[FARReps] To Publish or Not To Publish

[Page PYNE]

Alan and others:
 
     Just a few personal thoughts on the situation from a guy who has almost been there...
 
First and Formost... Auto-Call is probably the greatest resource for the Foundation and in reality the glue that for most member societies, holds the Foundation Together. After All, its a Foundation FOR Amateur Radio. And being an effective communications arm provides the most visible means of support FOR the hobby. Not that other areas of service aren't important, as they are, but what the individual club sees in FAR has generally been reduced to 3 Areas
1) Auto Call, 2) FARFEST, and 3) Scholarship Administration.
 
The last item is still going strong and possibly can continue with the help of mailings, emails and QST Announcements.
 
FARFEST is still a long way from its former self, sad but true. And FARFEST is struggling to have sufficient volunteers to keep operating. Without Auto-Call or a viable substitute, getting volunteers will get harder and harder. It is very possible that without Auto-Call, FARFEST and other Hamfests that in the past depended in part on Auto-Call will suffer greatly. It 3was very easy to grab an Auto-Call when it was published regularly and get easy full details for Hamfests , QSO Parties, and Special Events, VE Sessions, and Training Classres in our service Areas. These were the areas of strength for the publication.
 
Everything else may have been nice, but in reality was secondary to the needs of member clubs.
 
Sadly, again, this is just my opinionating. Auto-Call shot itself in the foot (maybe a fatal injury) when it reduced from a monthly to a less frequent publication.  I know there were reasons for this. Times change, expenses go up, adequate personell, having enough "news", keeping subscribers with ever increasing subscription prices, selling annual subscriptions at a FARFEST and not giving the monthly issues that wetre advertised...all contributed to the current state of affairs.
 
I think we need to face the fact that Auto-Call has died but from lack of interest in volunteers to publish it and a lack of folks willing to buy it as a quarterly publication.
 
What needs to be addressed are alternative ways to fill the holes that Auto-Call filled for subscribers, yes, but especially for member clubs.
 
A final Auto-Call should be published after these changes that allow member clubs to feel represented and served, to thank the loyal subscribers and to explain what changes have been done to replace Auto Call and ho member clubs may use these services. If the Web and or Direct Mailings to member clubs (not subscribers) is a stop gap, so be it. Without publicity within the region, FAR itself will eventually die.
 
     Page Pyne  WA3EOP
(P.S. Even though partially handicapped, I will be volunteering on Behalf of the Cheese Hollow A.R.S. to help in my limited way at FARFEST on Saturday Morning. I even took vacation from work so I could volunteer. Hopefully the rest of you who represent yourself and a club at what remains of FAR will be volunteering as possible so that this service event (yes it is a service) might be a sucess this year.)

Alan Bosch <labosch at verizon.net> wrote:
Bill:

I know what you're going through vis-a-vis input on this matter from 
FAR member clubs. I have been trying for a week to get responses from 
club members about who is/has committed to help out with FARfest and the 
Marathon...!

Let me put it this way: lack of oxygen is every bit as good at killing 
off worthwhile projects and their dedicated volunteers as burn-out.

AlanB

PS: Though I have no newsletter layout/production skills or equipment, 
I will keep gnoshing for whatever vehicle should emerge. 









w3qx at qsl.net wrote:

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> Dear Representatives,
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> The last post with this subject asked for proposals to continue Auto 
> Call. If a member or other group is preparing, please remember FAR 
> needs it by 15 September.
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> Again, as long as consistent with FAR's requirements and Federal and 
> state rules, FAR's open.
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> I'm sincerely hoping to see responses.
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