[SMCARA] Re-focus

Mon Mar 23 12:31:21 EDT 2015

It's just too complicated..... let it be an informal club to associate and have fun. Otherwise you can have it; tired of listening to all this crap.

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<div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Daniel Metcalf <kb3uun at gmail.com> </div><div>Date:03/23/2015  12:03 PM  (GMT-05:00) </div><div>To: smcara at mailman.qth.net </div><div>Subject: Re: [SMCARA] Re-focus </div><div>
</div>All,

After some thought, I disagree with Tom's approach especially for field
day. I agree the dinner should not be the focus of Field Day. The purpose
of field day is to invite the public including public officials and show
off our ability to communicate effectively off grid. Field Day is our time
to show to the community that if all else fails we are here and can get the
word out. It is also a time that could be used to recruit new operators and
especially get the new operators on the air to encourage them to obtain the
higher licenses. Who remembers my first field day? Do you also remember me
being clued to the 15m solar radio? I only had a Technician license at that
event and being that I was hooked I am now an Extra Class Operator and I
got it at the following Field Day. I do believe that things need to change
as it pertains to how we plan and execute Field Day but I don not believe
any member and non member need pay based on how much they help. I believe
the cost should remain an item in the club's budget. Because we only have
enough filters for a couple bands there is not nearly enough radios for
everyone all the time. I believe for this upcoming Field Day we should have
a build and a couple demonstrations / tutorials of some aspect of the hobby
allowing a question and answer session. We should maintain the tradition of
offering an exam session after dinner. Again I got my Extra ticket at Field
Day and My daughters got their ticket at Field Day. I think it is worth the
effort!

As for the classes I agree that the ARRL material is more about teaching
the material rather than teaching the questions. However the teaching
materials such as the powerpoint slides for the ARRL books are non existent
and trying to recruit new instructors and having the powerpoint slides for
them to present made the W5YI material a better choice. Because this hobby
is a volunteer hobby and because we are participants not in it for the
money I believe that the cost of the classes should never exceed the cost
of the books if it does then by no more that say $5 for teaching materials.
We can also present the classes with language saying that donations to help
improve our classes are accepted. Member's have donated funds for doughnuts
and other classroom materials so that it would not have to come out of the
club's budget so there is precedence.

Chris said something in his response to this discussion that has been
ringing in my head about who are we to expect more if the member is happy
enough to pay their dues. Well I believe they pay their dues because they
feel that we are out doing good in the name of Amateur Radio. They may not
be able to participate due to schedule, health or any other number of
reasons. If we stop trying to invite and expect activity then they too may
fade away and leave the club.

When I was first elected president of the club my goal was to organize all
of the Amateur Radio Operators in Southern Maryland including joining
forces with the Calvert and Charles County clubs. There is a vast pool of
knowledge out there and to bring it all together under one umbrella would
be amazing! I was quickly confronted with a side of Amateur Radio that I
don't think should exist in a hobby and that was Politics. There we those
who didn't want the partnerships to be formed because of one reason or
another and it didn't happen. I think we need to put an end to the politics
there is no place for it in Amateur Radio.

If we are going to refocus the club here is how I would do it:

1) Restart the process of bringing the clubs together. Each club maintains
they're own identity but have more multi-club events. Have an event once a
quarter where each club takes a turn as the host. We have had speakers from
other club's there is no reason we shouldn't keep that going.

2) The Hollywood Fire Department was looking to form a relationship with us
and before I get hate mail I would mention that I am in no way saying that
we should change our relationship with the museum but rather extend our
friendship to other organizations as well. I would pursue this relationship.

3) We saw a huge bump in activity and membership growth after three pushes.
The first push was the letter campaign in which we sent a letter to each
Amateur Radio Operator in St. Mary's County inviting them to our events and
they came. The Second was getting everyone signed up for ARES and RACES.
The county kind of dropped the ball on that one but we had a lot of
applicants. Third our classes. I purposely limited the classes this time
around and it proved to me that when you don't invite everyone then the
turnout will be small. I would strive to reuse these efforts and reopen the
classes to as many as possible.

4) Change the dates for the November and December meetings. I feel the
winter break hurts us. When we have months without meetings there is a
significant decline in attendance at the start of the new year. I think we
need to hold meetings in November and December. We tend to focus the first
couple of meetings of the year on the new Amateur Radio Operators while we
are gearing up for and are holding our classes. Adding the two extra
meetings the focus could be on the more experienced operators.

I understand the concept of wanting the operators to appreciate what is
being done on their behalf but activity, in my experience, comes from
planning and executing meaningful activities that everyone enjoys. For
instance we love to eat and look what happens on the first Saturday of
every month we pack the Cracker Barrel with club members and we are easily
found because we adorn ourselves with out club shirts. We have always had a
great turn out for the antenna builds and for the launcher build. I think
we should make that happen more. I still have some time left and I will
begin to refocus now if this sounds good to others.

Lastly, this is the club of every member. It is what you the members make
it. The Executive committee are here to attend to the daily affairs of the
club and to aide in the planning and execution of events. As president I
have tried to enlist feedback for ideas on many occasions and in many cases
received nothing. There have been two suggestions of recent

1) QRP challenge
2) 2m Antenna build contest.

Both were planned and executed. The build challenge is still going on and
will until the evaluation at Field Day. So if there is something you would
like to see done as a club don't hesitate to shoot us an email or give us a
call. Other than an inexpensive antenna build I am thinking of putting
together in the next month or two (once I get back from this last set of
trips) I am out of original ideas. The only other build I can think of is
to revisit the launcher build. I invite all to share their ideas if not via
email then by facebook or twitter or even the website.

facebook: www.facebook.com/K3NHK
twitter: www.twitter.com/K3HKI
website: www.k3hki.org

Have Fun!
-- 
Dan Metcalf -- KB3UUN
c. 301 769 1111

On Mon, Mar 23, 2015 at 10:00 AM, Walter Rupp <brigadoon5 at verizon.net>
wrote:

> B Z Tom!de W3GYT
>
>
>
>      On Saturday, March 21, 2015 10:37 AM, Tom Shelton <
> gl1800winger at verizon.net> wrote:
>
>
>  During the discussion on by-laws, I mentioned that I would step-up for the
> position of president, but that I would just be a figure-head.
>
>
>
> Anyone who knows me knows that that comment was hyperbole and that I just
> can't help myself from being involved.
>
>
>
> Dan and I continued the discussion off the reflector, and here are a few
> excerpts - In short, my hats in the ring.
>
>
>
> As President, I would focus on getting our new hams active and on the air.
> Meetings would feature different modes and how they're used, different
> entry
> level equipment available - with demonstrations and hand's on play time -
> different antennas from home-brew to commercially available with pros and
> con - how to set-up your home or mobile station.  I'd like to see more
> community support and would ask the club to sponsor a pizza party (or other
> social get-together) for volunteers - and their families - after each
> community support event.  I'd also pump up the Elmer program in the club.
>
>
>
> I also have a few ideas on why the new people aren't active:
>
>
>
> Because the FCC made it much easier to get a license, people don't have to
> earn it (at least without as much effort as before) and if you give
> something to someone then they don't appreciate it as much.  Step 1.  Stop
> giving free membership to people who take the class and pass the test (same
> for radios, but as I understand it, that's gone away).  Step 2.  Charge for
> the classes (I don't think that $50 is out of the question - include study
> book and test fees and split additional funds over the cost of the
> book/test
> between club activities and class room support).  On a side note - I really
> prefer the ARRL study guide over the W5YI guide.
>
>
>
> Right now (IMHO) the new hams see the club as a social organization, so I
> would want to re-focus it towards being a General Ham Group.  For example -
> Field Day should focus more on operating than on dinner, testing, side
> meetings, etc.  The site I operated from last year cost me $60 to operate
> there - but I and one other guy made over 1,000 contacts just on 75M phone
> (over 13,000 for the whole site, with over 800 just on the GOTA station).
> Give people a choice - if they provide a radio or antenna or other
> equipment, or do set-up/tear-down, then they can operate and come to dinner
> - if they don't, then they'll be a cost associated ($10?).  No test session
> at FD - but certainly have a GOTA station going.  Just going to back to
> people appreciating things more if it costs them something.
>
>
>
> Make ARRL membership mandatory.  Well -  at least strongly encourage it.
> Maybe at every meeting have the ARRL members stand up to be recognized.
> Perhaps give a discount to the annual SMCARA dues for ARRL members ($5
> off???).  Have ARRL member only activities.
>
>
>
> I'd rather have a lower number of members who are active than a huge number
> who are there for the parties, but inactive otherwise.
>
>
>
> I know some (or all) of these will be unpopular with some (or most) people
> -
> but let's open a dialogue and discuss it.  Share your thoughts, step up and
> volunteer for a position or to sponsor an activity.
>
>
>
> Tom Shelton, ND3N
>
> Ham Radio, Motorcycling, and a Loving Wife who lets me play with both
>
> What more could a man need
>
>
>
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