[W2CRA] Love it or Leave it!

[Walter O'Brien, W2WJO]

ON one point, being a Rutgers student - I HAVE reached out to the 
Rutgers University ham radio club, and they were shut down by the 
University two years ago for lack of space. Their gear is in a closet 
and antenna on the roof awaiting new room which will only happen if the 
club gets new members.

I've brought up changes to the education "wing" of this group many 
times in meetings, and on this reflector, as well as new member drives 
and incentives, etc.  but we need support from within the club. Or at 
least a response. If we don't bring in new members and new hams, the 
club dies and the hobby dies. So far, the club has responded with a 
resounding .... no response. Sea of blank faces. I even brought up that 
I WENT to ARRL HQ and met with the education chief up there... NOBODY 
CARED!

If we had the interest in education and outreach that we do when chili 
is discussed, we'd have a great club again. Maybe an education 
committee that doesn't leave it all in the hands of one person?

We have programs announced and cancelled nearly every meeting. Maybe a 
new program committee so it doesn't always fall on one person? ALL your 
proposals were great!

And emergency communications is the most important thing we do as hams. 
The same handful of people always do show up, bless them. But with all 
the homeland security talk around the country we should have a MUCH 
bigger presence with county EOM than we do, and more than one drill 
every two year. Maybe RACES leadership should come to a meeting and 
discuss it? and ARES!

It would be great to honor the club's history by documenting it - let's 
honor it by kicking some life back in the club again instead of rushing 
through the meeting to get it over with, without discussing anything 
ham related or club related except hamfest and field day. contesting? 
what's that!? Big Project? JOTA? Kids' Day? No reaction, no help.

and you are right about Field Day.. NOBODY spoke up, Jay finally threw 
himself into it, and got nothing but bellyaching back. Right job or 
not, at least he spoke up and jumped out on the limb to take charge.

You asked. I spoke up at the meeting and was so frustrated about people 
shouting Charlie NJ3A for at least MAKING A POINT and then shouting me 
down for trying to let him speak, or discuss the topic at all,  that I 
pulled my name from running again as VP. So you know how I feel - I 
don't like quitting but the head is starting to make too strong a dent 
in the wall..... what's the point of having meetings if we aren't going 
discuss whatever members CARE enough to bring up?

73, Walter W2WJO

PS: Good luck to everyone in the VHF contest this weekend.... if you 
know about it.

PPS: I don't expect to get any email back about this. Prove me wrong!

On Jan 19, 2005, at 11:36 AM, Michael Varas wrote:

> A Club's prestige is based on it's accomplishments and it's people!
>
> That being said, what do you think our peers in the Ham Community 
> think about us?
> Do they see articles about us in the newspapers or QST or CQ, not 
> many, if any!
> It's not because we've supported clubs at Raritan Valley Community 
> College, Rutgers University or Hunterdon High Schools!
> They really only see us at the Hamfest and they don't meet us, as much 
> as see how we've handle the event.
>
> So what's left?
>
> Our Club Transmitter (147.375) that's what!
>
> Try to remember, it's a BIG system, it can be heard from New York City 
> to Philadelphia, from Mount Pocono to Cherry Hill and beyond!
>
> They get to hear us complain; "the audio sucks" it's too low, "I used 
> to be able to use it from my home", "it's to noisy". We have been 
> kicking ourselves in the asses for years now. I've never heard anyone 
> brag about how much participation we had at an event.  How good it 
> felt to reach out to young people with our scholarship and attracted 
> new, younger members to our ranks. What new features we've 
> incorporated into our system. Have any of you ever wondered why more 
> people don't join us in pleasant conversation?
>
> If we can't find anything good about ourselves or our club, Who Can?
>
> So many people complained about setting up the Field Day Site so the 
> "Big Guns" could compete, some of whom weren't even members and yet no 
> one wanted to step up, it was left to Jay and a few others who felt 
> that if they didn't do anything there wouldn't be a Field Day at all 
> for the Cherryville Club.
>
> We have Part Time Members who say NO to any upgrades to our system, NO 
> to any expansion in club equipment (the mobile antenna  tower most 
> recently) No to any expenditures at all!
>
> Do you think this is possible;  If enough people quit and don't pay 
> their dues the club will need to close down and the treasury split 
> between the few remaining paid members?  Are we going to reward the 
> complainers, the nay sayers, with a financial reward for finally 
> making the club so miserable no wants to be a member?
>
> There is so much talent among you all, do we need a program 
> coordinator to bring in outside people to entertain us? OR can we help 
> each other to be more experienced Hams?
>
> Here's something to think about; How about you, Gary N2AUO, run a 
> class on PSK31 and possibly a small follow up class at your home for 
> the few people who want to start their PSK stations now, what about 
> you being the Go To guy for the club members on PSK31, How about you, 
> Nick N2NV, what about you doing the same thing with satellite work, 
> and you, Barry, can you do the same with Mobile APRS, and you Pete 
> K2YSY , how about you running a class on VHF/UHF Contesting.  There's 
> probably a whole lot of you who can enrich other people's Ham Radio 
> Experiences.
>
> We even have silent keys on our roster while we've forgotten the 
> founders of this club, and has anyone attempted to document the club's 
> history!
>
> I Challenge all of you, It's your club, LOVE IT or GET THE HELL OUT! 
> let the people who are left make it fun again!
>
> If I've offended some of you, tuff!  If you think I'm all that wrong, 
> vote me out of the club! and I acknowledge that I among the offenders.
>
> Stop Bitching and do something!
> Michael Varas, KC2CMC
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