[QCWA] An Open Letter in response to K1ER and WA9ENA

[Ken Simpson, W8EK]

Thanks, Don, for your comments and suggestions.

It certainly does take all of us working together to make QCWA the 
terrific organization that it is.

Thanks, 73,

Ken, W8EK

Ken Simpson, W8EK
QCWA Director and Executive Administrator
E-Mail to ExecAdmin at qcwa.org
QCWA Phone (352) 425-1097



Don Tucker wrote, On 11/11/2012 2:03 PM:
> First, I want to thank all those in QCWA who have volunteered their services
> to keeping the organization going.
>
> To date there have been a lot of good ideas presented regarding getting
> copies of the Journal to those unable to access it online. I'm sure that
> those without computers will be taken care of by someone in the organization
> and I thank them in advance.
>
> Why one doesn't attend Chapter meetings probably results an a broad spectrum
> of answers. For myself, it is primarily family. We childsit for our
> granddaughters 3 children (great grandchildren) on weekends which is two of
> the days in her workweek. Unfortunately it is also when the Chapter meetings
> I belong to are held. Plus it is a good  one plus hours drive to get to the
> meeting spot (it is a good spot and the day/time works for the majority of
> the members). It is not a lack of interest on my part I assure you and I do
> try to attend when possible.
>
> Volunteering in an organization requires not just the willingness but having
> the time. When one commits it must be done knowing that the effort will
> result in a quality result. Nothing worse than volunteers who don't do the
> job well, IMHO. Like a great number of the retired, I am deeply involved in
> volunteering with other organizations, most but not all, close to home. I
> committed to providing myself and my skills in doing the best job possible.
> I don't have time to do more and still have quality family time (or time to
> do some quality hamming!!!!). If there is something relatively simple I
> could do for the QCWA that would not take a lot of time but help, then let
> me know and we'll discuss it.
>
> Next July will be my 59th year of being licensed (with the same call by the
> way), a little past the 25 years required for QCWA membership. Amateur radio
> is important to me. Because of the service/hobby, I was able to launch into
> a rewarding career. I have been fortunate to be able to help many others
> along the way, as I think it should be for all of us.
>
> The big question is 'What does QCWA provide me (or other members)?". Each of
> us probably has differing answers. For me it is the fellowship of meeting
> with or reading about other long licensed amateur radio operators. I enjoy
> reading most of the Journal. I find articles touching on things that don't
> show up in other amateur radio magazines. Don't read all the Chapter reports
> but do some and skim others. Thanks to the authors who take the time to put
> these articles and reports together. I am glad to see a Scholarship program
> for young men and women. What better way to show the generosity of the
> senior amateur radio community and help new hams attain better futures.
>
> I'd like to see the For Sale/Wanted column continue. Not to be used just for
> equipment but broader things as well. Perhaps requests for help on how to do
> something, etc.
>
> To the Officers and Directors of QCWA, and to the members who make the
> organization possible, active and inactive participants, it takes everyone
> to keep an organization going. Some do more, some do less, some do nothing
> but pay dues. But all of you count, just like the taxpayers and voters in
> the great nation.
>
> Don W7WLL
>
>
>
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Vic Culver"<vic.w4vic at verizon.net>
> To:<qcwahotlist at mailman.qth.net>; "QCWA"<qcwa at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2012 1:06 AM
> Subject: [QCWA] An Open Letter in response to K1ER and WA9ENA
>
>
> RE:  Changes taking place in QCWA
>
> Open Letter to John Peters, K1ER, and to Dale Svetanoff, WA9ENA, and to
> others who align themselves with the thinking expressed by these fine
> gentlemen.  (Hi, John -- Vic here (W4VIC, ex-K4JNM!!) Been a long, long
> time, John.  Hello again.)
>
> This response to you gentlemen is my own work, not 'authorized' by my
> fellow QCWA Officers and Directors, but whom, I believe, all share my
> thoughts.
>
> As an Officer in QCWA I suppose I'm about as responsible as anyone for
> the present status of QCWA as an organization, although I was
> more-or-less dragged, kicking and screaming, to my present reality and
> understandings.  I fought long and hard (yes, long -- thechanges you,
> Dale, and many others are concerned about did not come about overnight,
> as it must seem to so many who have been so far removed from national
> governance in QCWA for so long).  The changes you see (and object to)
> are truly the only possible alternatives available to us if QCWA is/was
> to survive past the end of this year, or possibly next year).  It took a
> lot of involvement in several different aspects of the organization by
> myself, as a member of different Standing Committees over several years,
> before the realization of the present hard reality hit home.  The
> ultimate choice, unadorned by wishful thinking, was to make the
> decisions taken, or to declare QCWA to be bankruptand to turn over our
> Scholarship Program (which itself is very healthy) tosome other
> organization, and cease to be the Quarter Century Wireless Association.
>
> Those conditions that have brought us to this present impasse are the
> very factors you cite as reasons why we should not have taken the
> decisions we have taken to keep QCWA alive.  You have cited these
> conditions in your messages:  The lack of participation by the vast
> majority of our members, beyond those few who are currently paying the
> way for our operations; the failure of our membership to embrace current
> technologies, including the ability to fulfill the basic function of an
> amateur radio operator -- to maintain a station and get on the air; to
> keep up with technology (both you and Dale have expressed the view,
> coincident with our own knowledge, that not many of our older members
> have, or even care to have, a computer that would give them access to an
> evolving QCWA organization, let alone to the modern world); and your
> point that not many of the Chapters appear to be doing anything at all.
> Too many members wear their badges only as a sign of longevity, and even
> so, not many are interested even in attending meetings. These factors
> you have identified are probably the root causes of the problems that
> QCWA faces today.
>
> Let's look at some very rough numbers -- QCWA currently has about 6,000
> 'members', about 4,000 of them Life Members. Life Members do not pay
> dues to support the Journal, or any other aspect of the operation of
> QCWA.  Because of historical decisions that were not at all sound
> business practices, the 'dues' paid by Life Member applicants were
> deposited into the operating account of QCWA since the Life Member
> program was begun.  There was no interest bearing account created, so no
> income from those Life Member dues help to support current operations --
> the dues money was all spent to cover ever increasing operating costs as
> we went along. Thus, there was no provision for continued support by
> those members to the large costs of QCWA operations, by far the most
> expensive of which is the cost of preparing and mailing the print
> Journal.  We have (all too belatedly) fixed that situation, but
> basically today you have 2,000 members supporting all 6,000 QCWA
> members.  It is not rocket science to see that the crushing cost of the
> print Journal, exacerbated by the historical poor accounting practices,
> have finally brought QCWA to the brink of extinction.
>
> Rescuing QCWA has not been an easy proposition. There are many of us who
> have accepted leadership positions in QCWA who are working very hard
> indeed to save the organization. We have eliminated all costs that could
> be eliminated, and the Board of Directors, each one of us, have taken on
> serious work loads and are working long hours to fulfill the
> responsibilities contingent upon operating QCWA as a going concern.  We
> have implemented sound accounting principles to provide for the
> continued operation of QCWA, albeit as a quite different operational
> status than that with which our members are familiar. As a result of
> these actions taken, it is just possible that our 2013 Budget will be
> balanced!  The large annual deficitsmay well be on the way toward
> extinction.
>
> If we are to succeed, then our members are going to have to adapt to
> these present realities.  We do not wish to make it impossible, or even
> to make it difficult, for anyone to remain in the QCWA organization. But
> our members are going to have to meet us half-way! Those who can will
> have to pick up some new skills, learn to operate the most basic of the
> inexpensive tablet computers so that they can read the TWELVE DIGITAL
> JOURNALS per year we will be providing -- not four, but TWELVE! Our
> Chapters are going to have to pick up some responsibility for helping
> their own Chapter members to acquire those skills, or to help them in
> some other way to stay connected to the organization. Membership in QCWA
> is a shared responsibility -- the Officers and the Board of Directors,
> together with other volunteers will provide the makings of the
> organization, and the Chapters will have to accept some responsibility
> in helping with the operations of the organization.  Our members will
> have to step up and become at least active enough to count as bona fide
> members.  If our members want to allow QCWA to continue as the fine
> organization we all want it to be, then they are going to have to become
> active supporters of that organization.
>
> We must have ACTIVE members, not the passive individuals who take OUT of
> the organization and put nothing, to very little INTO the organization.
> If your circumstances are such that you can only put enthusiasm into the
> organization by your membership, then we can live with that -- others
> will have to 'cover' for you.  With the hard work of your President
> Oelke, VE3AFO; Vice-President McCalvy, WA9JMO, and the other Officers
> and the Directors of the organization, together with volunteers
> providing vital service to QCWA, we should have success in accomplishing
> this rescue mission.  But the outcome is uncertain at this point --
> without the support and cooperation of our members, our efforts may
> prove to be too little, too late to save this magnificent organization
> which we have known and loved for so long.
>
> I cannot imagine my relationship to Amateur Radio without QCWA, nor do I
> want to think of that possibility. I pray that there are many, many
> others who share this sentiment, and who will step up and allow QCWA to
> become healthy once again, a vibrant leader among the other amateur
> radio organizations. Please redirect your thinking to the positive
> strategies that will help us to survive.
>
> Thank you for your contributions of positive ideas and for your support
> toward rebuilding QCWA.
>
> Sincerely, Vic Culver, W4VIC, Secretary, QCWA Inc.
>
>
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