[Wswss] A WSWSS requiem and postmortem

[Tuck]

You are absolutely correct Wayne. I see no reason that the reflector has 
to be shut down, and I hope that it will not happen...........I would 
help keep it going if needed.  73 to all.

Tuck

Wayne Overbeck wrote:
> It's very sad to see the formal WSWSS 
> organization disbanded.  I understand 
> that Paul has done nothing more than 
> turn out the lights--as he had to.
>
> IF the reflector is still operational, 
> I would like to say a couple of things 
> about this.
>
> One is that WSWSS is certainly not the 
> first (nor, sadly, will it be the last) 
> amateur radio organization to be disbanded.
> It has served an important special interest--
> and I hope that special interest can still 
> be served by a more informal interest group.
>
> I hope this reflector can be kept online, 
> under some other name if necessary.  It has 
> become a vital link to keep the west coast 
> weak signal community in touch.
>
> I also hope that those who are running nets 
> will continue to do so, even if they can't 
> use the WSWSS name and call sign.  Those 
> nets are important activity boosters.
>
> Perhaps we can still have informal gatherings 
> of weak signal enthusiasts in various 
> localities.
>
> Weak signal operating in California has 
> survived the loss of organizations before.  
> Those of us who have been on the VHF bands 
> for a while (I first got on in 1957, 50 
> years ago) remember other organizations 
> that have dropped out of sight.  There was 
> the Southern California VHF Radio Club.  
> There was the GD Microwave Society.  There 
> was the umbrella organization that grew 
> from the GD group to host the West Coast 
> VHF Conference, rotating between Northern 
> and Southern California. 
>
> I hosted the 25th and 28th (I think) West 
> Coast VHF Conferences in Santa Barbara--
> because no one else wanted to do that task. 
> Others put on about 10 more such conferences 
> before the last sponsors, the Southern 
> California Six Meter Club, walked away in 
> frustration after they were inundated by 
> criticism (unfairly, in my view).  Soon 
> thereafter, the WSWSS emerged and started 
> hosting annual conferences.
>
> Why have all of these organizations folded 
> while VHF organizations elsewhere have 
> continued?  The Mt. Airy Packrats just 
> celebrated their 50th anniversary with 
> a nice dinner, and the Central States 
> VHF Society seems to be doing fine--to 
> cite just two examples.  Why can't we 
> pull it off in California?  I don't have 
> an answer.  Maybe we didn't have the 
> right chemistry.  Maybe we have too 
> many distractions on the "left coast."  
> Maybe some of us just didn't make it 
> a high enough priority in our lives.  
> Mea culpa.
>
> Maybe we can keep the reflector, the nets 
> and some occasional gatherings, with or 
> without the official organization.  I hope 
> so.
>
> 73,
> Wayne Overbeck, N6NB
> Former vice director, ARRL Southwestern Division
>
>
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-- 
************************************************
Tuck Miller NZ6T
Past ARRL Southwestern Division Vice Director
Ham Radio, not just a hobby, but a SERVICE!!
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