets with other like-minded people? Would you like to be able to offer FREE liability protection to your launch site landowner? Could you use some help dealing with a local bureaucracy to be able to launch your rockets? Charter as an official NAR Section now and take advantage of the numerous benefits and resources! There are no fees involved and only two active NAR members are required for the initial chartering (five are needed to renew after two years). You can find more information on the Starting a New Section web page or simply send an inquiry to the SAC Chairman.
Section Grants – Applications for 2021 Section Grants are being accepted! Simply fill out and submit the online Section Grant Form to apply for up to a $250 grant. If you need ideas on what to use the grant for, contact the SAC Chairman.
Section Renewals – Remember, the online process will start around mid-February and Section Contacts will be sent instructions via email on how to complete the process. Please ensure your contact information is up to date. Submit any needed changes using the Online Form or by email to the SAC Chairman.
SAC Contact – Chuck Neff, NAR Section Activities Chairman, at sections@nar.org.
As of November 10, 2020.
Active NAR Sections: 221 (+2 overall change since last month)
New Sections – The NAR would like to welcome the 303 Rocketry (303R) Section #880 out of Broomfield, CO and the Undergraduate Missiles, Ballistics, and Rocketry Association (UMBRA) Section #881 out of Chino, CA. For more about these Sections or to find the one closest to you, visit the NAR Club Locator page.
Section History – Did you know that the NAR has chartered close to 900 Sections over its 63 year history and that there are several active Sections that have been continuously chartered for over 55 years??!! The compilation of all Section names and numbers is currently in process. If anyone has any documents relating to history of their Section or others, especially in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, please reach out to the Section Activities Chairman.
Section Drive – The Section Activities Committee is looking for passionate NAR rocketeers willing to form new Sections (clubs) and promote rocketry in the following states: Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, & South Dakota. Those states currently have some of the fewest NAR members residing there but it only takes two (2) to charter a Section. If you’re not sure how to find members to get started, a list of potential ones can be provided upon request. There are no fees involved with chartering and the process is simple and painless. Once chartered, Sections are entitled to provide FREE launch site insurance for their landowners! If eligible, a Section Grant can also be applied for to help with other Section costs such as safety gear, launch equipment, promotional items, etc. For more information or to start the chartering process, please contact the SAC Chairman.
SAC Contact – Chuck Neff, NAR Section Activities Chairman, at sections@nar.org.
As of October 13, 2020.
Active NAR Sections: 219 (+2 overall change since last month)
New Sections – The NAR would like to welcome the LeHigh Valley Rocketry (LVR) Section #878 out of Easton, PA and the Washington Academic Rocketry Network (WARN) Section #879 out of Lynnwood, WA. For more about these Sections or to find the one closest to you, visit the NAR Club Locator page.
Section Grants – Since 2014, the NAR has granted almost 270 Section Grants totaling over $65,000! These grants have been used to purchase a variety of items such as safety gear, range equipment, as well as marketing materials. Sections can apply once per year at any time using the simple online application found HERE. If your Section hasn’t applied for 2020, please do so and take advantage of this generous NAR benefit!
Launch Sites – Is your Section looking for a launch site? The online Section Guidebook has a chapter on Launch Sites which contains a lot of useful information that may help you find and secure permission for your Sections launching activities. There are also chapters on Starting a New Section, Section Management, Publicity, & Running Launches, to name a few. All of the information in the guidebook isn’t just for Sections. Individual NAR members may also find it useful. If you haven’t used this great resource, I recommend checking it out!
Section FAQ’s – Did you know there is a list of Section related Frequently Asked Questions/Answers accessible to Section Leaders on the NAR Sections Group list? If you are a Section Leader/Officer and are not a member of the group, send an email to the Section Activities Chairman and request an invitation to join. Please include your Section Name, Number, and your leadership role.
SAC Contact – Chuck Neff, NAR Section Activities Chairman, at sections@nar.org.
As of September 14, 2020
Active NAR Sections: 217 (+3 overall change since last month)
New Sections – The NAR would like to welcome The Forgottonia Rocketry Group (TFRG) Section #875 out of Macomb, IL, the St. Augustine Rocketeers (StAR) Section #876 out of St. Augustine, FL, and the Rocket McRocketface Club (RMRC) Section #877 out of Staten Island, NY. For more about this Section or to find the closest one to you, visit the NAR Club Locator page.
2020 LAC Newsletter Award – Congratulations to the NAR Headquarters Astromodeling Section (NARHAMS) #139 and Editor, Don Carson, for being selected as this year’s winner! Their bimonthly electronic newsletter, Zog-43, won out over several finalists and brought home the coveted Rockwell Trophy! For more information on the LAC Newsletter Award, including details on how your Section can enter, go to the NAR website.
2020 Website Excellence Awards – Congratulations to the Monroe Astronautical Rocket Society (MARS) Section #136and their webmaster, Bill Clune, for their 1st Place finish! Their website topped the judging criteria and edged out the other three finalists, the Southwest Michigan Association of Spacemodeling Hobbyists (SMASH) Section #500, the Blue Mountain Rocketeers (BMR) Section #615, and the Dallas Area Rocket Society (DARS) Section #308. You can find out more about the Website Excellence Award here.
Section Activities Recognition Award – The Section Activities Committee would like to recognize Pamela Gilmore for her service as the Website Excellence Award manager from its inception in 2010 until 2019. Thank you for your service to the NAR, its Sections, as well as its Members!
Section Member Affiliation – Are you a member of a Section? Please log into your NAR account and make sure that your Section affiliation is correct.
SAC Contact – Chuck Neff, NAR Section Activities Chairman, at sections@nar.org.