[RVRC] Please take the time to read this email

Tue Nov 20 13:43:24 EST 2012

Hi all,

I am for the most part a silent observer/listener to this conversation.
 While I understand most of the points being made, I fail to see one major
issue addressed.

First, I am an inactive, associate member.  I joined the club primarily so
I could pay dues so that I wouldn't feel like I was a free-loader when
talking to people on the club's repeaters.  That said, there remains that
major issue - the 800 pound gorilla in the room.  While amateur radio was
always a unique tool to allow people to communicate with one another over
networks of repeaters without incurring long distance telephone charges,
the maturation of cellular technology and the competitive pricing for
"minutes" has rendered our hobby somewhat obsolete --- at least in the
normal communications mode.  Even as a volunteer adjunct to emergency
services, there really isn't that much need for us.  I hate to say it, but
we are a bunch of old geezers who cling to the technology of our youth,
while cell phones, smartphones, tablets and laptops all communicate at 4G
and with WIFI and "air cards" at much greater Internet speeds, leaving us
in the dust.  Our communication circles using these technologies are far
greater than we could ever hope to achieve within our very small radio
communities.

Having said all this, I truly believe that if we want to rejuvenate amateur
radio, we first have to identify the requirements. Why do we want to do
this?  Again, if it is for these small circles of friends, we will never
expand our horizons to the larger populations in the internet
communications world.

Define a good reason/requirement for us, then build a solution, and people
will come.  We can bang our heads against the wall hoping to entice new
members, but without answering this basic question, we are just going to
end up with a major headache.

Sorry!  I don't mean to throw cold water on the discussion, but I am trying
to apply rational systems engineering discipline to the problem.  That does
not mean I have the answer.

Michael Rothberg K2MLR

On Tue, Nov 20, 2012 at 8:01 AM, Joseph F. Cash, Jr. <jcash at joecash.com>wrote:

>  As president of ETS of NJ - I fully understand this issue. I have seen
> club
> "participation" on the decline since I joined the club in 2006. I agree
> that
> this is a problematic issue and one that we need to address.
>
> Perhaps there are things that multiple clubs can do together to foster more
> participation?
>
> I'd be happy to meet with anyone who would like to discuss this further.
> Because of the holiday and work - this is not a good week, but I will have
> time between Thanksgiving and New Year's. I can be reached anytime at
> 908-704-1222 or jcash at joecash.com .
>
> I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
>
> 73,
>
> Joe
> W2OZO
>
> Joseph F. Cash, Jr.
> Keller Williams Cornerstone Realty - Belle Mead
> 908-704-1222 - wireless
> 908-359-0893 - office
> 908-566-0778 - e-fax
> www.joecash.com
> jcash at joecash.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rvrc-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:rvrc-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
> On
> Behalf Of drew Moore
> Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2012 6:29 PM
> To: RVRC
> Cc: KA2OEE at arrl.net
> Subject: [RVRC] Please take the time to read this email
>
>
>
> Members,
>
>
>
> Below is an email  Bob Grear, KA2OEE, President of W2CRA- The Cherryville
> Repeater Association sent out to members of the club. This could be any of
> the local clubs in NNJ.
>
>
>
> At our last RVRC meeting we couldn't even make a quorum so no official
> business could be conducted. The dwindling numbers of members attending
> meetings has been going on for some time now so it isn't just HS Sandy. We
> have a number of issues being addressed and we need the input of all the
> club members to get through theses economically difficult times. Keeping
> the
> repeater(s) on the air can be expensive. We are in the process of
> submitting
> a claim for the damages we have incurred in the recent storm to our
> insurance carrier. In any event we are going to incur some unexpected
> expenditures and we'll find a way to raise the funds.
>
>
>
> Once we raise the funds we have to be careful of how we restore our
> network.
> We should address contingencies and we need people thinking out of the box.
> Some realities we experienced is that when we have destructive storms and
> we
> are in a JCP&L coverage area there's no telling how the duration of the
> outage. Our current backup system was ineffective since we experience
> outages well beyond the 8 hour of emergency power. The Asterisk network's
> dependency on internet services and power. Perhaps we should look at a
> fallback solution where everything can be switched to RF power employing a
> generator and a rechargeable battery option. Rich, KB2LLM has some great
> contingency ideas he wants to institute for ETSNJ.
>
>
>
> We need a way to attract new members and keep them interested. The 2 guest
> that were at the meeting were looking for class instruction and help in
> understanding how to use their VHF.UHF and HF equipment. Many members
> offered help and John AB2XH offered to meet with one of the guest and help
> him understand the Q&A of the study guide, great. There's a lot of
> experience in the group. Because we have no current training classes I
> referred the guest to W2CRA's group via K2PA.
>
>
>
> I know many are concerned as to what the dues will look like for 2013
> especially since they will be due by January1, 2013. There's talk about an
> assessment. N2VM suggest we set the dues rate at a higher amount for 2013
> and revert to the $36 amount in 2014 (e.g. at $72 for 2013 and $36 January
> 1, 2014).That way we'll know what potential incoming amounts to expect.
> Knowing that it forces us to determine exactly what we need for operating
> budget and what we have avail for capital expense for 2013. Any additional
> needs will have to come from fund raising activities. I think we should
> charge new members $20 for 2013 with proration. That's a start in so many
> different ways.
>
>
>
> Anyhow here's Bob's letter below Please take the time to read it and
> recognize that's it's not unlike what we are fast approaching.
>
>
>
> 73
>
> Drew
>
> W2OU
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear CRA members:
> ?
> Over the last couple of week, I have been exchanging e-mails with some of
> our members regarding the state of CRA, the .375 machine, the web page, and
> our dwindling membership turnout.? This has touched a nerve with me, as I
> have been a member of CRA since 1981, and I am frankly both distressed, and
> angry about our current situation!
> ?
> Folks, this club has been around a long time, and I am proud to be a member
> and officer of a club with a great history of community service and amateur
> radio spirit.? I am NOT proud of where we stand right now.? Our repeater
> needs work, our web site needs to be revised and updated, we direly need
> someone to publicize the club in traditional ways, and we need to recruit
> new members!? The Executive Board has discussed each of these topics
> repeatedly over the last two or three years, and we are not making
> progress!?
> ?
> Executive Board members have been taking on increasing responsibility for
> running the club's routine activities including the hamfest, the community
> service events, the awards/holiday dinner, and even the education and
> testing we sponsor.? The entire two member Technical Committee is made up
> only of Executive Board members.? We have no standing committees at all and
> when I or Michael before me have asked for volunteers for committees or
> work
> parties to assist the technical committee, we have rarely had anyone raise
> a
> hand to offer assistance.? It is as if the members attending the meetings
> are totally deaf!? What will it take to get the members to step forward and
> take part in the necessary functions of the club?
> ?
> The few non-board members who turn out for club meetings don't seem at all
> motivated to volunteer to make CRA grow and prosper!? Yes, we need to
> recruit new members, but  the existing members need to get involved in the
> process!? Yes, we need to fix the repeater "once and for all", but to do
> that, the existing members need to get involved to make it happen!? How
> much
> longer are YOU, the members, going to expect someone else to step forward
> and do it?? CRA cannot exist much longer if YOU, the members, don't take on
> the tasks of doing the club's work!!
> ?
> I know all of us are not as young as we used to be, but I am not asking you
> to put up towers at Field day, or for that matter do a whole lot that
> involves physical labor!? All of us had to have enough of a technical
> understanding to pass our license exams!? Most of us know how to turn a
> screwdriver or take a voltage reading with a meter.? People, you don't need
> to be an engineer with an advanced degree to help with the repeater
> repairs!? You don't need to have a degree in public relations to contact
> the
> news outlets to announce club events!? Any one of us can do that.
> ?
> Where do you stand in all this?? I want to hear from you!? E-mail me!? Call
> my home phone (908) 231-0746.? Talk to me on the air!?
> ?
> We are at a critical point in CRA's history.? Let's all step up and fix
> what
> is broken.? Put aside your differences with personalities and volunteer for
> the greater good of the club!? Let me hear from you!
> ?
> Sincerely,
> ?
> Bob Grear, KA2OEE
> President, Cherryville Repeater Association II
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Michael Rothberg K2MLR
Cell: 908-208-0414
santadad at gmail.com

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