[QCWA Hotlist] Annual QCWA Members Meeting

[Val Erwin]

Hi Ed:
 
Please blame me Ed, not Bob!..........After all, it was I that introduced the motion, what seems like donkey's years ago, in order to allow us the flexibility to hold meetings/conventions whenever/where ever we wanted!.........Remember it was an item on the recent ballot that was voted/accepted by the Membership?
 
When the ballot item passed, it caught me off guard as well!  Since I am a long time "Dayton Hamvention junkie", I had already purchased my non-changeable (for a reasonable price) airline tickets! Isn't it ironic that the guy that had this idea of implementing meeting flexibility cannot be at the General Membership Meeting due to my Sunday morn return flight to Dallas?...............I am not willing to pay $400+ to American Airlines and the motel for an extra night to do so?
 
Since most of us tend to arrive in Dayton on Thursday anyway, to me it makes good sense to have the Board Meeting on Thursday evening. Ed, one consolation is that since Va. Beach, there has not been that much business conducted to date anyway.  So, the meeting should be a short one especially if we each bring a bag of tomatoes to pelt our verbose President with........ha.
 
Ed, I share your lack of enthusiasm for the Sunday General Membership Meeting time. Sunday morn was apparently unavoidable as it was the only time made available to us.  I agree,the Hamvention becomes in effect a ghost town on Sunday. Back several years ago, due to unavailability of Forum rooms on Friday/Saturday, several forums to include the Antenna Forum were moved downtown to the hotel rather than to use a Sunday.That has "worked" for those Forums but now they are not as well attended because people don't like to interrupt their day at the Hamvention to go downtown and then return. If we want to use Dayton again for a QCWA venue, the question we need to ask ourselves is: Would QCWA Members attending the Hamvention be willing to drive up to the Holiday Inn Airport to attend a QCWA Membership meeting on Friday or Saturday? It certainly is a lot closer! 
 
As for what else is planned?.........For the typical hard-core ham like myself, all I need is the hamfest..........Between helping out in the QCWA booth and perusing the flea market, that can keep my busy for days! I must not forget that mandatory BBQ bratwurst in the flea market! But yes, if you want to go to the Air Force Museum, I encourage you to do so............very easy...........step out the front door and take a cab located  immediately in front of Hara Arena. Also, you can catch a bus out on the street.Dayton has an excellent public transportation system. 
 
Since this is what is in effect a simultaneous QCWA/Dayton Hamvention-Convention, I think Bob has done a purtee' good job of putting a schedule together with what is available. If there is a next year at Dayton, we will have more time for better planning!  If not, I am confident that using a large hamfest as a venue for future QCWA Conventions can be made to work when a QCWA Chapter is not willing to step up to the plate and sponsor a separate dedicated event, But, as I have said in the past, a hamfest will attract greater numbers. It would be interesting to me to know how many  of our Members have actually ever attended a QCWA Convention...........less than 3%??
 
Dayton or Bust!............It will be here before we know it...........
 
 
Val Erwin