The Clouds are Gathering

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

I have thought long and hard about the AKA. It is wonderful to see that there are still people willing to do whatever is necessary to put the AKA on to the right track. As much as I think the would-be rescuers are tilting at windmills, it is good to see that there are people still willing to invest their time and their talent in the hopes that the Association will become a welcoming refuge and resource for all kite fliers.

Volumes could be written about individuals who have given freely to the Association their time and their talent, only to be reviled, castigated, used, abused and cast aside. Surprisingly, many of those individuals still seek to make the Association a viable and welcoming congregation. In any other group, these individuals would be called the Loyal Opposition, and their counsel would be sought or at least considered. But our beloved Association has no such designation. AKA Members can either drink the Kool Aid, and march in lock-step, or be termed an Enemy of the State, persona non grata. Welcome to the AKA ‘Adjustment Bureau’.

Not surprisingly, many of those who have endeavored to contribute to the AKA, who have been used, abused, and cast aside, are quite content with their pariah status. They have no wish to be welcomed back to the fold only to be shorn and/or slaughtered. Their answer to the problems of the AKA is to form a new national kite club which would avoid the pitfalls in which the AKA finds itself currently trapped.

Forming a new national kite club is a drastic step. A strong case could be made that it is a fool’s errand and doomed to the same fate as the AKA. But those contemplating a new club realize that there are a handful of individuals who have an institutional hold on the AKA, whether those individuals are in front of, or behind, the scenes. Their intentions and their power-brokering cannot be overcome by those who are motivated merely by a pure love of kites and kite flying.

The clouds are gathering. There is discontent, even among the AKA faithful, that has no means of expression within the AKA. How that discontent ultimately manifests itself will be very interesting to see. Where some see hope for reconciliation, others see only immovable object and irresistible force. A new club may indeed be the only answer for those who have no home in the AKA.