[QCWA] Associate Membership

Thu Nov 24 00:46:20 EST 2011

Good idea Pete, maybe some minor changes will be thrown out for 
consideration. I also belonged to some Professional Societies where there 
was an Associate type of member. Less dues, no vote and no office holding. 
Found many to be atrong contributors and when later accredited they were 
brought in as full Members, and did so already up and running.

If the membership numbers are dwindling something reasonable needs to be 
done.

I also question the real need for a National Convention or a Regional or 
local one for that matter that cannot be fully paid by the Chapter(s) 
involved. Don't see a need for guaranteed numbers for rooms etc and in the 
few that I helped set up some years back, never saw a situation where that 
was required.  The only tough spot came from the catering side. If we said 
50, we paid for 50, but even then we always knew how many would be there 
since we always did the numbers based on the registrations PAID.

Don W7WLL

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pete" <TwelveVDC at aol.com>
To: "QCWA List" <QCWA at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 2:19 PM
Subject: [QCWA] Associate Membership

Hello, friends.

I usually don't weigh in on these hot-button issues, because someone always 
takes me to the "Virtual" woodshed for having the nerve to disagree. 
(Discussion is healthy and American, but please, no flames. Just civil 
replies.)

I think there is an elegant solution to this issue.

Allow only the local Chapters to admit "Associate Members" into their ranks, 
(and NOT National) but with the silent blessing of National.

There are many benefits:

•No arguing about watering-down of qualifications to the Parent 
Organization, which appears to be the chief objection.

•Local Chapters collect modest dues, (~$5 or $8.) from a NEW source, and 
issue Chapter credentials as may be customary. Once a year, Treasurer's can 
forward 50% of these new resources to National as part of their "Chapter 
Accreditation," or "Tribute."

•These Associate Members start to participate and contribute to Chapter 
functions BEFORE they can't erect antennas for FD anymore, e.g., and are 
likely more familiar and adept with modern media equipment to deliver 
program content at local Meetings. (A main reason Clubs everywhere are 
dying. Who wants to hear ONLY about the "Good Old Days" every month over 
coffee? Not younger hams, if you ever want to attract and recruit them.) 
Look at the photographs in the Journal and see our demographic in eateries 
whose captions hardly depict Programs or Events, but mostly celebrate 
longevity milestones.

•This gives hundreds of young and middle-aged guys who aren't licensed quite 
25 years, a chance to associate with those who have that coveted National 
Membership and get to wear that pin of Honor. It becomes truly something to 
aspire to. But I guarantee you, the best way to alienate them forever, is to 
not make them feel welcome until they "qualify," or label them as perpetual 
"Guests." Where would our regular Amateur Radio Club's be if we didn't 
welcome guests until they had their tickets? Think about that for a minute.

•They will already know all the friends and the mission of the QCWA when 
they reach that celebrated milestone, and can relish in the limelight when 
proudly sponsored by a colleague for National Membership when the time 
comes.

• The likelihood of staying UNTIL you hit your 25 years and joining National 
is a million percent easier than attracting a 25 year ham for the first 
time. By then, he's been a member of the League and a few Amateur Radio 
Clubs, gets several expensive magazine subscriptions, etc., so by then it 
looks like just another group after his cash. Today's economy forces us to 
compete against each other for membership dues. If you don't consider 
accepting folks earlier than their 25th year on an introductory level, you 
will have a harder time attracting them when others rolled out the red 
carpet the day they got their tickets and were still excited about it.

•These are the future leaders of the Chapters and QCWA National. They should 
be groomed now for the privilege.

I joined my local QCWA Chapter 17, Allentown-Bethlehem, PA as an Associate 
Member around when I was licensed for 20 years. I wasn't permitted to run 
for office, but I was included in every event and meeting, and respectfully 
treated as an equal, and my opinions were welcomed and heard as any other 
Member. As soon as we were eligible, two of us were sponsored by the Chapter 
President, W3TDF, and admitted to National with great fanfare from our 
friends who were very proud of us. That does not happen to you unless you 
were an Associate first.

As proof of what the Associate Class means to the QCWA's big picture, I am 
today a proud Life Member, #33775, and attended the Annual Banquet at Dayton 
this year for the first time.

Allow the Chapters to accept Associate Members. No one will get their 
underwear in a bunch over it, because they still must earn their wings to 
join National, keeping the objective pure. If the bylaws must be amended to 
allow for such a provision, so be it.

Respectfully,
Pete Varounis
     ------------------------------------------
     de NL7XM  ••Callsign Historian••

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