[SOC] QCAO reorganization

[Radio K0HB]

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News Release:

QCAO Reorganizes


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The Quarter Century Appliance Operators was founded in the early 1950's by a 
small group of Amateur Radio operators from the Pacific Northwest. They had 
been active in their hobby for over 25 years, yet still lacked the basic 
knowledge of radio electronics and had no idea of how their equipment 
worked.

They banded together to try and protect each others honor and pride. At 
radio gatherings and club meetings in the 1950s one was considered unworthy 
of the name Ham Radio Operator if he or she couldn't not only name 
components, but know how to solder them together and make a radio work, or 
fix a broken set!

When faced with insults and derision, those few hardy pioneers banded 
together and formed the First Chapter and National Organization of the QCAO. 
This was known as the "Cold Solder" Chapter. They even coined the now-famous 
club byword "e pluribus ignoramae" which is Latin for "We don't have to know 
how to solder, we just wanna talk on our radios."

No veterans of that first chapter are known to be active on the air today. 
In the late 1950s and early '60s, with the worldwide interest in science and 
space and technology, the QCAO membership went underground.

It is with great pride and dignity that today in the 21st Century the 
revived QCAO stands ready to rise from the ashes, and become the standard of 
mediocrity it once proudly was. In honor of those first pioneering members, 
QCAO hereby invites all eligible applicants to step forward and join!

The benefits of QCAO include not only the pride of membership. Think of the 
warm glow you will feel at club meetings and gatherings showing off your new 
all-plastic imprinted QCAO pocket protector! And that's not all! For your 
minimal membership fee, you will also receive a handsome, 
suitable-for-framing, certificate of honor, with hand-lettered name and 
Charter Membership Number. Other QCAO memorabilia will soon be available for 
members, including T-shirts, caps,pins, etc. At this date charter membership 
numbers are still available. Membership requires a 25 years (more or less) 
interest in Amateur Radio, coupled with a basic ignorance of how radios work 
and how to repair them.

Think of meeting other QCAO members on the air! No more embarrassing pauses 
when someone in the QSO mentions an RF choke or a parasitic bleeder...Be 
able to exchange meaningful sharing, talk about real things, yes, even swap 
QCAO numbers with each other! And soon perhaps . . . a worldwide QCAO 
contest!

You no longer have to shrink to the back of the room at post-meeting 
sessions of your radio club. Just display your QCAO protector and others 
will be able to identify you immediately. Who knows? Perhaps one of the 
originals from that old QCAO Chapter is just waiting for you to find him. 
Join now! Remember "We don't have to know how to solder, we just wanna talk 
on our radios"! Don't let technoids embarrass you and kick jargon in your 
face. Stand up for what's right! Join QCAO!

"e pluribus ignoramae"

(Thanks, Danny K7SS)

73, de Hans, K0HB
--
"Just a boy and his radio"
--
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