[Boatanchors] Elmer

[Robert Nickels]

On 12/11/2012 7:28 PM, John King wrote:
> Elmers were GENTLEMEN who lived and operated on the air as GENTLEMEN, and their examples, as GENTLEMEN, turned out young Hams who were GENTLEMEN and operated their stations in a gentlemanly manner.
John,

I'd like to chime in to say that you speak for many of us, and to thank 
you for what you wrote.

I feel that I was privileged to join the amateur ranks at a time when 
the "Elmer" you describe was the rule, rather than the exception.   When 
I was first licensed in the mid-60s at age 14, the men who taught the 
code and theory classes were "Elmers" (although that term hadn't yet 
been invented) and in spite of the normal ups and downs of teenage 
friendships and rivalries,  I always knew that I had something very few 
others did - a "fraternity" of fellow hams, where I was afforded the 
same rights and privileges as any adult holding the same class license - 
and believe me, I did NOT want to screw that up!    So, to the pleasure 
of my parents, I modeled my behavior after those guys, and learned that 
I could get a lot further by being respectful and using my brain than by 
trying to be a smart-alec all the time.

I don't think that era is gone unless we want it to be, because we can 
choose to conduct ourselves like an "Elmer".

73, Bob W9RAN