Section News

NAR Section News (November 2023)

Active NAR Sections: 242 (+2 since last month)

New Sections —The NAR would like to welcome the Parkhurst Rocketry Association (PRA) #954 Section out of Rockledge, FL, the Miami University Rocket Propulsion Laboratory (MURPL) #955 Section out of Oxford, OH, and the Propel Science Foundation (PROPEL) #956 Section out of Russellville, AL. For more information about these Sections or to find the closest one to you, check out the NAR Club Map Locator page.

Section Charter Changes—Starting with the next Section renewal cycle, the effective period for all active Section Charters will move from the current “April to April” time frame to the standard “January 1st to December 31st” Calendar Year format.

To provide ample time for charter renewal, that process will start on December 1st of each year and Sections will be given the month of December to complete the renewal process. Beginning on December 31st, 2024, those Sections that do not complete the renewal process by the end of December each year will be placed into an inactive status and any insurance certificates issued to them will become invalid after that date.

New Sections created during the month of December of one year will have their charters expire on December 31st of the following year (unless renewed).

This year’s renewal period will start December 1st, 2023 and all Section contacts will be emailed information on how to complete the renewal process (please make sure that your contact information is up to date!). However, since the current Section charters do not expire until April 1st, 2024, any Section not renewing by the December 31st, 2023 deadline will not be placed into an inactive status until April 1st, 2024 (unless requested to do so). Any insurance certificates issued to the Section will not be renewed.

Please note that the effective period for all insurance certificates (Section and Landowner) will not change. The insurance will continue to cover the “April to April” time frame.

If anyone has any questions regarding this change, please feel free to respond to the Section Activities Chairman.
Looking for more information on Sections? Check out the Section FAQ’s.

Chuck Neff
SAC Chairman

NAR Section News (October 2023)

Active NAR Sections: 240 (no change since last month)

New Sections—The NAR would like to welcome the Fog City Rocketry (FCR) #953 Section out of San Francisco, CA. For more information about this Section or to find the closest one to you, check out the NAR Club Map Locator page.

Changes To Section Information—Don’t forget to keep your Section contact information up to date so potential members as well as NAR Leaders can reach you. Changes or additions to your Section information can either be sent using the Online Form or via email to the Section Activities Chairman.

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 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 (depending upon the Section type). You can find more information on the Starting a New Section web page or simply send an inquiry to the SAC Chairman.

Section Grants—Don’t forget that Section Grant requests for 2022 are still being accepted. Get any needed Safety Equipment, Range Gear, or Promotional Items now by simply filling out and submitting the online Section Grant Form.

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 or add it as appropriate.

Section Related Questions—Remember, for the fastest response, all Section related questions should be directed to the Section Activities Chairman and not NAR Headquarters.

Looking for more information on Sections? Check out the Section FAQ’s.

Chuck Neff
SAC Chairman

NAR Section News (September 2023)

Active NAR Sections: 240 (no change since last month)

2023 Website Excellence Awards—Congratulations to the Monroe Astronautical Rocket Society (MARS) Section #136 and their webmaster, Bill Clune, for their 1st Place finish! This is the fourth straight year their website has topped the judging criteria and edged out the other finalists…2nd Place Southern Area Rocketry (SoAR) Section #571, 3rd Place Huntsville Area Rocketry Association (HARA) Section #403, and 4th Place ties, Summit City Aerospace Modelers (SCAM) Section #282 and South Western (Ontario) Association of Rocket Modelers (SWARM) Section #752.

Congratulations to all the winners! You can find out more about the Website Excellence Award here.

Launch Calendar—TARC, NASA’s Student Launch, and other rocketry competitions will be getting underway soon and Teams will be looking for launches to conduct their practice and qualification flights. All Sections should submit your launch events to be added to the NAR’s Event calendar. In addition to helping these teams, this is another way for potential members to find you and see what the NAR is all about. You can submit your events online HERE.

Free Membership Certificates—Don’t forget to award your Sections 2023 Free NAR Certificate to a deserving rocketeer! Please take advantage of this benefit and get someone involved with the NAR soon! It’s FREE! Not sure where to find your Sections certificate? Send an email to the Section Activities Chairman for details.

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 or add it as appropriate.

Looking for more information on Sections? Check out the Section FAQ’s.

Section Related Questions—Remember, for the fastest response, all Section related questions should be directed to the Section Activities Chairman and not NAR Headquarters.

Chuck Neff
SAC Chairman

NAR Section News (August 2023)

Active NAR Sections: 240 (+2 since last month)

New Sections—The NAR would like to welcome the Tribe Rockets (TR) Section #951 out of Fredericksburg, VA and the International Rocketry Club (IRC) Section #952 out of Buffalo, NY. For more information about this Section or to find the closest one to you, check out the NAR Club Map Locator page. If you’re interested in chartering your own Section, you can find more information on the Starting a New Section portion of the Section Guidebook on the NAR website or you can simply send an inquiry to the SAC Chairman.

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 Drive—The Section Activities Committee is looking for passionate NAR rocketeers willing to form new Sections (clubs) and promote rocketry. It only takes two (2) NAR members to charter a Section and if you’re not sure how to find other rocketeers in your area, a list of potential members 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.

Looking for more information on Sections? Check out the Section FAQ’s HERE.

Section Related Questions—Remember, for the fastest response, all Section related questions should be directed to the Section Activities Chairman and not NAR Headquarters.

Chuck Neff
SAC Chairman

Section News (July 2023)

Active NAR Sections: 238 (+2 since last month)

New Sections—The NAR would like to welcome the Lone Star Rocketeers (LSR) #949 Section out of Corpus Christi, TX and the Wesley Chapel Rocket Club (WCRC) #950 Section out of Zephyrhills, FL. For more about these Sections or to find the closest one to you, visit the NAR Section Map Locator page.

Section Types –There are three (3) types of NAR Sections:

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, etc.) that limit participation to their students, faculty and/or other members of their organization. They require at least two (2) NAR members to charter AND renew. All Section members are encouraged to join the NAR but it is not required. The existing NAR members are 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.

Looking for more information on Sections? Check out the Section FAQ’s HERE.

High Power Certifications – The NAR continues to receive certification submissions that are incomplete and/or unreadable. Section Certification Team members need to ensure that all required information is filled out, including that supplied by the certification applicant, when either submitting it to the digital portal or returning it to the certification candidate for submission. Please double and triple check your forms before submitting them!

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 or add it as appropriate.

Chuck Neff
SAC Chairman

Section News (June 2023)

Active NAR Sections: 236 (-5 since last month)

New Sections – The NAR would like to welcome the American Rocketry Challenge CT Group (ARC-CT) #946 out of Tolland, CT, the Civil Air Patrol Roswell Composite Squadron NM-082 (NM-082) #947 out of Roswell, NM, and the Army Rocketry and Engineering Sciences Team (ARES) #948 out of Peekskill, NY. For more about these Sections or to find the closest one to you, visit the NAR Section Map Locator page.

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 Page for 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.

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 Drive – The Section Activities Committee is looking for passionate NAR rocketeers willing to form new Sections (clubs) and promote rocketry.  It only takes two (2) NAR members to charter a Section and if you’re not sure how to find other rocketeers in your area, a list of potential members 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.

Section Related Questions – Check out the Section FAQ’s on the NAR Website HERE.

Not finding your answer? All Section related questions should be directed to the Section Activities Chairman and not NAR Headquarters.

Chuck Neff
SAC Chairman

Section News (May 2023)

Active NAR Sections: 241

New Sections – The NAR would like to welcome the South West Arizona Group Rocketry (SWAG Rocketry) #940 out of Litchfield Park, AZ, the Fillmore County 4H STEAM and Arts Club (FCRC) #941 out of Geneva, NE, the Fayetteville Aeronautics and Space Team (FAST) #942 out of Fayetteville, AR, the St. Monicas Rocketry Club (STMRC) #943 out of Ridgefield, CT, the Mid America Rocket Society of Kansas City (MARSKC) #944 out of Overland Park, KS, and the TARC Star Destroyers (STAR DESTROYERS) out of Albuquerque, NM. For more about these Sections or to find the closest one to you, visit the NAR Section Map 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 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 (depending upon the Section type). You can find more information on the Starting a New Section web page or simply send an inquiry to the SAC Chairman.

Section FAQ #28 – Question: What are some of my Sections responsibilities to the NAR? Answer: In addition to helping the NAR with its general purpose to “aid and encourage by all suitable means all people interested in model rocketry and its related sciences” (see Article II of the NAR Bylaws) as well as agreeing to abide by the NAR’s Policies and Safety Codes, NAR Sections should provide help & support with the following NAR Programs/Affiliations as much as possible:

For more Section FAQ’s, click HERE.

Section Related Questions – Remember, for the fastest response, all Section related questions should be directed to the Section Activities Chairman and not NAR Headquarters.

Chuck Neff
SAC Chairman

Section News (April 2023)

Active NAR Sections:  241 (+3 since last month)

New Sections—The NAR would like to welcome the Flames Homeschool TARC Team (FLAMES) Section #937 out of Lake Frederick, VA, the FBCS – High Powered Rocketry Team (FBCS) Section #938 out of Slidell, LA, and the Sun City Summit Rocket Team (SCS) Section #939 out of El Paso, TX. For more about these Sections or to find the closest one to you, visit the NAR Map Locator page.

Section Renewals—The renewal process is underway and instructions have been sent via email to all Section Contacts. If you are a Section contact and you did not receive the renewal message, please reach out to the Section Activities Chairman as soon as possible. If you are another Section leader/officer, please reach out to your Section contact to verify the renewal.

Section Insurance Certificates–Remember that both the Section and Landowner Insurance Certificates expire on or around April 5, 2023. New certificates will automatically be sent to the Section Contact by the insurance company via email 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 Grants–Don’t forget that Section Grant requests for 2023 are now being accepted. Simply fill out and submit the online Section Grant Form to apply.

FREE Membership Certificates–A link to your Sections Free Membership certificate will be sent with the confirmation email when your Section is successfully renewed. Please take advantage of this Section benefit and get someone involved with the NAR soon! It’s FREE!

Section Member Affiliation–Are you a member of a NAR Section? Have you updated your NAR Account Profile to include your affiliation? If not, please take a moment to do so. Not sure how to do it? See below…

Section FAQ #10–Question: How do I add/change my Section Member Affiliation to my NAR account? Answer: To add or change your Section affiliation, log into your account on the NAR Website and go to the “Update My Profile” page by selecting it from the drop-down menu in the upper right corner. Then scroll down that page until you see the Section Affiliation fields. Select your Section from the drop-down list. Note: The Sections you list will be printed on your NAR membership card.

Chuck Neff
SAC Chairman