[PPRAANet] A MUST READ - PLEASE CONSIDER

[Chris W. Stark - KD0DRF]

Greetings PPRAA members,

I am not certain if the article below has ever been shared with the =
group. I
stumbled upon it by accident while surfing the internet. If you plug in
"Jackie Cornwell" to a search engine, you will see this article come up =
too.

Clearly, I am a newcomer to this group, so much of the club's past is
unknown to me. However, if I were to review the article below under the
guise of how human-kind typically responds to the human race in general, =
I
can legitimately say that at least some of what was written (if not all)
below is accurate.

I offer to share this with the group on the grounds of how I have failed =
in
the past, on showing support to various leaders of other groups I have =
been
a part of. I have experienced the truth of this letter the hard way, for =
I
too, have been unthankful, unhelpful, and indifferent at best in times =
past.
I can only hope that perhaps this go around that I have learned =
something
from my past experiences, in that I should not to repeat the same =
mistakes.

I have offered my thanks to Jackie, and have offered to help her with =
the
grunt work. I will even add now, I am willing to take some of the =
technical
issues off her back if she would be willing to remain the editor in =
chief. I
would be glad to be her assistant (but not the editor). If I do not pan =
out
to her liking, then she can proceed with the resignation. I can only =
hope it
is not too late in me offering this to her (I became a member April 14,
2008), for this group stands to lose a professional Journalist and =
writer.
Her contribution to this group is staggering. How we can let her slip =
past
us is a genuine mistake for all of us, and one we will surely regret in =
the
future, if we do not somehow stop this insanity.

I wonder if anyone would be willing to write Jackie at
jcornwell at peoplepc.com and let her know how much you appreciated her =
work as
editor of the =D8 Beat? By doing so, you may help my efforts to seeing =
if she
would be willing to entertain my offer to assist her.

73,

Chris W. Stark - KD0DRF
KD0DRF at arrl.net
Office: (719) 391-5021
Cell:    (719) 649-3835=20
Fax:    (719) 391-0370


=3D=3D=3D=3D


http://fixnwrtr.blogspot.com/2008/03/is-it-worth-it.html
=20
Monday, March 10, 2008
Is it worth it?=20

Hold onto your seats and your hats. I'm going to make two posts in one =
day.
That hasn't happened in a very long time and might not happen again for =
a
while. If you need to go to the bathroom, get something to drink or =
stretch
your legs, do it now. This might take a while. Then again, it might not.

As I sent another ham club newsletter to the printer I thought about =
what
I've done and how hard I've worked to maintain a position that gives me =
more
grief than pleasure. When I was first approached about the newsletter I =
was
congratulated for taking over. No one bothered to inform me that I had =
been
chosen or that the entire ham community in Colorado Springs had already
decided to hand the reins to me. I went to a board meeting to find out =
what
exactly was going on and was asked my credentials, something I found =
very
surprising since, to my knowledge, no one before me had had the =
professional
writing and editing experience I have. I answered the questions and =
offered
a copy of my resume. Then I was asked to pay the membership fee in order =
to
take over the job, and I did.=20

Getting information from the outgoing editor proved difficult and it was
only after the first of the year he sent me a garbled email with even =
more
garbled instructions and said, "Here you go and good luck." I didn't =
know
how much I would need the luck. Emails for help went unanswered as if =
they
had floated off into the cybervoid and gotten lost. I soldiered on but =
was
unable to get the January issue out. No one was available to answer my
questions, but one person did offer to pick up the newsletter from the
printer, except they had forgotten to tell me who the printer was or =
where
they were located, not to mention in what form he wanted the newsletter =
sent
to him, mailed to him or hand carried to him. I still didn't know where =
the
printer was located a year later when the same helpful member told me =
I'd
have to start picking it up myself. I found out in a hurry. The past two
years have been just like that rocky beginning, except twice a month =
every
month I send out an email to the membership asking for news, articles,
notices, ads, columns or even just a joke that isn't copyrighted to no
avail.=20

Every month I pull together the ragged ends of whatever I can find, =
rewrite
the misspelled and grammatically horrific articles I blackmail members =
to
get to put out a 12-page issue. Sometimes I have cut the issue to eight
pages just to get by since there's nothing else I can do to fill the =
pages
without spilling blood and abasing myself for a single paragraph of =
content.
People have made comments on my monthly nag and beg sessions in email as =
if
it's a big joke, and I signed on for this gig.=20

After the first month, I put together a newsletter for the second month =
only
to be told I would have to audition before I would be allowed to take =
over
as editor. I faced down the president with what I had learned. They had
never had a professional writer or editor to do the newsletter and no =
one
wanted the job until it was thrust on me. The previous editor begged for =
two
years to get someone -- anyone -- to take over. And he was requiring me =
to
audition. He backed down and I got the job. Last year when the new =
officers
were elected and another board chosen, I was attacked once again by one =
of
the brand new members who was taking over everything he could get his =
hands
on. I defended myself with no input from the board although the attack =
was
carried out in public through emails to the board. One lone board member
said my attacker should remember we are on the same team. I offered to =
step
down and the board got together and gave me a vote of confidence. Like I
said, I signed on for this. Now I wonder why.

This afternoon I wrote the president and gave him my notice. He has =
until
December 2008 to find someone else to take over as editor. I'm done =
fighting
for something no one wants and most people complain or joke about. I =
have no
doubt that the same two or three members who always publicly thank me =
will
do so again, and probably offer to pay for my dinner at the annual Xmas
dinner, just like last year. Or they will finally break into the dusty
vaults of the bank and vote to give me a plaque to thank me for my hard =
work
and service over the past three years. I don't want their thanks but if =
I
were going to give a speech in thanks, this would be it.

I'm supposed to thank you all for recognizing my contribution over the =
past
three years and tell you that I am reluctant to step down. I'm not. I =
look
forward to no more deadlines, no more begging and hounding and no more
newsletter to put out for people who don't care except to complain. The =
time
for your thanks is past. The time for your thanks was during the past =
three
years when I asked you to get involved, to send in articles, pictures, =
jokes
and stories for the newsletter. That is the thanks for which I've waited =
the
past three years.=20

In various forms I have explained what it means to be a volunteer and =
how
your input is needed to keep the lights burning and the newsletter full =
of
something other than dry meeting minutes and a short presidential =
message
that never fills a full page. I have changed the format and made it more
colorful, easier to read, more accessible. I have added content to the =
email
and web versions to entice you to get involved, all to no avail. I have
spent hours of my valuable time giving you for free what other =
associations
and professionals have paid me to do, and I have done it without your =
help
and input only from the same one or two people. I have answered your
complaints and fixed whatever was wrong. I have gone through endless web
sites and begged local amateur operators to tell me their stories and =
send
in the pictures, and I have had some success, but not nearly as much as =
I
would have had if you had cared enough to get involved. I have watched =
the
board put together programs and events that few people attended, =
stretching
their own personal resources and time to cover the jobs that no one =
would
take, and the same people kept showing up all the time. I have watched =
as
board members begged for someone to take over as chairman of the =
Megafest or
just show up to set up, take down or even take tickets, but the only =
ones
who answered are the same small group of people who always step up to =
take
your place. I know they must be as tired as I am right now and just as
frustrated. So, no, I am not sorry to step down. I am eager to let =
someone
else find the right words or twist the right arms to make you all care
enough to get involved in your own club. Were the past three years worth =
my
time and effort and the fight I put up to keep the job? Right now, I =
don't
think so.=20

Goodbye and good luck. You are going to need it.=20

I think that goes over pretty well. Don't you? At least it isn't screw =
you
and the horse you rode in on.=20

That is all. Disperse.