[W8MWA] Mason Dixon Special Event

[Randy Crowe]

Greetings

THE SITUATION:

The Mason-Dixon 250th anniversary special event station is scheduled to
take place next weekend (Oct., 14 - 15).  Antenna set-up is scheduled
for I believe the preceding Thursday.

By my count there are approximately 40 people listed on my last club
roster not including our friends in the WVU club.  However, there are
currently only 3 people committed to working the event.  This is also
not including those in my household.  There were two more, however,
they can no longer make it.  Unfortunately, they were also the ones
providing the radios.  I am not so much concerned about the radios as I
am the coverage.  Of the three remaining people committed, none of them
can be there the entire time, and one of them, as it stands, is
expected to perform a very difficult antenna hang by himself.  To add
to all this, my vehicle has broken down and will not be ready until at
least next Friday.  This will effectively eliminate all those in my
household from participating as planned.  That eliminates myself
(KD8ZMV), Libby (KD8ZMW), and Bob West (WA8YCD) from being able to
effectively help.

As such, this means that we currently have one person to perform a
minimum of a two person job (antennas), and one person to run the
radios, part time, each day.  Additionally we have no one, nobody, no
people, zero personnel, to remain to watch over radios and equipment
(costing hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars) overnight, and when
the two people who have committed cannot be there.  All this during a
time when there is expected to be a high rate of foot traffic
throughout the park.

When we voted to do this event, it was a unanimous vote during a
meeting with more than 20 members in attendance.  I have noted that
whenever there is work to be done regarding these kinds of events, it
is always the same handful of people who "make it happen."  These are
the club's workhorses.  Unfortunately, for this event the workhorses
are either getting burned out, or have other obligations.  So, it is
time for others to step up and rise to the occasion. 

I will be as clear and ambiguous as I can.   We cannot do this event
with the current level of staffing.  If we attempt it as it currently
stands, we will look stupid and will embarrass the club.

THE SOLUTION

It is simple really. If I do not hear from enough people to cover the
event by this Sunday evening (Oct. 8th), then I will cancel the event
Monday morning (Oct. 9th).  While this action itself will be
embarrassing for the club, it will be less embarrassing than doing a
poor performance in front of the hundreds of people attending the event
to whom we are trying to present HAM radio in a good light. 

Additionally, Bill and Randy are going to meet at the park at
approximately 1:30 this Sunday (Oct. 8th) afternoon to reassess the
antenna set-up.  I need at least one (preferably two) other people to
meet them there who can commit to helping set up the antennas later in
the week.  Bill has only one night available and then the rest of the
weekend he is working.  it is also getting dark earlier making it
imperative that Bill has help that night for set-up.  Randy has been
carrying the water for the majority of this event, and he shouldn't be
saddled with helping with antenna set-up as well.  As such, if we do
not have a solid antenna team by Sunday evening, I will cancel the
event Monday morning as well.

Volunteering is easy, just reply to this thread on the reflector and
tell us what you can do, or show up on Sunday to help Bill and Randy
with antenna assessment and find out when to be there later in the week
for set-up..

Folks, I would really like to see this event happen.  However, if we
cannot do it right, it is better not to do it at all.  Unfortunately 3
people part-time cannot effectively accomplish the task.

Sorry

Michael