[InHam] [Fwd: [IndyHamRadio] It Takes a Club]

[Dan Evans]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[IndyHamRadio] It Takes a Club
Date: 	Thu, 01 May 2008 15:14:29 +0000
From: 	Brian Murrey <kb9bvn at gmail.com>
Reply-To: 	IndyHamRadio at yahoogroups.com
To: 	IndyHamRadio at yahoogroups.com




It Takes a Club

By David Sumner, K1ZZ
May 01, 2008

Looking at variations in Amateur Radio licensing activity and new ARRL 
membership around the country, it's apparent that there are "hot spots" 
where newcomers are joining our ranks in relatively large numbers 
compared to other areas.

What does it take to make such a "hot spot"? One answer is that it takes 
a local radio club -- but not just any club. It takes a club that has 
made a commitment to reach out to the community or communities that it 
serves, with a program to bring friends and neighbors from a vague 
awareness of Amateur Radio all the way to being active radio amateurs.

Such clubs don't just happen. It takes vision, leadership and a lot of 
hard work. It takes club officers and members who are willing to venture 
beyond their normal comfort zone. It takes a welcoming, supportive and 
non-judgmental attitude on the part of everyone in the club that a 
newcomer is likely to encounter.

The good news is that once you have such a club it becomes -- almost -- 
a perpetual motion machine. Here's how it works.

Assuming that your community has a radio club and that you're a member, 
the first step is to develop a culture of outreach and welcome within 
the club. This takes conscious effort, especially if your members are in 
the comfortable rut of talking to the same group of friends all the time.

Imagine that you're listening to the club's repeater for the first time, 
as an amateur who is either new to the community or a new licensee. 
Would you feel welcome to join in the conversation, or would you feel 
that you would be regarded as an intruder? Now, imagine that you're 
attending a club meeting for the first time. You walk in and see knots 
of people talking among themselves. Would anyone greet you and introduce 
them-selves or would you be left standing by yourself? Before you're 
ready to make a serious outreach effort you must be able to answer these 
questions positively.

Being friendly and welcoming is necessary, but not sufficient. Does your 
club offer licensing classes? Do you help new licensees get over the 
many other hurdles -- selecting and installing antennas, learning how to 
use equipment, debugging interference to and from consumer electronic 
devices, and so on -- that stand in the way of aspiring operators? Do 
you make sure that their first on-the-air contact is a positive 
experience, and offer nets and roundtables that they will want to join? 
Do you expose them to the wide variety of activities that they can 
pursue as radio amateurs? Do you encourage ARRL membership, so they will 
enjoy full access to membership benefits and will receive the monthly 
stimulus of QST?

If you have all of these bases covered, congratulations! Your club is 
ready to promote itself to the community. Most clubs already have some 
experience doing this, with varying degrees of success. While a full 
discussion of the do's and don'ts is more than this page can 
accommodate, here are a couple of thoughts.

There are many amateur licensees in your community who are not presently 
active. With the caveat that some are Silent Keys and others have not 
kept their addresses current in the FCC data base, it's easy to compile 
a mailing list for an invitation to an Open House or other special 
event. If you succeed in reactivating them, their renewed enthusiasm may 
infect their friends and family members.

If you invite the general public to come and see your club, make sure 
there's something for them to look at. Even a static display with some 
QSL cards and photos of past club events can be an ice-breaker, giving 
your greeters something to talk and invite questions about.

Field Day is just around the corner. With proper planning it can be an 
ideal event for introducing Amateur Radio to your community, and your 
club to existing and prospective licensees. This year there is a new, 
easy-to-use tool for publicizing your club's Field Day site: the ARRL 
Field Day Station Locator Web Site:

www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php 
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php>

But remember -- an invitation to visit your site carries with it the 
responsibility to ensure that visitors (including children) are safe and 
that they have a positive, informative experience. If your Field Day 
operation is open to the public, the proper greeting of visitors cannot 
be left to chance -- it's as important a part of Field Day planning as 
the antennas, equipment, operators and food.

Every club has its ups and downs. If yours has been in the downward part 
of the cycle, now is a good time to take stock -- to capitalize on the 
strengths and overcome the weaknesses. The opportunities for club 
growth, in quality as well as quantity, have never been greater.

Oh, about that "perpetual motion machine." Have you ever attended a club 
meeting where there was to be an election of officers, but there were 
more offices than candidates? If not, you're fortunate. Many clubs with 
static or shrinking membership lists find that it's difficult to fill 
club offices or undertake new projects. Once a club finds the formula 
for attracting and nurturing new members, maintaining the club's 
vibrancy and activity becomes much easier.

The best local clubs provide a logical path for identifying and 
developing their future leaders, from student to new member and in 
succession to greeter, committee member, committee chairman, and 
officer. Your club's president for 2012 may be someone who sees Amateur 
Radio in action for the first time on Field Day -- or may be sitting in 
your licensing class right now! __._,_.___