[ADXA] Legacy, Volunteering, and failure is NOT an option!

Mon Jan 12 17:37:24 EST 2026

WAY TO GO JACK….
Chuck

On Mon, Jan 12, 2026 at 4:21 PM The Romagni's <eromagni at gmail.com> wrote:

> WTG!!! it reminds me when I got my ticket, I was around your
> Grandkid age... Now blick... One of the things I did during covid lockdown
> was I became a VE, and was part of the original team that started to set up
> online testing, trust me! it is managed in such a way, that it will be easy
> to go into Fort Knox rather than cheat on the online session... Everytime I
> go into a hamfest, I stop by and see if they are short on VE's and usually
> have no issues sitting down and helping out... Last year in Dayton, I went
> into the session, and had the chance to test an 80 year old Blind man, he
> went from tech to Extra in one seating!
>
> Now it tooks us almost 2 hours to test him, as we had to read each
> question to him, and then write his answer out... but seeing his smile when
> he passed the Extra was just priceless...
>
> yeah, this is why I am also a big proponent of show and tell, and get STEM
> Teachers in the loop... look around any club meeting these days, and gray
> is a primary color... It is up to us to teach the next generation!
> kudos again to your GrandSon, hope to work him on the pileups...
>
> 73
>
> Steve
> W4DTA
>
> On Mon, Jan 12, 2026 at 3:59 PM Jay Bromley <jayw5jay at outlook.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Folks,
>> This is not DX related, but might be in the future?  Today, I have to
>> brag just a little bit on my grandson!
>>
>> My number 1 grandson's name is Jack.  He became a licensed ham last
>> month, all on his own.  He is only 12 years old!  So, I was on full scale
>> push to get him upgraded too General, ASAP!  I would do anything to get him
>> there, as we have another government shutdown looming!  UGH!  Last Friday
>> Kathy and I drove to Tulsa and picked up Jack after school and bought him
>> home to take one of the two BVRC classes left for General Class license.
>> His mom told me that he didn't need to do that, but my reply was we just
>> wanted to have some time with young Jack and the class was an excuse for
>> him to come over to hang out.  BTW, the Grands never need an excuse to hang
>> out with their Poppy!  I don't get to see them enough!
>>
>> About a month ago, Jack got his FRN number on his own and took his
>> Technician class license remotely a few hours later.  Jack did his homework
>> on how to take the test thanks to web sites like the ARRL, etc.  He was
>> trying hard during the government shut down to do all the above.  Every day
>> he would check the FCC to see if they were back up and running.  So, I
>> guess he was motivated to get the first license class behind him.  We knew
>> about the FRN work around, but he didn't want the "work around".  He wanted
>> to be a ham radio operator!  Both his mom and I tried to help, but typical
>> pre teenager, Jack wanted to do this on his own!
>>
>> I knew about the remote testing, but I had thought that was for the
>> pandemic.  No, they are remote testing more now than ever.  If you are one
>> of those worried about cheating, Don't!  You have to meet several
>> requirements.  The first one for Jack was to get a parental consent form
>> signed and the other there has to be a camera aimed on the one taking the
>> test!  His mom signed the consent form and Jack was on full tilt go for
>> launch.  I think there were 12 VE's watching young Jack and when he passed,
>> they all cheered.  Wow, how cool technology is these days!
>>
>> His mom later told me; you would have thought this was a big deal.  My
>> response was, IT IS A BIG DEAL!  Ham radio matters, it is a "Big Deal" to
>> pass the test.  I guess these days most folks are sadly just not aware?
>>
>> My whole family is loaded with smart college educated folks and I am not
>> one of them, sadly!  We have everything from Teachers, Mechanical
>> Engineers, to Ear/Nose and Throat doctors!  They all can take tests and
>> pass quite easily.  I do compare myself to them all the time.  None of this
>> is ever easy for me and I didn't learn I had a learning disability until I
>> saw all them going to college.  My brain is just slow compared to all of
>> them, including my Kathy!
>>
>> Last Friday night Jack and I took a practice test together.  Before I
>> could read the question and ask myself, now what is the question asking us,
>> Jack would click on the answer!  The next day, his instructor N5ZE Stephen,
>> told me the same thing.  He took a practice test with Jack, same deal,
>> instant answer recognition!  While he didn't ace the test, he was the first
>> one to finish the test in the least amount of time.  He passed his General;
>> that is all that matters to me.  No one ever remembers who aced the test,
>> but they always remember who passed the test!
>>
>> BTW, I can't thank the BVRC VE team and Stephen enough for providing a
>> very nice memory.  I am sure the memories are more for me than for Jack,
>> hi.  We had 10 folks take the test and one failed.  We had 13 VE's, grin!
>>
>> Now Jack is already moved on to Extra class studying!  I am hoping he can
>> do it before and if the government shuts down again!  I already showed him
>> how to learn CW fast the right way, but I don't want a distraction until he
>> makes Extra.  Hey I know the kid is smart, but I am pushing him to learn
>> new things that are not easy for him!  He loves to build things and
>> solder.  He and I built a small AM radio when he was 8 years old.  He was a
>> little concerned about being burned with the soldering iron, but his kit
>> worked the first time out and he still has it.
>>
>> Now for the DX part, I am sure in time Jack will become a DXer.  It is
>> going to be tough to set up a station at his parents' home if at all?
>> However, I have some plans, even if sitting out on the patio with a
>> borrowed rig and a simple wire in the trees that we take down.  Failure is
>> NOT an option!  A phrase I stole from Joel, W5ZN.
>>
>> After the class, the new Generals were asked if they wanted to make a HF
>> contact on the new club station.  Thanks to Dennis Tune W5DM and Cuck KM5G
>> the station was on the air fully operational for the first time that day!
>> Only Jack took up the offer!  Attached is his picture.  I will include one
>> of the proud grandparents, WQ5T and W5JAY.
>>
>> Now if you made it this far, you will hear Rick K5UR talk a lot about
>> Volunteering and Legacy!  Even though I had a lot on my plate, after
>> listening to Rick talk at our ADXA meeting about stepping up, that pretty
>> much why I am your ADXA president!  Plus, Joel and Roger were not taking
>> "NO" for an answer!  Remember, "Failure is not an Option"!  For better or
>> worse, this is how we are going to roll forward.  Not to fear, we still
>> have all the same great leaders within the ADXA organization!
>>
>> Legacy and Volunteering is some of ARRL President Rick's mission.  I have
>> my own, starting first with BVRC this year, that hopefully in time will
>> trickle down to ADXA.  I am trying my best to encourage all new hams to get
>> just one new person into the hobby this year!  Then Elmer or Mentor them!
>> Starting with the local club, get them excited to chase DX.  Show them
>> about LOTW and the ARRL, QST, NCJ, etc.  Then ask them to join the ARRL and
>> finally join the ADXA.  I only know a few DXers that don't chase awards,
>> why?  I don't get those guys.  You must be an ARRL member to get those
>> super nice DXCC awards.  You must be an ARRL member to join the ADXA.  This
>> is a hobby and in the long run, the cost is minimal for most folks to join
>> the local clubs, then the ARRL, and finally the ADXA.  I can see some young
>> folks needing help, but for the rest of us, should be fairly easy.  We have
>> several nice clubs within the state, I hope they encourage their members to
>> go out and find their one new ham and Mentor them!
>>
>> Now the ADXA is not for everyone and that is OK.  I am moving forward and
>> looking for new hams that have the right stuff.  This past week I did an
>> Elmer 101 class last week at BVRC and at the end I asked all the new folks
>> to get someone into the hobby and then Elmer them.  Now I knew some would
>> say I don't know enough or I have not been in the hobby long enough.  Well,
>> how does one learn the art of ham radio fast, by teaching others!  Mainly
>> because you have to bone up on things to explain them to others.  This
>> causes a chain reaction of learning!  BTW, I told them I am building up an
>> Army of hams that can do and Elmer.  My hope is they take up the
>> challenge!
>>
>> That is my plan for the coming year.  The ADXA has the best Elmers going,
>> bar none!  We are lucky to have them!  In the end, it is the new ham's
>> advantage to follow the above plan.  If they don't, well they are going to
>> miss out.  How do I know, well I had my chance back in the late 70s!  Rick
>> was in the "promote the hobby mode" even back then!  Funny how little
>> things have really changed over the years!
>>
>> Sorry for the rant, it started out bragging about Jack and then I drifted
>> into getting more folks into the hobby and later into a high end DXER.
>>
>> Don't forget to look at the new phone operator attached.  BTW, his
>> callsign is KJ5NKF/AG
>>
>> Have a great week coming up!  73 de w5jay/jay..
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