Big Sky RC Meeting Minutes
5 Aug 2025
President Dan Woods brought the meeting to order at 7:04 PM at the Pitstop with 8 members in attendance.
Secretary Don Gilles read July’s meeting minutes and they were accepted as read.
Treasurer Darrell Anderson read the Treasurer’s report and it was accepted as read.
Old business:
Dan Woods opened the meeting with an update on the outhouse build project. There’s just a little trim work that remains on the outside and then we’ll get the internal vent pipes installed and some other miscellaneous indoor fixtures.
Dan Woods then cautiously mentioned the words “shipping container” and waited for spears…luckily for Dan the spears were verbal and it was only his feelings that took some bruising. Yes gang, we purchased a 20′ container for $4200 and it’s been delivered. Please refer back to the January, March, April, May, June and July meeting minutes where we discussed the shipping container issue till we lost our voices and our will to live. The horse is dead, stop beating it, nobody was going to plan and build us a new driver’s stand on a 40′ container the club couldn’t afford to purchase. The March motion for $4k to purchase with the April motion funds increase to $5k was executed as approved by club members who attended the meetings. On with life…
Dan Woods next brought up the driver’s stand extension. As we have stated earlier, we won’t be building a driver’s stand on a 40′ container. The proposed idea is to extend the existing driver’s stand over the snack shack and to possibly move the race announcer’s position up with the drivers. No motion was made and the plan is TBD but will most likely be accomplished before the 2026 Spring Thaw race.
New business:
There was much discussion about track mnx, club events that generate revenue and resizing the oval track. We also discussed winter flying at Paris Gibson.
Dan Woods briefed the revenue collections for Wednesday night racing and Summer Heat. The racing fees were discussed and re-confirmed from the John Weinzettel April motion to set prices as follows: 1st Class $30.00, 2nd Class $25.00, 3rd and remaining classes $20.00 with a $10 discount for members.
Don Gilles dared to broach an issue unrelated to the shipping container, racing and whether or not our flying events generate revenue…we need a set of mulching blades for the Sears mower and a gallon of 2-4-d weed spray that doesn’t kill the grass. In a surprising turn of events, possibly feeling some remorse after endlessly antagonizing the club president, Jason Naranjo made a motion to allot $100.00 to cover these items. Motion passed.
John Weinzettel jumped into the fray and announced that he had spent $140 on track dust control additive. After briefing John that we usually ask for money, get an approved motion from the club members and then spend it…Darrell Anderson made a retroactive motion to approve $140 for the dust control additive. Motion passed.
Sensing his opportunity for success…Jason Naranjo made his case to rent a skid steer to turn our obstacle course back into a race track for Fall Fury. All that were knowledgeable of the current track condition agreed so Jason made a motion to allot $400 to cover this expense. Motion approved.
** Just a reminder – we need to make our Christmas banquet location reservation.
Thanks to all attendees, the meeting was adjourned at 8:07 pm.
Donald Gilles
BSRC Secretary
AMA Club 400
FYI:
Club meetings are the first Tuesday night of the month at the Pitstop, 7pm.
Club lunch is every Friday, noon at Hardees.
Wednesday night is our designated “get-together” night for club flying.
Upcoming Events:
– August 9, Float-Fly, Missouri River, Great Falls, MT, across from Elks Riverside Park
– August 23-24, Steve Woodhouse Invitational Fly-In, Woodhouse farm
– August 30, Scale Fly-In, Great Falls, MT, BSRC Field
– September 13-14, Fall Fury R/C Off Road Racing, Great Falls, MT, BSRC Track
– October 4, Leo Sommerfeld Memorial Fly-In, location TBD