[KL7AA] [tdxs-list] Meeting and greeting new hams and visitors at our club meetings

Wed Jan 12 11:35:38 EST 2011

N5MT sponsored me for membership of TDXS, but NR5M pushed for my acceptance.
I've always been thankful for that.

Allen Brier N5XZ / KL5DX 
1515 Windloch Lane 
Richmond, TX 77406-2533 
281-342-1882 
713-705-4801 (Cell) 
n5xz at arrl.net 

  _____  

From: Jim Lane [mailto:n5dc at cox.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 7:11 AM
To: K5RC; 'Bob W5UQ'; n5xz at earthlink.net
Cc: clarc at clarc.org; nars at mailman.qth.net; 'TDXS Reflector'; ctdxcc at kkn.net;
kl7aa at mailman.qth.net; bvarc at bvarc.org
Subject: Re: [tdxs-list] Meeting and greeting new hams and visitors at
ourclub meetings

I joined TDXS, because of my love of DXing. After joining, I put my wife
Evie up for membership, as she too was a DX hound. At a meeting at the
Belaire General Hospital, she was voted down, because "The" Club did not
want women, in spite of the fact that Linda Walworth was already a member. I
chose, because of the vote, to become inactive. Later NR5M became President,
and asked me to come back to TDXS, and that he would personally sponsor Evie
for membership. You talk about welcoming outsiders, try this on for size!

From: K5RC <mailto:tom at k5rc.cc>  

Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 7:53 AM

To: 'Bob W5UQ' <mailto:W5UQ at att.NET>  ; n5xz at earthlink.net 

Cc: clarc at clarc.org ; nars at mailman.qth.net ; 'TDXS
<mailto:tdxs-list at tdxs.net>  Reflector' ; ctdxcc at kkn.net ;
kl7aa at mailman.qth.net ; bvarc at bvarc.org 

Subject: Re: [tdxs-list] Meeting and greeting new hams and visitors at
ourclub meetings

I have led the formation and growth of a number of ham radio groups
including TDXS and Houston Ham Conventions. In the 70's, TDXS was viewed as
aloof by many hams in the Houston area. Our events were exclusive and not
inclusive. 

Successful growth of any endeavor requires attention to the voice of the
customer and identifying their needs. To that end, K5MA, K7BV and I began
looking at drawing more hams into DXing and contesting. We did a pilot event
called the TACO (Texas Association of Contest Operators) convention in 1976.
This drew more hard-core folks and continued to exclude newbies. We then
formed Houston Ham Conventions and partnered with other clubs. These annual
conventions culminated with the ARRL National Convention in 1983 in Houston.

Over the course of learning how to satisfy the voice of the customer, we
built a virtual play book that was a crude version of the McDonalds
Franchise Book, where others who wanted to be successful could model the
mechanics of organizing and leading ham events. That knowledge base died
shortly after the core group retired from HHC. HHC also died a slow and
painful death because the play book was discarded.

As we see in all walks of life, learning from past successes and failures is
no longer in vogue. For the enlightened, there may still be hope. Those who
harvest the tools of success and replicate them can greatly accelerate their
chances of success by also studying applicable failures and disasters. I've
spent 40 years as a quality control engineer trying to make processes
better. I've spent the last decade as an expert witness involved in
catastrophic failures that were avoidable. I am currently writing my 11th
book on products liability. With each case study I type, I wonder: "Why did
they not listen to the voice of the customer?"

TDXS #13

Tom Taormina, K5RC

The Comstock Memorial Station, W7RN

Virginia City NV

http://k5rc.cc 

From: Bob W5UQ [mailto:W5UQ at att.NET] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 6:55 AM
To: n5xz at earthlink.net
Cc: clarc at clarc.org; nars at mailman.qth.net; 'TDXS Reflector'; ctdxcc at kkn.net;
kl7aa at mailman.qth.net; bvarc at bvarc.org
Subject: Re: [tdxs-list] Meeting and greeting new hams and visitors at our
club meetings

I experienced the same thing at two other ham clubs.  
One was in Florida and one was in MO. 
However, both the LSDXA (in 1997) and TDXS groups greeted me with warm
greetings.  I felt like I was very welcome. 

The two that didn't treat me very nice: 
After several meetings, I decided to contribute a lot of ham articles, like
coax, used equipment, etc to them since they were asking for stuff for the
club.  
No one said a thing to me about it... and all in all,  I felt transparent.
At all the meetings, I felt like an outsider.... "like, don't bother me
bubba"...... they had their "groups" within the club that talked, worked
together, etc... and I couldn't seem to get into one....   Never went to
another meeting. 

At the other club, after about my third meeting, they announced a project
that needed someone who could print color pictures for the project. (this
was in 1995, not many had color printers then...especially commercial laser
ones).  No one volunteered.  
I waited a minute or so, then stood up and said that my business has a high
quality laser color printer and would make all the prints needed.  

No one said anything, the project chairman didn't say a word.  I sat back
down and never heard another word about it. They went on like nothing
happened. 
After the meeting I tried to talk to some of the members and only one guy
smiled and talked to me.  It was a DX club.  I decided to not go back. I'm
sure no one missed me. 

The problem is that when that happens to someone, they tend to feel that
something must be wrong with them and don't want to experience those same
feelings again.
It sure left a bad taste in my mouth and I hesitated to visit other clubs.
Who wants to feel like that again?

I recently joined the TDXS group and, in my opinion, I found them to be a
good group of hams.  They sure seem to welcome all other hams that I've seen
attend.  I'm proud to be one of them.  

Bob Hardie
Member #177
W5UQ

and the BEAT goes onnnnnn....

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you, don't go back to sleep.

See W5UQ.com
& QRZ.com is accurate for W5UQ  
Also see QRZ.com for A25UQ,V31UQ and VP2EEU

On 1/11/2011 8:05 PM, Allen R. Brier wrote: 

All,

I received the email below as a result of asking for suggestions and
speakers for the upcoming 2011 Greater Houston Hamfest. I am purposely
blanking out the originators name, call, address, phone number and club he
visited by x's. 

This is very sad because this is not the first time I have heard this from
new hams or potential members. I heard the very same thing from a ham in
Sugar Land who visited BVARC once. I have to admit that I don't try hard
enough myself to greet the new hams, and spend most of my time talking with
old friends that I don't see in person often enough. But we need to make
more of an effort to "meet and greet" the newer hams and visitors at our
club meetings. We all know how hard it is to get new members and it is
vitally important to make our new hams feel welcome and to stay in the
hobby. I urged this ham to go back and give the club we went to another
chance and I hope he/she does. We need this to keep our hobby alive and
prosperous. So next club meeting, please seek out these new hams and
visitors and make them feel welcome. Better yet, initiate a program in your
clubs to seek out all new hams in our communities and offer elmering and
assistance. It is easy to get a list of hams by zip code from the ARRL and
notices of new and upgraded hams. Perhaps a new position of officer should
be made specifically for this purpose. Devote a meeting or a few minutes of
each meeting for this. I think some clubs already so some or all of this. I
think we'll all be pleased with the results.

PLEASE CROSS-POST THIS TO OTHER REFLECTORS AND COPY TO AS MANY CLUB OFFICERS
AS POSSBIBLE.

73,

Allen Brier N5XZ / KL5DX
1515 Windloch Lane
Richmond, TX 77406-2533
281-342-1882
713-705-4801 (Cell)
n5xz at arrl.net

-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxx xxxxxxx 
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 9:09 AM
To: n5xz at earthlink.net
Subject: RE: [xxxx] Open forum slot for 2011 Greater Houston Hamfest

Dear Mr. Brier

My name is xxxxx xxxxxxx (X5XXX) and I received my Technician license in
April of 2008 and then my General thirty days later.  I attended several
meetings of my local ham club (XXXX) for several months but it has been over
a year since I attended any more meetings.  To my dismay, I was never
greeted by anyone introducing me to other members and never felt that my
experience in ham radio was anything but amateur.  And that I didn't quite
stand up to some of the standards and experience that others had.  I walked
away feeling a little dejected. How about a member giving a speech about how
to welcome new hams to the association and how to make them feel welcome in
this world of communication.  I believe this would go a long way in
maintaining and promoting amateur ham radio.

xxxx xxxx
xxxx xxxx
Houston, Texas  
(281) xxx-xxxx

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