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Author Topic: Clubs, They Are What They Are...  (Read 694 times)

AC7CW

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Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« on: October 30, 2021, 01:52:25 PM »

I was going to club meetings before the shutdown. A new president was installed and right away I surmised that he is all about the ARES. Personally, in an emergency I'd rather have a satellite phone than a ham station so I was losing interest, figured I'd just hang back and see if I could make some friends. They had an opening for somebody to do PR so I was talking to the visiting ARRL guy about that. My wife worked as a PR professional back in the day and I'm a photographer from way back so I thought it would be a great little family project. The new president who I didn't know from Adam, whispered something to the ARRL guy and I never heard another word from the ARRL guy. I had personal problems with a president of a club before so I started to feel the cancel culture creeping up on me or it could have been my California plates on the car or whatever... I paid some dues and never got a receipt, the club supposedly has some passworded website for members and requests for the password went unnanswered.... I just wanted to have some fun and a monthly breakfast and all that s^&t happened?
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Novice 1958, 20WPM Extra now... (and get off my lawn)

W7CXC

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2021, 02:19:27 PM »

Sometimes those ca plates carry a connotation. It may or not be justified depending on the individual. The local club here has a VHF, repeater, SAR and public event agenda. Being a DX and HF guy I do not belong any more.
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KK2DOG

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2021, 03:17:49 PM »

I've been a ham for 20+ years and I kinda' look at clubs much like a bowling league.
One doesn't have to join a league to go bowling.
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KD2HCU

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2021, 04:11:59 PM »

I'm pretty happy with my club.  I've met quite a few great folks at meetings.  We have 146, 220 and 440 repeaters and a weekly net.  We get along well with other area clubs ( there are many on Long Island).  Members do what they want on their own whether its vhf, digital, dx or whatever.  If your club doesn't suit you find another one, or perhaps clubs might not be for you which is fine.
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AC2EU

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2021, 04:12:52 PM »

I've been a ham for 20+ years and I kinda' look at clubs much like a bowling league.
One doesn't have to join a league to go bowling.

I've come to the same conclusion. One can find enough "like-minded " people to do whatever the interest might be. You don't need to join a club.
Politics ,cliques or just plain poor leadership seems to destroy most clubs eventually.
The pandemic pretty much destroyed a club I had been a member of for 10 years. It's sad...but there is still  life after clubs!

K3UIM

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2021, 04:44:14 PM »

I joined a local club and found that the common thread was the club repeater.

As far as I could see there were no members involved with 'tinkering' or troubleshooting. I don't believe I'd find someone to chat with about whatever 'our' recent project would be, so different from my novice days in the 60's with the same club where that group was interested in how the newbees were progressing, etc. After two years, I didn't renew my membership.

I realize that times have changed, but I miss the one-on-one relationship that existed back then in ham radio, possibly because of the newness of it all and the mystic of hamming, building, experimenting and repairing. (Traits that are seemingly lacking today. How sad.)

Charlie
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Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

K6SDW

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2021, 04:57:38 PM »

What did Groucho Marx once say abert ham radio clubs:  "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." Well, something like that.....

GL/73
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AC2EU

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2021, 05:16:12 PM »

I joined a local club and found that the common thread was the club repeater.

As far as I could see there were no members involved with 'tinkering' or troubleshooting. I don't believe I'd find someone to chat with about whatever 'our' recent project would be, so different from my novice days in the 60's with the same club where that group was interested in how the newbees were progressing, etc. After two years, I didn't renew my membership.

I realize that times have changed, but I miss the one-on-one relationship that existed back then in ham radio, possibly because of the newness of it all and the mystic of hamming, building, experimenting and repairing. (Traits that are seemingly lacking today. How sad.)

Charlie

i would say that you are in the wrong "type " club. There are indeed clubs who do a lot of building and experimenting. Some more than others.
However, generally speaking from my experience, "repeater clubs" are not the builder/experimenters. As you say, the main thing is the maintenance of the repeater, which is delegated to a hand full of members. Everyone else is concerned with the latest digital rigs and how to use them. They are ARES/RACES based as well. ( which I have ZERO interest in)
The "HF centric" clubs are generally more into the hand on approach, CW and such.

K1QQQ

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2021, 11:41:13 PM »

I strayed back to NE USA when my parents were under it and helped with many things. Age both 93 and unfortunate my father had a good brain left that would beat any club brains left and actually in good shape until intestines ruptured and then a super-germ and in a month killed him. (cry for a moment)


Strayed to a few clubs and what ? I had been inactive but no amateur radio left ? Amateur Radio still exists on sites like EHAM-QRZ,etc.etc. and all kinds of places. I am just referring to amateur radio as we knew it. The subject (amateur radio) is still alive in QST, etc. --BUT any aspect of activity as we knew it was obsolete..-- contests -- qsl's--dx--homebrew-- paper chasing -- etc. etc.

It seemed nobody knew anything about electronics or cared to know. Never soldered anything nor read a schematic.

Playing with radio waves. gughhhhhhhhhh  what are they ? All maybe repeater talk with zero about radio. All Technician style thought. Radio Waves are places besides 144 mhz. BUT the personality's... I think they were into it because somebody told them it would advance their careers and when that is slow they are gone.

I don't know the problem but I never got a colder impression from any group of people. It is anybody though as there are never any new members. My hair was too long I guess. Spent the time in friendly conversation with non-amateurs. Of coarse you are a fake that strayed in to get some free food possibility. I did get a CW KEY thrown across the room at Field Day as 'we don't do that'.

Can't ramble on but I wonder how they expect to grow rejecting anybody. One turns into a mini-psychologist just trying to figure what is going on.

ooooooo It is not just me....


== AND I AM NOT KNOCKING EVERYBODY !!!!!
« Last Edit: October 30, 2021, 11:48:36 PM by K1QQQ »
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K3UIM

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2021, 05:12:08 AM »

QQQ: At age 87 I'm afraid I can truly say, "We are a dying breed!" LOL
I miss those bonding 'good-old days'.
Charlie
 
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Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

K4FMH

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2021, 06:19:40 AM »

All interesting comments because they come from various real-world experiences. So few hams come into club leadership positions without any leadership training or past leadership in volunteer associations.

One clear option that has emerged during the Pandemic has been “hubs” (not formal dues-paying clubs) meeting regularly by Zoom et al. There might be two of you, for example, interested in satellites in a traditional club. But you are drowned out by the EmComm dominance. You could be gathering virtually with others interested in Sats. This is just an example.

The ICQ Podcast has featured more than one segment on how to do this, whether originating from a conventional club or not. There are some trade-offs but you have to consider the loss of good vs bad and choose to get more of what helps you in your hobby participation.

Currently, my only “club” is a Saturday morning Zoom meeting with participants from three continents. It’s now by invitation only to keep “flame throwers” from harshing the mellow of the group.

If the ARRL guy will trade on the “he’s a bad guy, don’t work with him” style of volunteerism, it’s the pox on the League’s house for participating in it. And they do…from my direct experience.

73,

Frank
K4FMH
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K3UIM

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #11 on: November 01, 2021, 11:27:27 AM »

I'm feeling that all of the Conestoga Wagons have arrived, set up permanent residences, burned the old equipment, purchased HT's and have settled in for the winter, perfectly satisfied with the way things are going, while some of us are still outdoors looking for more and better wood for winter heat

(Dawgies! It's hexx getting old in body and not in spirit!!) LOL

Charlie
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Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!

AC4RD

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #12 on: December 20, 2021, 12:19:58 PM »

I'm an antisocial ham; I like RTTY and CW contests because there's no chat.  :-)  PSK is good, too, though I use the "catch and release" fishing system.  :-)  I use 2m and/or 440 maybe a couple of times a year, max.

But I pretty much always belong to at least one of the local ham clubs.   IMO it makes sense to support the local ham community; the repeaters, yes, but also local organization of hams for emergencies, for common causes, etc.  I'm not very social but being part of a community is GOOD.  Even if I don't really participate in 90% of the community's activities.  :-)  73!
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KD8IWZ

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #13 on: December 20, 2021, 04:23:06 PM »

As a novice I joined the local club, and it was a great experience. A couple of the oldtimers helped me put together my 1st station, and I enjoyed field day (although the younger guys like me did all the setup/teardown work while the oldtimes just looked on)
I was also encouraged to run the club's novice net, that was a great experience.

Now fast forward and I'm now 1 of the oldtimers and the club and politics have changed, as has a lot of the world (including radio), and I am no longer a member. It wasn't their fault nor mine, and I don't hold any grudge, it just isn't for me. But I still have a lot of fond memories.
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K3UIM

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Re: Clubs, They Are What They Are...
« Reply #14 on: December 20, 2021, 06:16:00 PM »

But I still have a lot of fond memories.
Sometimes, that's what counts! I'm thinking that the "tinkering" days are a thing of the past, like the crank telephones, etc. Great memories, gone but not forgotten, by all of us "older folks".
Charlie
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Charlie. K3UIM
Where you are: I was!
Where I am: You will be!
So be nice to us old fogies!!
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