[CTSARA] THIN LINE

[Jon Perelstein]

Well Bill, 

I'm a new member of the club (since January 2008).  I have no idea who you are.  You may or may not have been at meetings -- but if you were you did nothing at the meetings to attract my attention.  I haven't been aware of you taking a leadership role in club activities -- or taking any role in club activities.  Have you been involved in the meetings (for example, arranging for guest speakers??)  Did you work on planning Field Day (not even necessarily leadership, but just working on it).  Have you gotten your hands dirty fixing the repeater.  Did you do any setup or breakdown before or after Field Day?

Are you interested in becoming a member of the board?  I haven't heard about it.  It would seem to me that someone this unhappy with how the club works should be talking up his desire to get on the board.

While I've only been in this club a short time, I've been in many clubs over the years.  Camera clubs.  Flying clubs (where we owned our own planes and had to make sure that they were ALWAYS up to FAA specifications -- or someone died).  Bicycle clubs.  Running clubs.

I was a board member in some of those clubs.  I was just a member in others of those clubs.

>From being in all those clubs, there was one thing I learned.  There are always some people who make lots of promises to do stuff for the club, but never actually deliver on any of their promises.  The same people who are always ready to write emails or letters taking great offense when mention is made that the club needs more participation by club members -- even though they themselves don't actually lift a finger to do things.  The same people who do nothing for the club, but are quick to criticize the members of the board for what does and does not get done.  The same people who are always ready to tell us how easy it is to accomplish those things they themselves don't do for the club.

> Sorry I was unable to contribute or attend this year, as
> last minuet changes prevented so. However, Field Day is a
> club event that is meant for everyone. The weekends sucess
> fun or failure should not be dependant on any one
> individual. 

There is no fun or Field Day without the individuals of the club participating.  For Field Day this year, I bought a power supply that I certainly don't need myself, and I contributed my new Carolina Windom.  I also contributed my new K1, provided transportation to a member who doesn't have a car, and spent an hour or two coaching a new ham who had never before been on the air.  All in all, I spent about 20 hours of my personal time on the event.  I'm not claiming any special credit because there were people like Fred, Ernest, John, and Terry who did a lot more than me, plus all the other club members who showed up -- each of whom did at least as much as me.

What did you do?

> I think the club needs
> structure, a more formal approach ... The clubs
> business is handles at the board meetings. Why?  

So which one is it?  Does the club need more structure, or should the club become an open democracy in which everyone debates everything -- which certainly is not structure (nor, in my experience, is it conducive to getting things done).

>> You know It is my impression
> that those who hold positions on the board don't really
> want to. 

Well then, why is it that you're not running for the board? 

> suggestions: GET THE REPEATERS WORKING THE WAY THEY SHOULD 

Brilliant!!!  That's the kind of clear-headed, visionary thinking that this club really needs.  I doubt that anyone else in the club would have thought of that.  Fred, Ernest, John -- how come you guys didn't think of this???!!!!

Bill -- please advise when you're going to show up to help fix it.

But note, I won't be holding my breath waiting for you.

>> SUNDAY NIGHT NET.... ACTUALLY TALK NOT
> JUST HURRY TO PLAY THE NEWS REEL TO END IT

Hmmmm ... once again, remind me of your call sign.  I've heard Bill (IFY) on the net pretty much every Sunday.  I've heard Fred on.  I've heard John, Frank, and Terry and a few others, but I've never heard you on.

> So while you try to figure it out remember that most of the
> new hams into the club are active on all bands seven
> day's a week, not just once a week, what does the club
> offer to it's members. 

Mmmmmm ... let's see.  What does the club offer its members??

Since January:

- I heard a very interesting talk on the issues involved with putting up tower antennas -- certainly relevant to all bands, and especially relevant to me.  

- I heard a very interesting presentation on digital modes such as PSK31 -- a presentation that got me into researching some of the digital modes and trying out PSK31.

- I heard an interesting presentation on software defined radio.  Not something especially relevant to me at the moment, but definitely interesting to me as a ham.

- I benefited from having three or four members discuss antenna options with me -- a subject on which I was totally lost.

- I benefited from having two members provide me with some technical guidance when I ran into a problem in building my K1.  Including one who loaned me some test equipment.

- I benefited from having a member tell me about Skywarn training, something I attended with other members of the club.

- And finally, I benefited from having one of the members come over to my house and spend about two hours helping me to put up my antenna.  Actually, to be fair, I helped him put up my antenna since he was the one who did most of the work.

Jon
KB1QBZ