[Fists] Radiomen know CW

[Jim Reid]

It was written:

> And while we're on the topic of gender and ham radio, I can't
> think of a single black ham radio operator in my circle of
> acquaintances.  Are we doing something to make everybody
> but older white males stay away from our hobby?

Maybe it depends upon where you live.  Here in Hawaii,  we are
a very muti-ethnic culture.  And, one of the fine CW operators
out here is AH7A,  Clarence,  but on CW he uses his middle
name,  Ed,  for obvious reasons,  hi.  Anyway AH7A is African-
American and past president of Hawaii Chapter 194 of the
QCWA.  Ed learned CW in the Signal Corp many,  many years
ago and loves the mode.  Does a super job come Field Day
when he participates in the Big Island event using the
Coconut Island DX clubs call AL0HA !

There are also many other hams out here who are not "haole" =
"breathless ones",  that is dead!  (The ancient Hawaiians,
upon seeing the Causacsian folks with Capt. Cook assumed they
were living dead,  or "gods",  thus they called them "haole".)
But here,  the haole are a minority,  maybe 17% of the population
in the state!

Per the FCC data base,  as of this month,  holders of amateur radio
licenses with mailing addresses here in Hawaii total = 3591,  Feb. 2002 .

Honolulu County (Island of Oahu)...2286 licenses.....64% of state total

Hawaii County( Big Island of Hawaii)...719................20% of total

Maui County(Maui,  Moloka'i,  Lana'i)..314.................8.5% of total

Kaua'i County(Kaua'i and Ni'ihau).........272..................7.5% of total
of which only around 30 or fewer/at the most,  are presently
active on Kauai.

Similar active percentages, around 10% or fewer, certainly also
on the other islands.  Of the nearly 3600 out here,  something
less than 500 are ARRL members,  and I only know of a hand
full at most who belong to FISTS, in fact only one other,  AH7R,
Mike on Oahu,  but there must a couple more somewhere,  hi.
We just elected a new ARRL Pacific Section manager out here,
AH6J,  Bob.  Only 249 votes were cast by our ARRL members.
Those 249 almost certainly represent a majority of the
"active" radio hobbiest out here,  or only 6.8% of our licensed
radio population.

Well,  now you probably know more than you wanted to about
amateur radio folks in Hawaii,  hi.

73,  Jim  KH7M
On the Garden Island of Kauai