News

Grumman Owners and Pilots Membership Drive and Challenge

Dear GOPA Members,
I don’t know any GOPA member who doesn’t like a challenge. So, from now and until our next conference September 15-18, 2025 in Groton/Mystic Connecticut, I challenge you to bring in at least one new member or a member from the past, back to the Grumman family.
When you do, you will be entered to win some GOPA BUCKS to use towards paying your GOPA annual membership, but first remember, you must be a current member in good standing at the time of the drawing.
1.    For every new or long time (2 years or more) past member you recruit, you will have the opportunity to receive $25.00 in GOPA BUCKS in a drawing held at the 2025 convention in Connecticut.
2.    GOPA BUCKS will be used as a credit to help pay your annual membership.
3.    One ticket for every new member you recruit will be issued in your name and entered. One winner out of all entrants will be drawn.
4.    The new member you recruited will receive their next year’s membership free.
5.    GOPA BUCKS is based on how many new members you personally recruit.
6.    Example: One new member $25.00 credit in GOPA BUCKS, two new members and your personal pot grows to $50.00 and so on.
7.    There is a new block in the member application form where the new member must record your name as the member that influenced/recruited them to join.
8.    Print the recruitment card to use as talking points to the perspective member to join. Enter your name on the card below and give the card to the new perspective member. Make sure you explain that the new member must enter your name in the online application for both to qualify for the drawing.
9.    You or the new member do not need to attend the convention to win.
10.    Remember, one current member will receive the value of their own pot in GOPA BUCKS if their ticket is selected at next year’s convention. The new member they recruited will receive their next year’s membership free.
11.    Most of all have some fun with the program.
 
Dennis Oparowski
President, Grumman Owners and Pilots Association
pres@grummanpilots.org

Grumman Owners and Pilots Association Membership Drive
GOPA Member Recruitment Card

New Members Name:__________________________
GOPA Member who “influenced you to join”____________________________

Just some of the many member benefits:

1. GOPA Membership Directory
2. An active calendar of local and regional fly-ins and events
3. Current and Archived International Grumman Star/American Star Newsletters
4. Scholarship Program
6. Pilot Proficiency Program (PFP)
5. The Bi-Monthly International Grumman STAR Publication
7. Access to extensive Technical and Video Library
8 Annual Convention
•Join at grummanpilots.org
•It is mandatory the new member enter the member’s name who recruited you in the
application block which asks “Which GOPA member influenced you to join.
•You will be entered to win a free one year membership at next year’s conference.
•The GOPA member who influenced you to join will be entered to win GOPA bucks.

Dear Members,

Recently, within the last week or so some scam emails have made their way to some of our members. Today, thankfully I received several inquiries about them from some of our members before acting on them. As we get closer to the holidays, scammers are getting smarter and more ingenious in their attempts to relieve you of your money or just to annoy us. 

Someone is (spoofing) impersonating me using the title of the Presidents email listed on our website. They mask their real email having it read as if it came from me, the GOPA President. It is not a hack into our system just some evil people somewhere trying to scam you by preying on your generosity and trusting nature. Please do not fall for it.

Understand that no one, from the GOPA Board will ever contact you, asking for things like, can you purchase some cash cards because I'm supposedly in a meeting, to busy, or doing something else, and take a picture and send me the numbers, or that I created some kind of incentive program and I need their help and some cash to complete. All with the catch phrase that you will be reimbursed. There has actually been more than a few scam or spam emails that just says give me a call, can we talk.

You will see a similar warning paragraph soon in the next Star, but this is too important not to address immediately. Most of you have my personal email which has my full name to identify, and or phone number to contact me. Do not hesitate to get in touch with me directly if something does not look right. Thanks to those that did exactly that today and made me aware this was happening... and now I'm making you aware. 

Blue Skies,

Dennis Oparowski

President - GOPA

It was announced at this year's convention that Groton/Mystic, KGON, Connecticut will be the site of the 2025 convention. Save the dates of September 15-18, 2025. Planning is well under way and details will be shared when completed. Some local information is available here.

I have started the Daily Coverage for this year's convention. You can access the pdf here.

CANCELLED DUE TO AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION, hopefully next year with a shiny new runway surface.

If you would like to attend any GOPA board Zoom meetings please state your intentions to exec@grummanpilots.org

The planned schedule is-
Sept. 9, 2024 @ the Port Clinton Convention
Dec. 11, 2024 @1700 UTC
March 12, 2025 @1700 UTC
June 11, 2025 @1700 UTC Board Orientation + Board Meeting

Further info will be available at GOPA2024@grummanpilots.org, in the International Grumman Star and on our website- https://grummanpilots.org/Coming-Events.

Some tourist information is here.

At a recent Board meeting a number of name/title changes were instituted to try and help with the differences in duties. Previously the Regional Director was also a Board member, under the new governance policy the Board position has been separated from the RD position and the RD is now a Regional Coordinator. A Regional Coordinator can also be elected as a Director at Large to sit on the Board.

The Program Directors are now Program Managers.

These changes are a result of the GOPA applying for tax exempt status and all that ensues to fit the mold required by the US federal laws. There have been a couple of Star articles outlining this process and no doubt there will be future articles also.

Congratulations to two recently elected Board members. Jack Maher, Director at Large and Jon Faulkner, International Director. The International Director is a new position created with the recent governance restructuring. 

Jack Maher is also the Coordinator for Europe. 

16 – 19 May, 2024, in Oban, Scotland

Meeting details here.

Registration details here.