[QCWA] Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur Radio Mentoring Program

[Bob Roske]

Posted for Bill, WA6ITF de N0UF op Bob
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Hi All,

I have been following the discussion the past several days and I guess it is
time to chime in to remind all of you that such a program already exists and
has for over a year. It is called "The Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur Radio
Mentoring Program" first conceived several year ago by ,y organization
Amateur Radio Newsline, Inc. and became a partnership with QCWA in the 
spring
of 2007. Here is the joint announcement that was made at that time and 
posted
on the remailer. A more in-depth article appears in the Summer 2007 Journal.
--

Quarter Century Wireless Association To Join Amateur Radio Newsline"

In Sponsorship Of The

Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur Radio Mentoring Program


For more information please contact:

John B. Johnston (W3BE) QCWA (john at johnston.net)

Bill Pasternak (WA6ITF) ARNewsline" (newsline at arnewsline.org)

Los Angeles, CA. (May 7, 2007): In a joint statement issued today the
leadership of the Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc. (QCWA) and
Amateur Radio Newsline", Inc. (ARNewsline") have announced that QCWA has
become a co-sponsor of the Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur Radio Mentoring
Program. This is a post-licensing educational service created by
ARNewsline" in January 2004 and designed to pair new hams with veteran
amateurs in hopes that some of the established ham operator skills can be
passed down to new generations.

The program is loosely based on a similar program created by Broadway
choreographer/ performer Ann Reinking through her own educational 
foundation,
the Broadway Theater Project. This is a Florida based training program
connecting students with seasoned theater professionals. If we may quote Ms.
Reinking:

"Its sort of an un-written law or rule in the world of dance that you pass 
on
what you know. This particular craft is at its best when its passed from one
person's hands to the next."

According to ARNewsline" Executive Producer Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, what Ann
Reinking says about "dance" applies equally to our world of Amateur Radio.
Maybe more so, because, for decades the knowledge and tradition of our
hobby/service was passed down from seasoned operators to newcomers, one on
one.


"Amateur Radio is a tremendously complex arena", says Pasternak. "We have
licensed hams who are truly experts in numerous fields ranging from bouncing
radio signals off the moon, to writing complicated software which enables 
new
forms of two-way communication. We want to take advantage of that talent 
pool
to help educate the next generation of operators, and generations to 
follow."

The success of the program has been such that the number of people seeking
post licensing assistance has risen far faster than the number of available
mentors. This has meant long delays for some who have placed requests. The
addition of the member base of the QCWA makes available close to 10,000
highly skilled radio amateurs as potential mentors, each with a minimum of
twenty-five years of experience in the hobby.=20

"This is a good deal for all of Amateur Radio," says QCWA President John B.
Johnston, W3BE.

Johnston, a retired career FCC employee and Dayton Radio Amateur of the Year
award winner believes that it is important to keep ham radio traditions
alive:

"We in the QCWA are the elder statesmen and stateswomen of Amateur Radio. We
are the people who have spent a sizeable chunk of our lives learning the
artistry that goes with being a radio amateur. We know how a radio works. We
know how an antenna works. Most of all we know that Amateur Radio can only
survive if it passes its combined knowledge on to the next generation of
radio amateurs. By becoming a co-sponsor of the Roy Neal, K6DUE, Amateur
Radio Mentoring Program we place the QCWA in the enviable position of
being the vehicle to hand off the combined knowledge and traditions of our
members to those new hams who will carry this knowledge on."

Under the agreement, ARNewsline" will continue to solicit those looking for
assistance and maintain the database that matches those desiring assistance
with a mentor willing to assist. Willing members of the QCWA will be asked 
to
register by e-mail to mentor at arnewsline.org stating their name, call,
location, contact information and area of expertise. As request for
assistance are received the person asking will be referred to the person
closest to him/her who holds the qualifications and knowledge to assist. 
John
Johnston believes this to be a program that all in QCWA should be a part of:

"This is a chance for each of us to leave our own personal legacy within ham
radio. If we do so, we assure the service of another generation of skilled
and caring operators who will be a true asset to the service. I urge all of
you to sign on."

His words are echoed by ARNewslines Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF. He says that
while Amateur Radio includes world-class experts in a number of specialties,
there are literally thousands of hams who have operating skills also worthy
of passing on. For example, contesting is very popular, said Pasternak. Yet
it is a tough nut to crack for a beginner.

"Contesting is also intimidating. Good contest operators often are able to
contact four stations per minute for hours at a time. The great ones can do
even better. How they are able to do that is a skill that should be passed 
on
through mentoring", Pasternak said.

Two large pools of Amateurs are needed to make mentoring work. First, there
must be a group of volunteers who have a skill and are willing to share 
their
time. The second group is made up of the large number of beginners who want
to learn.

Newsline and QCWA are now seeking applicants for both groups, said Joe
Eisenberg, K0NEB, who oversees the databases: "Send us an e-mail if youd 
like
to be a member of either group", said Eisenberg. "The mentoring address is
mentor at arnewsline.org Tell us your name, call letters, address with zipcode,
phone number, when we can call."

"The projects namesake, Roy Neal, K6DUE, was himself a mentor. He helped
strengthen ARNewsline" and mentored me to become a better writer and
producer," said Pasternak. "The program is a lasting tribute to Roys efforts
on behalf of all radio amateurs."

Amateur Radio Newsline Inc. and the Quarter Century Wireless Association,
Inc. are both 501 (c)(3) federally-designated not-for profit corporations.
Contributions to the QCWA, and/or ARnewsline" are tax deductible.

--

The first question you will ask is why has this not received more publicity?
The reason is that it has been impossible to find anyone in the QCWA
structure willing to become the QCWA Coordinator for this project. I have
asked a number of people in the past 12+ months and none have been willing.

So lets now put it out to all of you on the remailer. Who is willing to take
on the job of compiling and maintaining a database of QCWA members willing 
to
act as in-person or e-mail mentors to hams -- mostly new hams -- whom they
have never met and then matching them up with a list of ham-in-need that
ARNewsline will supply?

The job would consume several hours a month of ones free time and should be 
a
person with good aural as well as written communications skills. If you are
willing to become the coordinator please e-mail me to newsline at ix.netcom.com
and we vcan begin the long delayed process of joining QCWA as an active
participant in the sponsorship of the mentoring progra,

More information on how the program came about and the responaibilites of
those acting as mentors is on-line at
http://www.arnewsline.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=42

Just scroll down past the announcement
I reprinted above for two items that should answer most questions.

Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF
ARNewsline