Kite Lines - Vol.1 No. 2 - KiteLife

Letter from the EditorIt isn't the way I like to do it, but here is oneof those blanket thank you letters .Thank you to those who sent letters ofencouragement and congratulations on thenew Kite Lines. Thank you to everyone whowrote us interesting news . Thanks to thoseof you who simply picked up the phoneand called - from California, Massachusetts,Florida-to express your enthusiasmand your special interests in kiting .Thank you, advertisers, for enduring despitethe trials that come with change . Andthanks to all of you who renewed yourmemberships, so often for three-yearterms, and sometimes with warm wordswritten in the margins .In our first issue we asked that everyonerenew as a way of assisting in our closemarginstarting operation . The response tothat appeal was heartening, and suppliedthe critical edge to enable us to embarkon an expansion program . Simultaneouslywith preparation of this issue, we arewriting to all the former members of AKAwe can reach to encourage them to joinagain . Although we sort of like being alimited-interest group, in which the individualcan really make a difference, thecliche that there's strength in numbershas some validity . Besides, we want to giveevery kiteflier a chance to join others ofthis rare breed, and AKA should be theavenue for that .I knew when I undertook this journalthat I was not going into a venture thatwould tidily fit all the publishing industrynorms . People don't go into publishing(any more than the kite business) for rationalreasons . What they are looking for,and sometimes finding, is a living thatwill also be a life . The first year of anymagazine is seldom profitable . There willbe no salaries to begin with . In the longrun, though, in order to survive, thejournal must pay for itself, including itsstaff . Doing a magazine, issue by issue, isone kind of challenge, but the ultimatechallenge is the old one : economic .Meantime we are undergoing assortedgrowing pains . One of them was lack ofmembership cards . They are now printed,so we are playing catch-up ball gettingthose and the promised AKA AnnotatedKite Bibliography out .We have a pair of favors to ask of you .First, we beg your continued patience withwhat may seem neglect of correspondencesometimes (we expect to catch up by year'send) . Second, please fill out and returnthe survey in the center of this issue . Rightnow we cannot mail a separate questionnaire,which is recommended for getting atrue picture because it usually producesmore response . I decided the value of asurvey done in the magazine pages wouldstill be helpful for us, and I banked thatopinion on my faith in our readers asmembers, not just subscribers . If you want toparticipate in Association affairs, this isyour chance . A committee composed ofAdvisory Panel members located locallywill tabulate the results, and a summary ofthem will appear in Kite Lines. I cannotstress enough how important this surveywill be to the future of the American KitefliersAssociation . Please be sure you donot put aside the magazine without sendingus your completed questionnaire .Perhaps with your help I will often usethis space for blanket thank you letters .(I still don't like blanket thank you letters!)( Windily yours,