[QCWA Hotlist] QCWA Associate Members

[djarnold63 at aol.com]

To Bob and interested QCWA members -
 
At our recent Chapter 219 meeting, which was held in conjunction with the Fox Cities Amateur Radio Club's Swapfest, and with a subsequent phone poll, our tally is:  12 disapprovals and 5 approvals for the implementation of an associate membership category for QCWA.
 
That being said, here are my personal comments:
 
About ten years ago I wrote to National QCWA proposing an associate membership category, with this criteria: recent time as a licensed ham, plus one fourth (a quarter) of the person's age would equal 25.  To mention a few supportive ideas:
     A. The significant number "25" ("Quarter Century. . .") is still retained.
     B. The person has a definate amount of "life experience."
     C. A legitimate amount of time as an amateur has been accrued.
     D. To those in a QCWA ivory tower:  QCWA currently allows a person that received a novice license
          at age 8, never went on the air, let the license expire, and now at age 33 with a new license, (but
          still not on the air) to be a member of QCWA!!
     E. In our local (non-QCWA) ham club, we have a number of hams that received their license later in 
          life.  They have 15 or more years of active hamming and are over 60 years old.  They would like to be
          associated with  QCWA.  LET'S DO IT!
     F. After I proposed the Ham Time plus 1/4th the person's age = 25 plan to our group more were in favor of 
          the associate category.
     G. Associates (regular member wannabes) would pay the $25.00 per year, receive The QCWA Journal,
          but would not be allowed to vote.  Perhaps other restrictions would make sense also.
     H. A possibility: One or two pages of the Journal could be available for associate input.  This is not
          without precedence as many organizations have that type of input and accommodation.
 
I hope that all QCWA members will consider this proposal as a possible solution to the situation.  It is a win-win outcome for everyone except die-hards who resist change.  Change is in order if we want to remain a vital and viable organization supporting--by our balance of age and experience--the service and sport of amateur radio. 
 

I trust that you understand that numbers only are not adequate for making such a monumental decision; but it is the first step of the process. Tad K3QC's questions are significant. Please consider publishing in the Journal the best e-mails/letters you have received on the subject of associate membership. 
 

 73 
Dave Arnold W8DXX
President, Chapter 219
Century Club Member