To Be Called SAFE - The Society of Aviation and Flight
Educators
The latest developments in
the ongoing struggle between the National Association of
Flight Instructors and Take Back Our-NAFI were covered
in a Daily News statement posted on TBO-NAFI's website Saturday, as
details of the beginnings of The Society of Aviation and Flight
Educators were discussed by SAFE Interim Working Group spokesman
Doug Stewart.
Stewart said, "To begin with, the voting for a new name and
acceptance of the by-laws has come to a close. If you have been
watching the voting page on the website, you are probably aware
that the name for the new organization, as chosen by the majority
of the members will be: The Society of Aviation and Flight
Educators - SAFE.
"That name garnered 69% of the vote, and unfortunately the vote
counter stopped counting numbers, and only registered percentages
after 100 voters had cast their vote. As for accepting the by-laws,
they were accepted by the membership with 82 voting yes and only 2
voting no."
Stewart outlined steps to get the organization up and running
are in the works - filing for incorporation, soliciting for
nominees to serve on the Board of Directors, opening a bank
account, soliciting sponsors, and planning meetings. The first is
in Atlanta on February 26.
Stewart said that despite Jason Blair's comments to the media to
the contrary, NAFI has done nothing at all to attempt to open a
dialogue with TBO-NAFI. "If Tom Poberezny, and / or the NAFI
organization came to us with a sincere attempt to negotiate, we
would agree to negotiating with one very important proviso... that
being the immediate resignation of the NAFI Board of Directors.
"While our hand gets stronger and stronger with each passing
day, we did, none the less, agree that it would still be much
easier to fix NAFI and move ahead to make it the organization that
SAFE will definitely become, rather than to start from
scratch."
In conclusion, Stewart said, "Please know that regardless the
name, there will be an organization that truly represents all
flight instructor's needs. An organization that is member-centric,
transparent, forward thinking; an organization that has strong,
positive leadership; an organization that will be capable of
keeping step with the fast moving changes in today's flight
instruction world; and an organization that you will be proud to
belong to."