When did all of us "kit builder" types become such a small minority of rocket flyers? When all of you and I started in this hobby, a kit builder or scratch builder was all that you could be. ("...and we LIKED it!" Naawww, I'm not going there... ) When model rocketry's popularity was at its peak in the 1970's, wasn't everyone buying the type of kit that we now call a "builder's kit"? Far from being a niche product, this was the standard product, wasn't it?

And yet, despite the fact that purchasers of these kits had to occasionally cut out their own fins or assemble their own parachutes, the hobby enjoyed a level of popularity that has not been seen since. If we all know (and can vividly remember when) the segment of the hobby that was comprised of "builders" like us was so huge back then, then why are we so resigned to being just a niche part of the hobby now?

And if the Damon-era Centuri and Estes companies could enjoy such huge growth by selling rocketry items that the buyer had to actually assemble (and learn a thing or two along the way), then why are some companies, like the current incarnation of Estes, so afraid to do so now?

Back in the day, in post-Sputnik America, there was great concern that this country's schoolchildren (that would be, uh, many of us on this forum ) were falling behind in such areas as math and science. There was a great push to make toys, games, hobbies for the children of that era not only fun but educational. And there were quite a few of them that seemed to hit just the right balance of both. (It was staple of toy advertising back then to emphasize the product's educational value.) Today, in the NCLB era, isn't there a similar concern that children (and even laid-off, downsized adults) are lacking in basic skills needed to succeed in the world, both today and in the future? So why aren't more companies responding, like their counterparts in the '50's, '60's and '70's did?

A few months ago, while driving home from a trip, I took a walk through a Toys 'R Us. Let me tell you, the experience left me with feelings of both intense sadness and intense rage. I went through every aisle in the store, and everywhere I looked, there was nothing but electronic this and videogame that. I couldn't find a single baseball mitt or bat, or a story book that was printed on real paper (which is still one of the best information storage devices ever invented), or a pair of roller skates, anywhere in the store. Or anything, such as a model car kit or a rocket kit, that required even the slightest bit of creativity. There wasn't a single product in the store that would require a kid to get up off the couch, look away from the idiot box, or exercise anything but his or her thumbs. Now, I'm hardly an electronic Luddite, but come on! Like I said, it was very infuriating and, at the same time, very depressing.

Well, that's my jeremiad. Sorry to inflict it on all of you. I feel marginally better now. (But no, not really.)

Mark

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SAM # 0011