[MIham] ARRL GL Division Convention - 2009

[Frank]

Hi -

I am sending this e-mail to you because you are listed as a contact for 
an ARRL Affiliated Club in the Great Lake Division.

The Findlay Radio Club is considering sponsoring the 2009 Great Lakes 
Division Convention in Findlay Ohio in the latter part of 2009.  The 
convention would be in a non-traditonal format. It would /not/ be held 
in conjunction with our Hamfest in September, but would instead be held 
as a one day stand-alone event that would start mid morning so that 
division members would be able to drive to Findlay that day rather than 
staying in a hotel the night before. The noon-time meal would be box 
lunch format rather than a sit down affair. The convention would finish 
before dinner so that attendees would have time to drive home that day.  
We are trying to arrange a location that would involve zero rental cost. 
Our objective is to minimize the cost to the attendee.

The convention would consist of several sessions of about an hour each.  
We would have the usual ARRL presentation session (meet the officers, 
Q&A, etc), hopefully a keynote speaker, and a  series of sessions aimed 
at the new hams in the division.  We would like to have a convention 
with an "Elmering" theme to provide some of the material that always 
seems to be missing from the typical license course.  We would hope that 
when a new ham left at the end of the day, he or she would have a better 
idea of what ham radio has to offer besides the local 2m repeater.  They 
would also have much more information on how to do some of these other 
activities, like how to set up an HF station, how to make a QSO on HF, 
how to get started on VHF, or digital modes, or ATV, or satellites, 
or....  You get the idea.  The scope of the sessions would be broad 
enough that even an old timer would pick up something new.

/Before we commit to the work involved running a convention, we would 
like to know if anyone would come to an event like this.  If this sounds 
like something you or members of your local club would take a day to 
attend, please let me know (via e-mail at  n8et at arrl.net) by September 
27./  If we get a good response, we will move forward.  If no one is 
interested, we have plenty of other things to do!  ;>)

If you are interested in coming, I would like to know if you have any 
input on what you might like to see/hear/do at a Division Convention.

Thanks for your input, and hope to hear from a lot of you this week!

73 - Bill - N8ET - Findlay Radio Club