The ARRL Club News
ARRL Club News for January 2007
Recruiting
Clubs are always looking for new ways to recruit members. Here are a
few proven techniques from clubs who have seen an increase in
membership that your club may be able to use when trying to bring in
new active members.
The Carolina DX Association < http://www.cdxa.org/ > promotes their
club through activity. Club Secretary/Treasurer Cliff Wagoner, W3ZL,
says
"Our continuing strong efforts in VHF contesting and DXing activities
tend to draw active hams to the club." The club supports DXpeditions
through contributions and participation that The Carolina DX
Association does a great job of making themselves known to the ham
community by making a commitment to the Charlotte Hamfest every year.
The folks at the Oklahoma DX Association <
http://www.okdxa.org/ > also credit activity as a good way to recruit
members. Jerry Chouinard, K5YAA, Secretary/Treasurer of OKDXA tells
us that the club keeps a presence in amateur community by holding a
meeting at each of the two of the larger hamfests in the section and
sponsoring the Oklahoma QSO party. Jerry says "The QSO Party may
not be a DX activity but it gets hams on the air and active hams are
what make a healthy club."
Other clubs have also mentioned that a strong social environment
helps promote activity and hams are drawn to active clubs. Both
Jerry and Cliff say that their clubs have luncheons and other social
gathering where members can get together and share some stories.
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Help Wanted
How many times has your club tried to get people to help at a hamfest
or other activity only to end up with more jobs than volunteers?
Before you start thinking that the membership doesn't want to help
perhaps you should consider that they are unclear as to what it is
that you want them to do.
When the Mike and Key Amateur Radio Club of New Castle, Washington
need help for their hamfest they listed the jobs along with a job
description in the club's newsletter. Hamfest Chairman, Michael
Dinkleman, N7WA, said that he was met with more than a few blank
stares when he solicited help for the club's annual flea market.
Because there is little time to explain each job during a club
meeting he listed the jobs along with a description of each job.
Each job description includes what is expected from the volunteers
and also if anything special is required, such as warm clothing for
outside activity.
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Elmer's Corner
The FCC has made a change in the way we test for Amateur Radio
licenses and the Element 1 CW exam is going to be eliminated. Many
have voiced some very negative opinions about this and their
derogatory comments are very hurtful to the new ham trying to get
involved in this hobby.
If we expect the ranks of hams to grow then it is up to us, the
experienced hams, to ensure that the first experience the new ham has
is a positive one and that he or she is welcome. We should be
extending our hands in friendship and teaching these newcomers how to
operate according to the rules and regulation and how to safely
assemble an Amateur Radio station.
Without nurturing and guidance these new operators will splinter off
and form their own sub-culture. Soon the expected result will occur
and all of the hams who insisted on staying firmly anchored in the
past will say "I told you so."
So much has changed in communications, technology and society that it
is absurd to even be think that things should -- or could -- be the
way they were over half a century ago. The FCC has not made CW
illegal. You can operate that mode or any other mode you wish.
Expect to see more radio operators experimenting with CW and other
modes because they can do so without fear of the expectation to be
expert at it. That is as long as the experienced operators show them
the correct way and not chastise them for stumbling or for not having
had "come up the way that they did." We all came to the party
through a different door, but we are all here to have fun.
I hope that all experienced Amateur Radio operators will reach out
and mentor the new hams. Pass the torch and share the excitement and
thrill that we enjoy from this wonderful hobby and let's keep it
going.
If you have any questions about the FCC's Morse Code Report and Order
in WT Docket 05-235 and the FCC Order on Reconsideration in WT Docket
04-140, please visit the ARRL FAQ on this topic:
http://www.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/wt05-235/
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Club Liability Insurance
A benefit offered to all ARRL Affiliated Clubs is the Club Liability
Insurance Program. This comprehensive policy provides coverage for
lawsuits resulting from bodily injury and property damage at ARRL
Affiliated Club-sponsored activities.
More information on this coverage and on how to recieve a no
obligation quote is available on the web at:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/insurance/club_liability.html
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ARRL Affiliation Milestones for January 2007
75 Years
WPA Beaver Valley ARA
WWA Clark County Arc - Wa
SNJ Manchester Area FM Group
WY Shy-WY Radio Club
WPA Triple 'A' Amateur Radio Assn, Inc.
IL Tri-Town Radio Amateur Club
OR Valley Radio Club Of Oregon
50 Years
NM Amateur Radio Caravan Club
MI CHAIN O LAKES ARC
OK Chisholm Trail Arc Inc
ENY Communications Club Of New Roc
WPA Conemaugh Valley Arc
IN Green Frog Repeater Club
LA Jefferson ARC Inc
KY Kentucky Colonel ARC
KY Mammoth Cave Amateur Radio Club
MI Mason Co. Amateur Radio Service
CO Montrose ARC
EPA Mt Airy VHF Radio Club Inc.
ID Pocatello ARC
EPA Pocono Amateur Radio Klub
WNY Radio Amateurs Of Greater Syracuse
LAX San Gabriel Valley RC
NM Santa Fe ARC
IL Shawnee Amateur Radio Assn
KS Smoky Valley Arc Inc
MI Thumb ARC
MO TRICO Radio Club
MO Univeristy of Missouri at Rolla ARC
ORG Victor Valley Arc
CT Waterbury ARC
25 Years
NNJ 10-70 Repeater Assn, Inc
NM Albuquerque ARC
SV Amador County Arc
OH Athens County ARA
ME Blackstrap Repeater Assn
KS Boeing Employees Ars
SJV Central California DX Club
ORG Coachella Valley ARC
AZ Cochise Amateur Radio ASSN
WY Converse County ARC
OH Delaware ARA
CO Grand Mesa Contesters of Colorado
SC GRAND STRAND ARC
IA Great River ARC
VT Green Mountain Wireless Soc
GA Gwinett ARS
MN Hiawatha Valley ARC
OH Highland ARA
IN Hoosier DX & Contest Club
MO Joplin Amateur Radio Club
MO Lake Of The Ozarks Arc
OR McMinnville ARC
EPA Mid-Atlantic ARC
ENY Mount Beacon Arc
SFL Pompano Beach ARA
VA Rappahannock ARA
WNY Salt City DX Association
AL Shelby County ARC
OK South Canadian ARS
EPA South Mountain Repeater Assn
AZ Southern Arizona DX Association
MS St Stanislaus HS ARC
MDC The Foundation For Amateur Radio, Inc
STX Tidelands ARS
LA United Radio Amateur Club
ORG West Coast ARC
KY Woodford County Amateur Radio Club
10 Years
SCV 50 Mhz & Up Group Of N CA
VT Addison County Amateur Radio Association
IL Area Amateur Radio Operators
WPA Belle Vernon High School ARC
KY Big Sandy ARC
AL Brindlee Mountain ARA
ORG Calnet South Rptr Group
EPA Camp Watonka ARC
NV Carson Valley Radio Club
CT Central Connecticut ARC
CO Chaffee-Lake Amateur Rptr Assn
WNY Chautauqua County Radio Amateurs
OK Choctaw ARC
NNJ David Sarnoff Radio Club
SNJ Delaware Valley Ragchew Club
WCF Desoto ARC, Inc
SJV Disaster Comm Repeater Association
GA Ellijay Amateur Radio Society, Inc.
MI Firebird ARC
VA Franklin County ARC
WY Great Plains Amateur Rptr Assn
IL Green River Valley ARS
NNJ Irvington Amateur Radio Team
WY Jackson Hole Area ARC
TN Johnson CountyARC
SFL Jupiter Tequesta Repeater Group, Inc.
VA Lynn C Wilson Memorial AR Venturing Crew 80
SJV N A Chaderjian School ARC
NE North Platte Progressive ARC
SD Northern Hills ARC
CO Pikes Peak FM Association
ENY QSY Society
PR Radio Operadores Del Este
NV RARA- Rural Amateur Radio Association
ENY RidgeTop ARC
NNJ Robert D Grant United Labor ARA
VA Scott County ARS
GA South East Contest Club
MN Stillwater ARA
NE Strategic Air Command Memorial ARC
LA SW Louisana Amateur Repeater Club
SNJ The 835 Amateur Radio Group
KS Valley Center ARC
=============================================================================
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Page last modified: 03:09 PM, 15 Nov 2006 ET
Page author: clubs@arrl.org
Copyright © 2006, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
