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Author Topic: The Problem With Some Clubs  (Read 4837 times)

W9FIB

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Re: The Problem With Some Clubs
« Reply #45 on: December 29, 2020, 07:20:12 PM »

Only those with closed minds would think HR clubs are white only.

I know several non-white hams from several different cultures that are outstanding club members and even a few in leadership roles.
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73, Stan
Travelling the world one signal at a time.

KBKZ2105

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Re: RE: The Problem With Some Clubs
« Reply #46 on: January 03, 2021, 12:00:01 PM »


Some are really private clubs , only for certain people because they want to maintain control,  anybody else that comes in , they run them off . They give the appearance of being open to maintain their ARRL affiliation. Eventually word gets out , and without new members they die off. 

Then there are the "crusaders" they're on a mission . They know what needs to be done and they want the club to do it. Egos come in to play because someone else can stand to see them succeed where they failed. This is where the infighting and the back biting comes in.

Clubs are supposed to be about exchanging ideas, camaraderie , and perhaps achieving some common goal . Instead they all devolve into 3 grade school PSSSing Contests. The only difference is the names have been changed to protect the guilty ,  its elementary school all over again.

But then thats true for any organization. Their bodies grow up , but emotionally never really develop beyond 10. 

There's no cure , You either learn to live with it . or stay out , most stay out or at least keep their association to a minimum.

You are describing Ham Radio on the AIR behavior.

It's groups of people or just one on a frequency they think they own. Anybody else tries to come in, they run them off. 

Egos, infighting and back biting. Not to mention Contesters.  That's another subject all together.   

It's like 5th grade you are right about that. 

There is no cure you are right about that. 

Most stay away from ham radio or keep their association to a minimum. 

In a club or on the air seems like the same experience. 

Good info thank you. 
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KA2DEW

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Re: The Problem With Some Clubs
« Reply #47 on: March 15, 2021, 01:19:15 PM »

Considering the number of good hams out there, it isn't all that hard to turn things around.
I started a "new ham" meeting at a local church.  The local club already has meetings there at 7:30pm so I start my meeting at 6pm.  The meeting's purpose is to support people who have a ham license but have been active for under a year.  We have lessons on starter issues, making coax cables, measuring SWR, building ground-plans and dipoles, talking on a net, understanding repeaters, making first 40m SSB contact, wiring a power supply (power pole crimping, fusing and wire gauges), using a VOM, common ham-tools, shrink-wrap tubing, FM vs SSB.  I made a web page to support this at http://torborg.com/a and that has lists of curriculum, photos, and support material for the new ham meetings.   The meetings attract longer-term hams as well and often we can break off to one on ones to follow-up on things. 

To try to retain hams, attract young people, we activated a packet radio chatROOM, and talk about how to get on that.   There is a local repeater which was underutilized and we took it over for the new-ham-centric group.  We talk about getting on the chatRoom on that repeater and that attracts attention too.  Try to make sure somebody in your group is able to answer QRZ? on the repeater and chatRoom.  That way people who call in may actually stay around. 

When I was in my 20s I was told by an older ham that I was wet-behind-the-ears for thinking that I could own and operate my own repeater.  So I did it anyway.  Now that I'm an older ham, I try to go out of my way to promote the ideas of the new hams, steering the project to not hurt other ham projects and to be rule abiding (transmitters must be identified, and so on).  We've had quite a few dumb ideas around here that were tremendous fun. 

This isn't hard.  If you think it isn't being done well or enough, start something. 

Tadd - KA2DEW
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Tadd / KA2DEW / Raleigh NC

http://torborg.com/a   <<<=== local Raleigh info - new ham group
http://ncpacket.net    <<<=== north carolina packet radio network
http://tarpn.net          <<<=== terrestrial amateur radio packet network  (packet network recipe)
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