[QCWA] Assoc. Membership ...

[Don Tucker]

The 'long distance organizations', such as QCWA (and a host of other like 
entities) are all facing declining memberships. Local clubs and like 
organizations that can draw members together in a regular and routine face 
to face activity still appear to be doing well. Why?

I suspect it has something to do with the rising popularity of Twitter, 
Facebook, Google Plus and all the other social networks, including Yahoo, 
QSL.net and the popular reflectors which are generally all cost free. And 
cost I suspect is part of the equation. The lackluster economy that we are 
all facing, worldwide, when you are out of work or retired, and your savings 
and/or retirement funds have been partially decimated, makes one think hard 
about when to spend their money. Most amateur radio operators (well, many) 
belong to the ARRL, a local club and perhaps other specialized groups like 
QCWA, OOTC, and others to numerous to list. Each has some sort of a dues 
requirement.

The QCWA Directors, in my humble opinion, need to look closely at those 
items which cost the most. I would suspect the Journal is not inexpensive to 
publish. I, for one, skip over the Chapter News.  I would expect to get that 
information from my Chapter. Not that I don't care but it is difficult for 
me to raise my interest level in what the Chapter in Secaucas did the last 
couple of months. Significant cost would result from dropping this part of 
the Journal, which was 23 of the 56 pages in the Fall Issue.  I would be 
more interested in seeing material more related to those whose tenure in 
amateur radio was lengthly, not necessarily personal articles, but perhaps 
more in depth material on older equipment, restoration ideas, places to find 
parts, etc, etc, etc. Maybe in one issue a year there could be a capsule of 
each of the Chapters activities during the year, very abbreviated.

Someone suggested a nominal charge for awards and certificates. Other than 
the awards for QCWA sponsored events or contests I think this is reasonable. 
It doesn't have to be a lot, even a couple of dollars would help defray the 
cost of printing and mailing.

Like others have expressed, I see little to be gained from an Associate 
Membership, unless it was perhaps made available to a select cadre, such as 
school clubs, and for a very specific reson. like perhaps an intent to 
better infuse students learning about amatur radio why so many have 
dedicated much of their life in amateur radio service (and maybe establish a 
mentoring process too). The reason for such a move should be focused on what 
QCWA would bring to the Associate, and what the Associate could bring to 
QCWA.

I'd buy a QCWA rubber stamp if it were small that I could use on my QSL 
cards (no I don't like the QCWA QSL cards, remind me to much of the old WRL 
ones - plain jane). But, that's a personal thing. I have some sticky back 
colored QCWA labelsbut they are too large and hard to deal with.

The Board of Directors have a difficult job, keeping the organization 
solvent and finding ways to grow membership. It would be interesting to know 
just how many amateur radio operators have 25 years or more in the service, 
but with some leaving and reentering all the time there is no way to 
establish that. I suspect QCWA represents only a minimal number.

The Board needs to continue looking, and the members need to start 
contributing ides. While wild ideas might draw a lot of criticism, they 
might also might draw out some new good idea that no one had thought of.

Surely the membership can put on their thinking caps and throw out some 
ideas that the Board can consider.

Don W7WLL (Original call)
Licensed July 1954
Tektronix 1958-2001