[SMCARA] Re-focus

Mon Mar 23 13:01:05 EDT 2015

All,

Lots of great discussions here!  Let's keep it going and we will have a mixture of all the good ideas that will result in a vibrant club.

I am encouraged by the really good results of the leadership by the last few club administrations.  Attendance at meetings is up, the tailgate fest is a winner, the annual Christmas (or to be PC,  Holiday) Dinner is well attended, programs are interesting, FD participation is showing favorable growth, etc.  Plenty of room for expansion too.

The old model of "two old white guys" ping-ponging as Pres/VP really didn't engender much growth, in spite of Pete's heroic efforts to set up interesting programs and husband the website and the transition from paper newsletter to website.  I have always maintained that encouraging participation and having interesting programs will help keep "the seats filled".  We are fortunate to have  folks like Tom and Dan who are willing to run, but "new blood" is always needed.  It would be great to see some "newbies" jump in as VP or take the reins as Program Chairman and work up to holding the gavel (we don't have one, do we?).  We have a lot of talented folks in the club and that is fertile ground for programs, projects and just plain interesting stuff, as evidenced by this healthy discussion we a seeing today.

The club has always been social in nature, as that was the preference of the membership.  We shouldn't lose that focus, but can expand the activities to please nearly all.  As you all are aware, there are many hams who prefer to do ham related things alone, and do social things in other venues (church, Lions, VFW, etc.).  Even if we don't get them to all the meetings and other activities, the opportunity is there to participate on a social level.

As the Brits say: "Keep Calm, and Carry On"!

73 Tom/W4OKW

-----Original Message-----
From: SMCARA [mailto:smcara-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Chris Ordiway
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 12:12 PM
To: Tom Shelton
Cc: <SMCARA at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [SMCARA] Re-focus

Tom,

I agree with your thought on people seeing value in something that they've paid for. The non-profit I worked for put on educational activities open to the public sometimes and we had a hard time getting people to attend, even if they'd made reservations. When we charged a nominal fee attendance was much better, they perceived a value in something that cost them a few bucks. My argument would be in the time you suggest. People who sign up for a class are already investing money in the book and exam fee as well as a lot of their time. I'm all for boosting the club coffers but I don't think that that's the time to do it. Ask any drug dealer how to get repeat customers... hook them for free and then reel them in afterwards. It's a little crass but it's a sound business model. Consider especially that future Techs have been browsing HRO, MFJ, eBay, etc. investigating the costs associated with this new hobby, the sticker shock of it all is still fresh in my mind. A donation bucket on the table in the classroom would probably net the club as much as your idea, and without stirring up the skinflints like me.

I also don't agree with charging for Field Day. (You said it should be free but I thought I'd throw my thought out there anyhow.) While it irks you that radios go unused and people choose to socialize face-to-face instead it probably really bugs the rag-chewers that FD'ers are crowding the air with lightning fast contest style contacts. You can't please everyone all of the time. I don't see any benefit to charging FD participants, it's not like we are offering a high-end station that they can use to bag contacts for their own call sign. Besides, a lot of us are capable of running off-grid right at home and could skip the club event entirely. Some come to be on the radio, some come to socialize. To each their own. I don't think charging to participate will change that or increase participation.

I like the idea of treating the volunteers who help in events some sort of reward (pizza party, cake, etc.) but will leave that idea to the finance folks to sort out. If we have more going out then we have coming in then it's not sustainable and would probably be the first thing cut from the expense list anyhow.

One of the things that I like most about this hobby is that it's full of options and each operator can choose how they want to be a part of the community. You can go big and buy it all or go cheap and put the boat motors back into service, work phone or CW or digital, log or not log, chase paper for the shack wall or not, share your thoughts with the world in a blog or be a hermit and keep your accomplishments to yourself.
Everyone is free to choose, which is why I think the required costs to get into the hobby (as associated with the club) should be nothing more than the bare essentials. There are plenty of ways to make money for the club with some creative, out-of-the-box thinking, it shouldn't cost extra to step on the Welcome mat.

Chris Ordiway - KC3DIG

On Sun, Mar 22, 2015 at 7:08 AM, Tom Shelton <gl1800winger at verizon.net>
wrote:

> Hi Chris
>
> Well thought out and well written.  Worth much more than 2 cents...
>
> Many years ago, I was involved with a military community theatre that 
> was supported by morale and welfare funds.  We didn't charge anything 
> for tickets to our shows, and it was difficult to fill the seats.  
> There were times when we played to only a few people.  We started 
> charging a small fee for tickets (I think it was $2).  Once we started 
> doing that, we were playing to sold-out houses.  A little off-topic, 
> but it supports my statement that people appreciate things that have a cost.
>
> The things I suggested were the result of a thought experiment - 
> trying to go "outside the box," if you will.  I agree that FD should 
> remain free, but it irks me when I see radios going unused and a bunch 
> of people just hanging out.  As far as charging for classes - The book 
> costs $25-ish and the test fee is $14-ish.  That is $39, leaving $11.  
> Splitting this 50/50 between classroom support and club activities, 
> that's $5.50 to each.  Assuming 20 students, that a $110 to classroom 
> support and to the club for club activities.  Not terribly excessive, 
> I think...
>
> I do think we need to encourage getting on the air.  Whether in 
> community service, rag-chewing, contesting, ARES/RACES/Skywarn, or 
> anything else - so things like a pizza party for volunteers or 
> mode/radio presentations would be appropriate.  We are an ARRL 
> affiliated club, so encouraging membership is a no-brainer.
>
>
> And I didn't list a third option that I'd much rather see - that is, 
> I'd really love to see a big membership with almost everyone active.  
> All that said, at this time these are only ideas that came from a 
> thought-experiment.
> Nothing is carved in stone and, to cite an old adage, you can lead a 
> horse to water, but...
>
> Given your experience, I'd strongly encourage you to run for a 
> position, or at least to head-up an activity or two.
>
> Tom Shelton, ND3N
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SMCARA [mailto:smcara-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of 
> Chris Ordiway
> Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2015 12:37 AM
> To: <SMCARA at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [SMCARA] Re-focus
>
> Tom (et alii),
>
> As one of those reasonably new guys to the club I wanted to toss my 2 
> cents into the ring.
>
> I spent about 10 years working for an environmental non-profit with a 
> struggling membership and lackluster volunteer involvement and just 
> recently retired from the Southern Maryland Audubon Society where I 
> spent many years as a volunteer on their Board of Directors. My 
> experience in both organizations was that there will always be a core 
> of dedicated folks who keep things alive and the rest come and go. My 
> observation of SMCARA since last summer has been very similar to SMAS 
> and my work with the non-profit; and a core of dedicated people can 
> only do so much. If I based a guess on meeting attendance and repeater 
> use alone I'd have guessed we only have 30 or 40 members. It's 
> primarily the same voices and faces on the air and at the events. Most 
> people don't want to be involved in club activities and operations and 
> there's nothing we can do about it. I say this because I strongly 
> caution against the idea that a smaller active membership is better 
> than a bigger one that isn't active the way the dedicated core is. If 
> 80% of the membership is happy to pay their dues, occasionally pop 
> into a meeting and otherwise remain inactive (as far as we
> know) in this hobby then who are we to expect/require/demand more of them?
> We have to take the wide angle approach and invite everyone to the 
> party, those that want to be involved will turn up. Usually just about 
> the time someone else is finally burned out and needs a break. And is 
> ready to retire from the Board of Directors.
>
> The idea that people will be more involved if we make them "earn" it 
> just doesn't work either, they aren't involved for a hundred reasons 
> that have nothing to do with ham radio. I've heard that comment, along 
> with the no-code and appliance operator cracks, over and over online 
> and it still raises my hackles. At 40+ years old I had to work to earn 
> my Tech and General tickets and will have to work three times as hard 
> to even hope to get my Extra. I also did exactly what the FCC required 
> of me. So the idea that the club should add some hurdles to make sure 
> new members pay their pound of flesh really bugs me. Frankly, if the 
> club was charging $50 for a test last summer I wouldn't be a ham now. 
> Correction. I'd be a ham but I would have taken my class and/or test 
> with some other club. Which would be a shame because I think it's a 
> great club and I'm glad to be a member. I'm also grateful for the free 
> membership, it's a nice gesture of welcome that goes a long way to 
> foster a new friendship. Someone who isn't going to renew the free 
> year to a paid membership probably wouldn't have paid for a membership 
> in the first place. And if the ARRL membership was a forced 
> requirement, well...
>
> I've only experienced one Field Day so far but I can say, without a 
> doubt, that it was the encouragement I needed to finally jump into amateur radio.
> It was fun, it was free, everyone was nice, they put me to work 
> entering data and offered to let me get on the air. I stuck around 
> until midnight and decided to sign up for the summer classes based on 
> my experience that day.
> I
> think it's a reasonable guess that if we polled a random group of 
> non-hams that many think this is a hobby for old white guys with 
> disposable income who sit and talk about the weather on their 
> expensive radios. We all know that both the demographic and the 
> purpose of amateur radio is so much more than that but it wouldn't 
> take much in the way of pay-to-play requirements to make us look like 
> stuffy elitists. And that's no way to encourage the curious to check us out.
>
> I absolutely agree that it would be great to get the new hams active 
> and on the air, if that's their goal, and that we should do more 
> activities that catch the attention of the community. I really 
> appreciated the CW class you did last year and would like to see more 
> activities like it. I also think we should have an Education/Outreach 
> person or committee so we can get more face time with kids who are 
> being encouraged (bombarded?) to get into STEM related fields. I know 
> Dan does this to some degree but I don't know whether it's a club 
> thing or just because he loves to talk about technology and 
> electronics. I think the club is already great but can see the 
> potential for growth and I'm happy to share some ideas and thoughts I 
> have with whoever the President is.
>
> Chris Ordiway - KC3DIG
>
> PS: I'm sorry if I offended any of the old white guys with disposable 
> income, I hope to be one too someday! LOL
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 21, 2015 at 10:36 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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