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Any Help for ARC's
Lance Riffle (KC0KBL)
on
March 20, 2005
View comments about this article!
Our club tries to have a radio related presentation at every meeting. This is very difficult. Club membership is stable to down. The older members have heard it all and are falling off. The new members usually don't have the experience to give a good presentation.
Within my working life, we post PowerPoint presentations that have been prepared for customer or internal training. Does something like this exist for amateur radio? If not, why not? Is there no association of Amateur Radio Clubs so we can help each other?
Like I said, maybe it exists and I haven't found it. I don't see that the ARRL has resources for the separate clubs. Perhaps they do. Help me locate!
Over the years, we have had some excellent presentations that could be shared with other clubs. We talk about the demise of amateur radio. I am looking for ways to promote amateur radio. Help me out. I am desperate.
Southwest Missouri Amateur Radio Club
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Any Help for ARC's
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by NS6Y_ on March 20, 2005
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Have "show and tell" sessions, every meeting if necessary. One club I'm in had one a year ago and then recently, about a year apart, the one a year ago was OK, this year's kicked um, booty!
Raffles are good too, although there has to be more than just a raffle, after all, this is Ham Radio, just about the hippest hobby there is!
We also locally have a monthly Saturday "mini field day", we get together at a park and operate, everything from battery/solar to AC power, people take their choice and set up where they're confortable, at a picnic table outside or at a cafeteria type table inside, and that's a blast too. It does a lot to generate interest. Just call it Ham Day and hold it at a local park or community center or that sort of thing.
Hold a morse code class, we have those locally and I regret mising out, I'm an Extra and sure could have used it! Oh well I'm making progress on my own....... (yeah I passed the 13wpm once but it was over 20 years ago and have to relearn haha!)
Encourage people to bring stuff like service monitors, spectrum analyzers, freq counters etc to check out people's equipment. That's always fun!
Just some ideas.....
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by N8IK on March 20, 2005
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Get your Section's Affiliated Club Coordinator involved. See http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/org/acc.html
73, Ian
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by KF4VGX on March 20, 2005
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Power Point presentations have been used for years with Echolink . clubs everywhere have linked into these conference servers and listen to presentations like this one ,
ARES will present a special information net "Geohazards
of the Carolinas". This presentation was prepared by
Bob Conder K4RLC and is offered as part of an ongoing
ARES training program in North Carolina.
The tragic SE Asian tsunami of December 2004 was the
catalyst for development of this program and there is a
range of very interesting material that will be covered.
A Power Point slide show and an outline of Dr. Conder's
script is available for download at www.n4tab.com .
Please download these files prior to the presentation.
This special event will be carried live via:
Tar Heel Emergency Net 3923 kHz LSB
Piedmont Coastal Repeater Network (PCRN)
Coastal Linking Network (Eastern NC)
IRLP Raleigh Reflector 9219
Echolink WX-TALK Conference
Clubs everywhere have listen and educated members with these power point presentations *LIVE* by the original author. Skywarn ,Hurricane training moved into the future with VOIP presentations,
Club officers can can setup meetings or view from their home PC while listening over RF to these presentations.
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by W5GNB on March 20, 2005
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Lance,
It has been my experience that PowerPoint presentations are generally very BORING since you are simply a watcher and not involved in the presentation.
For me, project oriented activities would be much more interesting. Most of the Ham Radio clubs I know of are miserable falures due to a collection of old geezers that want to do NOTHING but talk about the OLD DAYS and try to impress each other of thier great knowledge of the "Profession" (not HOBBY) of Ham Radio. There is no focus, no activities, or mission within the club. This really TURNS OFF the new folks so the club membership falls off.
There should be real involvement in community events such as Mall shows, or any events where the public can see the usefullness of Ham Radio. It is astounding to me the number of people who associate Ham Radio with CB!
Field Day is a great time for comrodery and presenting the BEST in Ham Radio. This should be a Public event with newspaper or media coverage and an attempt to recruit new members into the hobby. In many cases the clubs here in my area would hold a Field Day contest and it appears to be a SECRET event, even the hams in the area are not aware of where it is being staged and there is no media coverage of any kind. I feel this is a great lost oportunity for our hobby to be recognized.
The new technologies such as interfacing with Internet services are a great topic but don't expect the OLD TIMERS to find it interesting, they typically are reluctant to any sort of change that has occurred since the 1940's !
I am in other clubs that don't seem to have these problems. I am active in a R/C aircraft club, Motorcycle club and a Flying Club.
There is something about Ham Radio that is really different and it isn't good, just look at the attendance at hamfests these days. Those used to be a great family oriented event and would last the weekend but now if it lasts one day till Noon, you have had a great success!
That is my "TWO CENTS" so Good Luck, you have quite a challenge to regain interest in a ham radio club.
Gary - W5GNB
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by K2WH on March 20, 2005
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W5GNB Quote:
"Most of the Ham Radio clubs I know of are miserable falures due to a collection of old geezers that want to do NOTHING but talk about the OLD DAYS and try to impress each other of thier great knowledge of the "Profession" (not HOBBY) of Ham Radio. There is no focus, no activities, or mission within the club."
This comment really got me pissed. Just what the hell is a Geezer you hophead, ignoramus. Being older and wiser does not make one a Geezer. So, single handedly, Geezers are the reason for club failures, is this what you mean? If it is, they you show your stripes as a condecending, egotistical, discriminatory idiot.
K2WH
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by K2GW on March 20, 2005
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>>Within my working life, we post PowerPoint presentations that have been prepared for customer or internal training. Does something like this exist for amateur radio? If not, why not? Is there no association of Amateur Radio Clubs so we can help each other.
Your "Association of Amateur Radio Clubs" is called the ARRL. Check their website at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/materials/videos.html for Powerpoint presentations that you can download and use at club meetings. I know they have a couple of mine on Public Service on their site as well as ones on other topics such as NVIS.
Likewise, if folks have a Powerpoint presentation on a ham radio topic send it to them so it can be shared. They got mine as a result of an appeal for them a year or two ago.
Also check out the "Active Club Online Primer" on the ARRL website for ideas to get a club active
73
Gary, K2GW
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by W6TH on March 20, 2005
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Radio ham clubs just do not work in our times. The success of a ham club does not depend upon age, but on attitude.
The clubs will be just like these posts and will be the continuous of code / no code and I NEED A ELMER, I CAN'T MAKE IT WITHOUT AN ELMER, boo hoo, boo hoo hoo hoo.
Come to mommy, mommy will help you son.
He is such a good boy, never does anything wrong. Mom, he doesn't have to do it as some-one else will do it for him. Sigh!
73, from an old geezer. Congratulate me on my 67 years as an old geezer.
With all my love, W6TH.
.:
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Any Help for ARC's
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by K3NG on March 20, 2005
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I'm President of our local club; we rediscovered two years ago that programs are the lifeblood of the club. It's sounds simple, but we got in the rut of not having programs as it was getting increasingly difficult to find people to do them.
So what do you do? As someone else suggested - do show and tells. We had a good one where people just brought their QRP rigs and homebrew stuff. Another program winner is DXpedition videos. You can rent these or get them for free from some organizations. Powerpoints are good if they're accompanied with some kind of hands-on demo. I once did a Powerpoint on Linux and followed up with a live demo of a Linux system. Years later we now have serveral people using Linux and often have hours-long roundtables on the club repeater about it.
Simply get creative - most any program is good. It's likely that something you may not consider complex enough for a topic is actually interesting to club members, especially new ones. If you have programs at your meetings, your club will grow and it will get easier to find members willing to do programs.
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by N3DRK on March 20, 2005
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Lance,
forget about trying to save ham radio. Forget about a club. One little club is not going to make much of a difference. You cannot save the world. The best thing you can do for ham radio is to learn as much as you can be that dxing, qrp, etc. But the main thing is to learn good operating habits. Read the Amateur's Code in the front of the ARRL Handbook. I would think it is not read and followed by 50% of the operators today. If you are a dxer go listen to a major dxpedition when they are working split and listen to the cops and idiots on the dxers xmiting frequency. This is not the type of operator you want to be. The main thing is to Listen and Listen some more. That is how you can help ham radio. Be a better operator and the main thing is to have fun and get on the air as much as you can.
73s
john
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by W6TH on March 20, 2005
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N3DRK
You are a replay as this information has been passed on for the past 25 years or so; no-one is going to listen to you, me or otherwise.
When there is a will, there is a way. No will, no way.
Good idea to increase the attendance in ham clubs is to run porny tapes, that gets the crowd in. Also free six packs to all who attend. Oh, and bring a friend.
.:
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by N6AJR on March 20, 2005
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we got some tapes from ARRL, all ham related and they do pretty good at the meatingd. we have also had a local hiway patrol in with his associates, they brought in a drug and explosives dog and a attack dog, talked about training and did a demo.
lots of ways to bring in related stuff, ( the police as in working with them in emergencys) have some one giv demo on how to build a jpole or a pl259 2 meter antenna..
lots to do if you choose to get of deirrier and do something.
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Any Help for ARC's
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by NS6Y_ on March 20, 2005
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You might be a GEEZER if:
You call someone a "hophead" = sheesh, isn't that term from the 1920s or something?
Your suspenders keep your pants 1/3 way up your calf, right where they oughta be! (geezers invented capris and don't ever forget it sonny!)
You watch M*A*S*H and think that Potter fella's all right, if they'd just get rid of those sassy kids named Klinger and Hawkeye et. al. that show'd be not half bad! (Heck, if you watch M*A*S*H at all, lately!)
If you remember "Brylcreem"
If you don't remember SOAP (get a younger person to remind you, pleeeeze!)
Just a few jabs here, no offense to the really cool older folks!
----------------------------------------
What interests younger folks? Well, WiFi is a form of radio and there's a HUGE interest among the high school and college age crowd in antenna design for 2.4 GHz because of this. Also other wireless technologies like XM and Sirius radio, and GPS. Mysterious "cool" stuff like those beacons and "numbers stations" on HF fascinate the younger folks, there are even bands that incorporate some HF and "numbers stations" sounds into their music, er, I mean "Music" hehe. Police and public safety radio systems are perpetually interesting to younger folks, that's another perennial favorite. There's a lot about ham radio that's REALLY COOL and that goes 10X to newcomers who only need to be introduced to it.
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by N0AH on March 20, 2005
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Call the ARRL or your section leader in the ARRL. You might not get anywhere, but that's where I would start.
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Any Help for ARC's
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by AG4RQ on March 20, 2005
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Lance Riffle, KC0KBL, Southwest Missouri Amateur Radio Club asks:
"I am looking for ways to promote amateur radio. Help me out. I am desperate."
Lance, depending on your club's resources (both money and manpower), there are some creative things that you can do. This goes for just about any ARC anywhere.
1- Talk to the School Board and try to obtain permission to do an amateur radio demonstration at the high schools. You can erect a temporary antenna (dipole, longwire or whatever) on the roof or in the yard, get permission to use one classroom or lab for the demonstration and have each class spend one period at the demonstration. A good period for this is science class. This would continue until every science class at the school has had a chance to participate. Toward the end of each session, a discussion promoting ham radio would take place and information would be provided on how to get started in ham radio. This is a good time for a Powerpoint presentation and maybe a brief video. Augment this with a web site, so that the students can learn more at home in their spare time about amateur radio and how to become a ham.
2- Promote Field Day. Make an announcement in your local newspaper and TV news broadcast about Field Day. Set up a demo open to the public for Field Day and do basically the same thing as I suggested with the high schools. Encourage participation. Let members of the public make one or 2 contacts under the supervision of a licensed control op. Answer questions and promote amateur radio.
3- If your city or town has a science museum or exhibit, same scenario.
If you can get the League to help you out with this, great! If not, do it on your own. Be creative.
73 de Mark
AG4RQ
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by WA4MJF on March 20, 2005
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Well, I an ole geezer, I guess, but I like
the term Ole Fart.
I'm Veep of our local ham club and my main duty
is lining up programs. This year we've had or will
have a spring cookout and Christmas Party for
two of the meetings. The rest will have programs
like our annual wx presentation by the chief
weather girl from our local O&O NBC TV station,
a presentation on our county's new trunked radio
system by the county Director of Emergency
Management, the technical aspects of HDTV by
a local chapter member fo the SBE, Advanced
Skywarn traning by the NWS Warning weather guy,
a visit by a local EE for Q&A from members of
a technical nature, Bob Condor's geology of
NC presentation mentioned in an earlier post, etc.
Programs aren't hard to find, just go look for them.
We also do FD in the town park.
73 de Ronnie
Veep TEARA, Inc
www.teara.org
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Any Help for ARC's
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by W5GNB on March 20, 2005
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Hey K2WH !!
At least you didn't call me a "YOUNG WHIPPER-SNAPPER!"
That could have really hurt my feelings HAHAHAHAHA!!
THREE's
de W5GNB
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by W6TH on March 20, 2005
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Any Help for ARC's?
This is a fast moving world and we must forget about the past and think of the future.
Radio clubs are as old as the hills and no need for any use today.
We need more SSB nets and contests to keep us rolling. We also need more CW code practice stations sitting in the middle of the 40 meter band.
The ARRL had good clubs going, but they can't force you to go; the ARRL can only do so much.
Like Jack Kennedy said: "Quote" It's not what we the gov't can do for you, it's what your can do for the gov't."Unquote".
I am sorry to be growing so old at the age of 82 and a ham for the past 67 years, so please excuse this old geezer as he still has all of his marbles. I hope the same for you when you also become an old geezer.
Want to flame me? Try it.
My love to all.
.:
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by KD5DFM on March 20, 2005
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with any group these problums arise .
why is it that most clubs have the same officers year after year no matter how many members thay have ? or they have the pet tech to do all the soldering work instead of useing the opertunity to teach or allow others to hone there electrical know how . what you end up with is a few professionals leaders and then the rest are lemmings . then you get the personality and mind games . instead of trying to be friendly and inclusive you get some who murmer ( i thought we got rid of them ) to the people who dont " fit in " or share there own personal veiws . and then the club only sponsers or reconizes there own projects instead of the many in the local area going on .
no i enjoy doing my own thing and i think amature radio is best that way .
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Any Help for ARC's
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by K1CJS on March 20, 2005
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Something else should be said here. Sometimes the ruling cliques in a club will make it hard for the club to grow and attract new members--unless the new members agree with the policies instituted by the people in charge. The result is a member joins, tries to get involved but finds the club in general 'stuck in neutral' and unwilling to do anything or go anywhere new, and as a result lets their membership lapse.
Indeed, the stuck in neutral attitude is widespread and seems to be growing as the current amateurs grow to be the 'old geesers'. The only answer is to indeed get new blood and ideas into the club and also clean out the leadership ranks and get new blood in there also--let the new members assume more leadership roles.
Any club can be revitalized if the current members will let newer ones do something other than 'busywork'. With some of the clubs the way they are, however, that idea is a forlorn hope indeed.
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Any Help for ARC's
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by KB6NU on March 20, 2005
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Lance--
The ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) for Missouri is H Keith Haye, WE0G. You can find his contact information on the ARRL website. He should be able to help you.
If not, give me a call. I'm the ACC for Michigan. My phone number is on the Michigan Section page, or e-mail me at kb6nu@w8pgw.org.
The key to having a good club is not scheduling good programs, but having fun. Do things that help people have fun with radio, and you'll have a good club. That's the short version, anyway. :)
73!
Dan KB6NU
MI Section ACC
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Any Help for ARC's
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by K0RGR on March 20, 2005
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First, Thanks to Gary, K2GW for the reminder about the ARRL's program library - I had forgotten about that, and I am program chair for our club this year. Sure enough, there's a half-hour video on a topic that everybody in our club wants to hear about, so I think I know what I'll be requesting in a few months for the October meeting!
Each year, our club has two programs that are fairly well set in advance. The December meeting is a Christmas party and the June meeting is used mostly for Field Day planning. At the Christmas Party the last three years, we've circulated a survey to all the members, asking them to rate a very large number of ham radio topics in terms of interest, to see which ones they'd like to see programs on. At the same time, we ask to see if there are any topics that members would be interested in presenting. I wandered around a lot of ham websites to build a list of about 50 topics this year, and I still managed to miss quite a few.
Usually , the volunteers and topics coincide. This year, it was not as close as I'd have liked - the topics I got the most volunteers for were not those that had the most interest. But, I have found volunteers willing to do at least some of the topics of most interest. And, I've had some very interesting topics pop up that I'd never have dreamed of.
Our first presenter was one of our newer hams, who did a great presentation on J-pole antennas. He not only covered VHF and UHF J-poles, he talked about J-poles for HF as well, and it was a real success. February's presentation was on the RF Safety specs, and March was about QRP, with lots of details on Elecraft radios.
We've planning our first club 'Kit Build Night' organized by one of our younger members, KC0NPF, for April, and a presentation on APRS for May. A police department spokesman is coming in July to tell us about the new trunking radio system the city just put in, and we are looking forward to talks on software defined radios, new digital modes, and other things for the balance of the year.
So, it hasn't been easy, but I've had a lot of help, and I'm not out of the woods yet, but I think I'll get through the year with no unfilled months. I've threatened to bring rotten tomatoes and discuss license restructuring if I don't get enough volunteers, so that's probably why I am getting as many as I'm getting. I haven't asked my ARRL Division Director to come down yet, but that's another good bet, since we're an ARRL affiliated club, snd he usually comes to town once a year, too.
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Any Help for ARC's
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by WA4PTZ on March 20, 2005
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Your goal is admirable, but you are discovering
what many of us who have worked to make ARC's
thrive and even survive have struggled with for years.
Apathy.
It takes a lot of members willing to give of their
time and calories to make a club work. Too often
a club is a personal "Feed My Ego" enterprize that
is started by a select few to further impress us
with their brilliance or to baffle us with their BS.
Most clubs have a small base of dedicated HAMS , who
give of themselves freely and often and are
willing to hold club offices in order to insure that
club functions turn out well. Then there are the
rest of the members...the ones who ,after you send
them 4 notices of "Past Due" on their annual dues
might finally send it, they never participate in any
activities, but always vote for them, and tell every
one about the great job they did at Field Day.
You know, the guy who brought his family of 8 to
eat all the groceries and never worked a single
contact. And worse, never lifted a finger to assemble
or dis-assemble the FD stations and equipment.
Then there are the ones who want the members to have
special jackets, t-shirts, vests and caps with the
club logo on them. But they don't want to pay for them,
or participate in the fund raising.
After a few years of these types you add this to
your list of "Things Not to Do". That is.....
Don't waste your time or money on an ARC.
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by K2WH on March 20, 2005
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The seemingly total lack of respect for older hams by younger or the new hams of today is deplorable.
I guess it is just symptomatic of the ME generation. I do not consider myself an old Geezer, just a 55 year old EE that learned a great deal about electricity, electronics and simply the way things work through the ham radio service. The old geezers are simply amazed at the lack of preparation and knowledge of todays ham compared to the geezer generation. The geezers did not go in to take a test through the memorization of questions. Back then, you went in with a real knowledge of actual theory, circuits etc. not the answers to paticular questions. One actually knew how to operate, repair or build a real radio without ever touching one.
Just remember (I know you don't want to hear this), but it is the older hams that have made amateur radio what it is today so that the newer hams can enjoy things not even thought of 50 years ago.
So you young guys out there, show a little respect and don't act like a jerk around a knowledgeable older ham just because he longs for the good old days when a ham knew of what he spoke.
K2WH
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by W6TH on March 20, 2005
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Bravissimo.So you young guys out there, show a little respect and don't act like a jerk around a knowledgeable older ham just because he longs for the good old days when a ham knew of what he spoke.
===================================================
I also am a double "E". I can't believe with so much to talk about, that all is concentrating of/on "what".
There are more important things in ham radio than just trying to get clubs going. One would be to get a better understanding of what Amateur radio is really about. Amateur radio is getting on the airwaves, talking electronics, increasing your code speed, working dx and having friendly relationships with our other country hams. Get yourselves to live free and have and show your respect as you would expect from others.
Most of these posts are saying: lets get others to do what we are demanding, such as the ARRL to do all this for us. The ARRL has enough problems just trying to stay in business. This is up to you, each and every individual.
Exactly what is being posted here should be posted and spoken on the ham band and fill all the vacant frequencies. The way it was done in the past years. Get on the bands and make waves and let your voices speak for themselves. There will be many listening and will join you.
Make my day.
W6TH
.:
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by WA2JJI on March 20, 2005
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The main problem with us younger guys (I'm 28) attending these club meetings is they spend half the meeting time discussing what was done at the last meeting and the other half discussing the upcoming field day in four months. On my third meeting it got really bad toward me when I made two suggestions:
1. use of packet and wireless access points during field day to have internet connectivity.
2. Making some modifications of one of the HF antennas that the club uses (I have a EE Masters)
Holy cow -- I was bascially told how dare I, a person under 30 even remotely suggest that they change or improve anything -- this was their club and I should be honored just to sit there and listen to their ham war stories.
Anyhow -- found a university club that seems to be a little more hip that I plan on joining...
but the probelms with clubs is that it becomes a clique. To me it was like I had wondered into a VFW meeting and wanted to discuss Desert Storm when everyone there had only been on WWII.
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by K4JSR on March 20, 2005
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Rodney Dangerfield got more respect than we Old Pharts.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Don't step too close to my rocking chair you insolent
young whelp, or I'll trip you with my walking stick!
Bill and Vito, you are so right! The only age that the young squirts respect comes in a 750 ml bottle!
Now that is something that I'll drink to!
73, Cal K4JSR
c/o The Forget-Me-Not Rest QTH
PS. Spark ain't dead! For proof chew some chewing gum
in front of a mirror in a very dark room.
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Any Help for ARC's
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by KC0SHZ on March 20, 2005
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I gave a talk on geocaching for my club. I have offered the ppt file to others and have shared it with a couple of other geocaching hams.
A database or such to do this would be great.
As for Ham clubs, go for a target audience, then aim your talks in that regard. We have started to do this and we are getting some results. People seem to like the new talks that are aimed to talk about related areas and how to get related tech to work (last month was solar cells).
Field days are another matter. We try to get pub and got one TV station and no newspaper. I think the thing is to set up in a mall somewhere with a couple of GOTA stations. We should also agree that on 10 or 20 meters, we will devote one SSB band to GOTA stations in which people could get on the air and talk to some other state. This would fire people up.
Licensure: Eliminate code for general, combine tech and general into stage 1 licensure (current tech is too easy and the non-code part of general is not much more than tech.) and turn AE into stage 2 (with code and current AE exam.) Simplifying the process into a two step process is coherent with practice. The QRP and other CW heavy applications would be the perview of AE's, the VHF, and HF phone would be open to all hams
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by WB4M on March 20, 2005
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Avoid members who call visitors "stupid" for enjoying QRP work. Avoid members who think the Heathkit HW-101 has the best receiver ever made. Avoid members who take 1 to 3 hours haggling over the wording of their frigging by-laws. Avoid members who get on 160-meters, or any other band, and curse and use vulgar language like they used to do on Channel 11.
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by K9EKG on March 20, 2005
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" The seemingly total lack of respect for older hams by younger or the new hams of today is deplorable."
I think this goes the other way around, sir.
"Just remember (I know you don't want to hear this), but it is the older hams that have made amateur radio what it is today so that the newer hams can enjoy things not even thought of 50 years ago".
Yeah, quiet and unused in many areas....
"So you young guys out there, show a little respect and don't act like a jerk around a knowledgeable older ham just because he longs for the good old days when a ham knew of what he spoke".
Quit being in a hurry to put younger hams in their place. This is precisely the reason the younger generation isn't joining the ranks in the numbers "you" were used to, nobody wants to be spoken down to, I don't care what your age is. Respect is a two way road, my friend.
Chris
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by N4CQR on March 21, 2005
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RE: NS6Y
"You might be a GEEZER if:
You show up at the drug store on the 1st 2nd or 3rd of the month with a zip-lock baggie filled with empty prescription bottles.
For more humor, http://www.geezer.org/geezer-jokes/
Regards
Craig
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by W5ESE on March 21, 2005
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I like NS6Y's suggestions.
My club has show and tell, but we don't make a "big
deal" about it. We just have a table where folks
can show something they've been working on, a new
rig or accessory they've purchased, or an
interesting QSL card or what-have-you, and discuss
it with anyone who's interested.
I've brought things as trivial as a code practice
oscillator I'd scrounged together to work on my
bug technique (with bug attached), to QRP kits etc.
If you make people stand up in front of the group
to discuss the item, folks will tend to be
embarassed to bring simple things, so I think it's
good to keep it simple and low-key.
Also, the outdoor mini-field day is a great idea.
You don't have to have a contest in progress to
enjoy operating from outdoors. My club did this
too, from a nearby state park, where there was a
large picnic area where we could spread out.
73
Scott
W5ESE
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Any Help for ARC's
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by AC0H on March 21, 2005
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<<"I'm President of our local club; we rediscovered two years ago that programs are the lifeblood of the club. It's sounds simple, but we got in the rut of not having programs as it was getting increasingly difficult to find people to do them.">>
Ditto that.
As a past president of our local club I can testify first hand that any and all ideas for getting club memebers involved and participating are just fine and dandy, up until the point that somebody other than the "dedicated few" have to stand up and actually do something. All ideas are great ideas until you need some help implementing them, then it's like roaches running from the light.
It's one of the trully amazing things that has ever happened to me. One of the "idea men" in our group proposed a project for the whole club. That's where his involvement ended. No help planning or implementing his idea. This guy actually had the brass stones to gripe about the effort put forth after the fact.
IMHO the best way to make sure a club stays vibrant and involved it to get rid of all the "idea men". Otherwise the same small group of people will soon tire of doing EVERYTHING and your club is toast.
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Any Help for ARC's
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by N8AUC on March 21, 2005
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Definitely get your ARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator involved. The League does have resources to help clubs. If your club is not an ARRL Affiliated Club, consider becoming one. There are benefits to the club for achieving that status. If you don't know who that is for your area, you can find out by contacting either your Division Director, or your Section Manager. They are listed in every issue of QST. They'll point you in the right direction, and get you in contact with the right people.
As for making meetings more interesting, don't bore the general membership with the mundane stuff like handling club business. Take care of the business stuff at a separate place and time, make it well publicized to the members, and those who care about that kind of stuff will attend the separate business meetings. Make the membership meetings a good time, and people will attend. No one wants to come out and be bored with the mundane stuff.
We meet once per month, and have a different presentation at every meeting. That means our program chairperson has to organize and line up speakers for 7 meetings per year. June is Field Day, July is the Club Picnic, October is election night, November is the Holiday Social, and we don't meet in December. Homebrew nights are popular, Skywarn Training brings a big crowd, but you have to mix it up a bit to keep things interesting. Door prizes and a 50/50 raffle are very popular as well. Our club meetings are held over dinner in a meeting room at a local restaurant. These things have worked for us, but your mileage may vary.
Best of luck to you and your club!
73 de N8AUC
Eric
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by K2WH on March 21, 2005
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"Quit being in a hurry to put younger hams in their place. This is precisely the reason the younger generation isn't joining the ranks in the numbers "you" were used to, nobody wants to be spoken down to, I don't care what your age is. Respect is a two way road, my friend.
Chris"
Here gentlemen is another symptom. The quote above is basically a complaint that my wording is condescending and inappropriate to young people who can't handle it. I guess talking "Down" to them is a "diss" which is to be avoided at all costs.
We older and wiser geezers, see our wording as in all wordings when talking to young people as instuction and part of the learning process of life. Todays generation just wants flowers and puppy dogs added to this learning process without the stress real understanding.
I guess this mindset can go back to our "Feel Good" education in our schools where even losers are made to feel like winners simply because they tried. It doesn't matter that some kid thought 5+5=11. At least he tried, but don't talk down to him.
Respect is not a two way street my friend. Respect needs to be earned and in the professional world, if you don't have respect your in for a lot of hurt.
K2WH
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by WB2WIK on March 21, 2005
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To stimulate growth in a ham radio club, assuming there's any local population to support any growth:
-Keep business matters confined to Board meetings and not aired at the general membership meetings.
-Re-write the club constitution if necessary to remove any requirement for a vote of the general membership for anything where it shouldn't be absolutely necessary; thus, allowing for point (1) above to work.
-Make the first priority at all meetings, within 60 seconds of "opening" the meeting, for everyone there to introduce him/herself and to welcome any visitors. Ask any visitors to introduce themselves in as much detail as they wish, and prod them for more information about themselves.
-Unless it's a very small club with very small meetings, use a PA system with a long mike cord (or use a wireless mike) and pass the mike around so whoever's speaking can actually be heard.
-Always have refreshments at all meetings.
-Always have a guest speaker or program, at all meetings. These needn't be lengthy, and frankly I'd avoid the power point stuff -- as someone else said, it's not very interactive unless the presentation was specifically created to be interactive. Well edited videotape of last year's Field Day and such can be very entertaining, but it does take creative editing to make it so. No video, slide show or .ppt should be more than 15 minutes long.
-Great presentations which aren't much work but are effective and educational:
+How to properly assemble, install and solder a PL-259 (by an expert who can actually do this properly in 60 seconds or less). This should NEVER be a slide show or power point, but should be a hands-on, real live demonstration including the solder, the cable and the connector.
+How to work the LEOSATS. Real live demonstration, in the parking lot. With the right setup, contacts can always be made using antennas that can be transported in the trunk of an MG -- I know, I've done this many times.
+ATV for everyone! Set up a live, portable ATV station (439 MHz) and arrange a live contact with another ATV enthusiast close enough that you can actually have a contact from the meeting location. Amazing how much this stimulates interest in ATV -- far more than a "presentation" or "talk" about it.
+Homebrew antenna night: Let five members each bring in a fully assembled and working homebrew antenna, and give a 3 minute talk about the project, and the results.
+Use your imagination...
WB2WIK/6
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by KC0SHZ on March 21, 2005
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The point of this person's problem is not going to be solved by slamming each other about who should respect whom.
It is going to get fixed when a group of people in the club see some ideas that they like and are willing to work for them and willing to put up with the crap to get them.
His suggestion about a presentation database is a good one. It would help HAM's to be able to present things locally that they would not otherwise have time to do.
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by N8IK on March 21, 2005
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Ask everyone in your club to list 3 or 4 things that interest them, even remotely related to ham radio. I'm sure you'll find some similarities across the stuff listed that can form the basis for some interesting programs.
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by MEMBER2BE on March 21, 2005
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I took and passed my Gen. exam last year: I thought I would receive much junk mail and at least an invitation to the club meeting from the club that gave the test, I receive neither. I'm impressed.
Go ahead and say something about my english, it is not my lanuage.. This hobby is dead or dieing...
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by K9EKG on March 21, 2005
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"Respect is not a two way street my friend. Respect needs to be earned and in the professional world, if you don't have respect your in for a lot of hurt".
I rest my case.
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by W6TH on March 21, 2005
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I hold respect for all mankind as I have broken the habit of judgment of mankind.
With the loss of jealously all respect goes to mankind.
I find no fault in humans as man has always been a failure, we should not recognize the failures and go on with life as best we can.
We make certain laws that don't work and then we make more laws to prevent this law that was a failure.
Life goes on and good luck on the clubs.
W6TH A member of no clubs, as clubs try to control the membership, this way I remain free. Live free or die.
.:
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by K8MHZ on March 21, 2005
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W6TH
Actually, it's live free AND die.
Sorry, it's unavoidable.
K8MHZ
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Any Help for ARC's
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by W4CBL on March 21, 2005
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I just cannot believe some of the posts on this thread!
I am a member of an apparently atypical, fantastic club: the Northwest Georgia ARC (www.w4vo.org). We have a membership that runs the range from the "geezer set" to the "wet behind the ears" crowd. (12 to 85!).
We have excellent meetings once a month with frequent picnics, a great yearly hamfest, a well attended public Field Day, pot-luck dinner at meetings, presentations of various ham-related topics, etc.
Any club is what you make of it. Join in, be willing to pull you weight, and quit being afraid of the "ruling clique".
As to the "geezer set"; quit being so harsh on the youngsters. Times HAVE changed, and so has this hobby, whether you like it or not. "Whipper-snappers", realize that the Olde Pharts have been there and done that, and had to put up with licensing and equipment difficulties that you couldn't even dream of.
Like the poster said earlier, respect is a two-way street. Nobody likes all aspects of this hobby, and not everyone is going to be best friends.
Make the best of it and ENJOY!
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by KB7WJL on March 22, 2005
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One thing the "Club" I belong to does is to have a non radio related speaker for about ten months out of the year. They included the Mayor, someone from the fire dept., the electric company, and anyone else that had something to do with the community. Even the older hams like the ones that were not radio related.
If the proposed speaker for the night got called away, we had a radio related speaker. Only happened once with the fireman, we had a bad accident and he was called away. As, we live in a small town population of about 9,000.
73 Dave
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by KC8VWM on March 22, 2005
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"Respect is not a two way street my friend."
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 Posted: 9:10 PM EST (0210 GMT)
KC8VWM Newsdesk - Many eyewitness accounts and unconfirmed reports indicate many victims and much carnage remains of individuals involved with a collision that occurred earlier today. This apparently occurred when a group of "geezers and whippersnappers" collided in what officials are calling a multiple high speed broadband internet collision. Reports from area residents near the scene indicate that this was not the first time such an incident occurred resulting in catastrophic losses on a very popular two way street called respect which is located near the downtown metro area.
We will keep you updated as the reports are coming in... Be sure to tune in to your local machine for further details at 6.
This has been KC8VWM reporting for the Forum Newsdesk.
(insert news theme music here)
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RE: Any Help for ARCollisions
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by K4JSR on March 23, 2005
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Muhammed Ali could be Champion again on this very
reflector. Why? Because so many folks love to lead with their chins!
Hams who get on the air frequently tend to be a bit
more polite and well adjusted.
The biggest adjustment needed on this thread would be by a good Chiropractor---Getting your rumps off of your shoulders!
Hams! You can dress them up, but you cannot take them
out in public!
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Any Help for ARC's
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by KA3DRO on March 25, 2005
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There was a time when I was Affiliated Club Coordinator ( ACC) for ARRL when it was a new concept. Having been "absent" from ARRL these last 15 years, i don't know if that program is still in effect, but would be a logical approach to join hands with other area clubs to improve each other by some mutual communications.
KA3DRO
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by AE6IP on March 25, 2005
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> We older and wiser geezers
See, there's the problem. Too many geezers think that older automatically goes hand-in-hand with wiser.
It's hard to be wise while young.
It's easy not to be wise while old.
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RE: Any Help for ARC's
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by N6VQQ on March 30, 2005
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W6TH
Actually, it's live free AND die.
Sorry, it's unavoidable.
K8MHZ
From a former New Hampshire resident, you are wrong not W6TH, it happens to be the state motto, "Live Free Or Die", I got the shirt!!
And to call us "Old Folks" "Geezers", well, the group of young people that I mentor to call me "Elmer" it's a respectful thing and an honor for those of us who started way back when!! and now pass on some basic knowledge.
To all of the Hams out their both young and old, "It's been a real fun hobby, and thanks for the contacts!
73 Ron N6VQQ
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