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1-10 of 38 messages
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ATTRACTING YOUNGER MARS MEMBERS
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by WB4N on November 16, 2003
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IT SEEMS THAT "THE COMPUTER GENERATION" IS NOT VERY INTERESTED IN AMATEUR RADIO THESE DAYS. WHILE THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE AVERAGE AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR HAS INCREASED GREATLY..................THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE AVERAGE MARS MEMBER HAS GONE THROUGH THE ROOF !!!
HERE IN KY ARMY MARS, MOST OF OUR MEMBERS ARE "RETIRED". MOST OF OUR MEMBERS ARE IN THEIR LATE 60'S, 70'S, 80'S AND YES.......EVEN 90'S ! I AM 55, AND I AM ONE OF THE YOUNGEST MEMBERS ! WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY TO ATTRACT THE YOUTH BACK INTO MARS AND AMATEUR RADIO.
BACK IN THE 70'S, WHEN I WAS STATIONED AT HOMESTEAD AFB, "AG2HO" (LATER TO BECOME AGA2HO), THE BASE SUPPORT
TEAM SET UP A MARS/AMATEUR STATION AT A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL. SEVERAL STUDENTS WERE NOT ONLY LICENSED AMATEURS........BUT ALSO LICENSED MARS MEMBERS ! THEY OPERATED THE SCHOOL STATION DURING THE WEEK, AND ON THE WEEKENDS, THEY CAME OUT TO THE BASE MARS STATION TO TRAIN WITH THE REST OF THE BASE SUPPORT TEAM............HOWEVER....AT THAT TIME, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COULD BECOME MARS MEMBERS........AS THE MINIMUM AGE (WITH PARRENTS CONSCENT) WAS 14 YEARS OLD.
THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE AGE WAS RAISED TO 17.....AND THE MARS YOUTH TRAINING PROGRAM "BIT THE DUST" ! I THINK WE NEEED TO PETITION THE CHIEFS, AND GET THE AGE DROPPED BACK TO 14, SO WE CAN GET THE YOUTH BACK INTO MARS AGAIN. IF WE DON'T, WHEN US "OLD FOGGIES" DIE OUT, SO WILL MARS..........AND AMATEUR RADIO, WON'T BE FAR BEHIND............COMMENTS ???
73 BARRY AAA4KY
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RE: ATTRACTING YOUNGER MARS MEMBERS
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by KC8VWM on November 16, 2003
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I reiterate the fact that when people apply to MARS via websites that they don't respond to inquiries.
KC8VWM
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Web site applicants RE: ATTRACTING YOUNGER MARS ME
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by KC5FM on November 16, 2003
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When I hear of that happening, I walk them through the application, have them fax it and the license to me, and I forward that to my superiors.
THAT has worked.
Of course, it could mean that you are going to be assigned as their mentor through the training period. :)
Lloyd Colston, KC5FM
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RE: Web site applicants RE: ATTRACTING YOUNGER MAR
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by WA4MJF on November 16, 2003
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I agree with the 14 age limit. I enrolled in
Army MARS the month after I turned 14. I really enjoyed and used it in my time in the Army. Both as
an op and towards the end of my career as an
OIC of a MARS Station. However, I retired
from the Army after 29 1/2 years and from
MARS at about 33 years. (I'm a Special Status/
Life Member and have qualified for my 40 year
certificate.)
After a while you tire of things, that is why there
is retirement :-) Also, the program changed
a whole lot. The Army no longer supports MARS
like they used to. Try to name a post/camp/station
that has an ACTIVE MARS station. They have turned
the administration over to DACs and the actual
running to civilian contractors. Very little
parts/equipment issued, I used to get it by
the truck load litterally!
I enjoyed my active time in MARS, but found it no
longer fits my retired lifestyle.
Any way if you get them youg and indoctrinate
them you will have thme for a long time.
73 de Ronnie
AAR4LG
ex AD4MJF, ACM4MJF, AAA9DC
Op at AB8AT AA4WDF and OIC (IMA) A6USA/AAA9USA (PSF)
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RE: Web site applicants RE: ATTRACTING YOUNGER MAR
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by N3ZKP on November 16, 2003
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Ronnie:
The minimum age is 18 for all the services. I understand that are legal issues with minors as MARS members.
Barry:
PLEASE don't write in all caps. This is not official traffic and it is VERY hard to read when it is all run together. :)
The average for NAVMARCORMARS members is a shade over 61 and has been for several years. The primary reason younger members don't join, and this is born out by several younger (mid-30's members) in Maryland/ DC/Delaware, is they simply don't have the time to devote to meet the participation requirements. Too many family-job-other committments.
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RE: Web site applicants RE: ATTRACTING YOUNGER MAR
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by WA4MJF on November 16, 2003
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Well not sure what they would be, I
did not have any problems between 14
and 18.
Another problem may be the fact that we
have a coupla generations that to quote
Bob Dole, "never served, never sacrificed
and never grew up". So the veterans getting
in MARS of their former service is almost nil.
That was a main source of members for many years
or in my case the service I was gonna be in :-)
73 de Ronnie
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RE: Web site applicants RE: ATTRACTING YOUNGER MAR
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by KC0LET on November 27, 2003
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I agree with the urgent need to get more youth involved in MARS, as well as just ham radio in general. I turn 17 in a couple months, and I can't wait to join MARS, and I hope to continue my service beyond MARS by going through Air Force ROTC in college.I hope to serve 20 years in the USAF. I hope I will end up doing some communication type work in the Air Force, and I will have the oprotunity to operate MARS stations on base.
I think that if the legal issues could be worked out, the age limit for MARS should be lowered to 14, but still I think many youths have no sense of service, and something needs to be done to change that.
Evan
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RE: Web site applicants RE: ATTRACTING YOUNGER MAR
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by N3SKO on November 27, 2003
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The age limit was raised due to some military commander's concern about the level of discretion that a young person might exhibit.
There is one way around this. In my area, we sponsor an Army MARS club station at a local High School's Army JROTC program. We have a full blown HF/VHF station at the school and the cadets (once trained) operate in our state and region nets. The Senior Army Instructor (LTC) and two other MARS members act as custodians of the station and monitor the cadets' operations. In fact, two of the cadets participated as HF operators in the Army's Grecian Firebolt exercise last Summer at Ft Meade MD under my supervision and also got to participate in the Cake-Cutting Ceremony for the Army's 228th Anniversary.
73,
john
AAT3BF/AAM3O/AAA3DE/AAA9AC
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RE: Web site applicants RE: ATTRACTING YOUNGER MAR
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by N9KWW on December 25, 2003
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The major reason for the age limit change was due to our primary operation, ecom, you just can not send a minor ( under 18) to a disaster site and work within the ics format. The other issue is if there was some one under 18 participating and he/she got hurt or killed, the lawers will have a field day with all involved. Just chnaging the age to 18 removes all restrictions and prevents other isssues.
ron
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RE: ATTRACTING YOUNGER MARS MEMBERS
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by W6YB on December 31, 2003
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This is Whiskey Six Yankee Bravo; I would love to join MARS but the 18 year old age limit turned me away. Guess I will have to wait another 4 years, oh well! I know a MARS member and went to the MARS booth at the Dayton Hamvention, and they thought I would be a great MARS operator. I would love it and be very excited if the age limit would be lower. Meanwhile I will just listen in.
Thanks and 73,
Andrew W6YB
OUT
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