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 Previous: The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler |  Next: The K7RA Solar Update |
By David Sumner, K1ZZ
ARRL Chief Executive Officer
December 1, 2003
Editor's note: Typically, only ARRL members get to read the "It Seems to Us ..." editorials that run each month in QST. We're posting this editorial that appears in the December 2003 issue of QST in the hope that both ARRL members and nonmembers might appreciate it and find it informative.
By the standards of most membership associations, ARRL dues are quite modest: $39 per year, or $34 if you are at least 65 years old and request the lower rate. That's about a dime a day. Still lower rates are available for youth, blind and family memberships. Nearly 20,000 members have paid-up Life Memberships and no longer pay annual dues at all. Especially for those of us who took this option a couple of decades ago, Life Membership has proved to be a very good deal.
There are good reasons to keep ARRL dues as low as possible.
While money is a vital and essential resource, an association's "people power" is more important than the size of its bank account. We have a fine professional staff in Newington and Washington, but membership dues could never fund the staff size required to do everything that must be done to protect, promote, and advance Amateur Radio. Volunteers do most of the League's work--and volunteers come from the membership.
Membership is a measure of an association's clout. As part of a 155,000-strong chorus, your voice is heard loud and clear in Washington. We don't want to lose your voice from the chorus because you can't afford to belong.
It's difficult to separate cause and effect, but we know that ARRL members are far more likely to be active radio amateurs than non-members--and activity is good for Amateur Radio. ARRL members are more likely to turn out for public service and emergency communications events. You are more likely to attend conventions, hamfests, and club meetings. You are more likely to patronize the companies that serve Amateur Radio's needs, and therefore to encourage the introduction of new products that increase amateurs' capabilities and enjoyment of radio. Every month we hear from members who have become excited about radio all over again because of something they read in that month's QST. Even if your interest is temporarily on the wane, we want you to maintain your membership because that makes it more likely you'll become more active in the future.
Maintaining a strong membership base isn't easy. For unavoidable reasons, every month we lose hundreds of long-time, loyal members. They must be replaced if we're just to stay even, and that means persuading hundreds of others to join or to rejoin. They are drawn from the ranks of amateur licensees whose interest has been newly rekindled as well as from among new and prospective licensees. It's costly, but absolutely essential, for us to reach out to them with our message, and with an invitation to join that offers good value to them.
For all of these reasons, we try to keep the dues low. We want the ARRL to be as inclusive as possible of people who care about Amateur Radio.
On the other hand, there are many thousands of ARRL members for whom Amateur Radio means far more--and who can afford far more--than a dime a day. In recent years we have offered members opportunities to make voluntary contributions in support of specific ARRL programs and projects. Thousands of you have responded generously, especially for the Fund for the Defense of Amateur Radio Frequencies, because you know that spectrum defense is a never-ending, ever-escalating battle. You shared in the success on 40 meters earlier this year in Geneva; quite literally, we couldn't have done it without you. Similarly, the Education and Technology Program, which has already brought Amateur Radio into 50 schools, would not exist if it were not for the dedication of thousands of individual contributors.
Last year we introduced a new program called The ARRL Diamond Club to recognize members who are able and willing to make an annual commitment above and beyond the basic membership dues to help meet the ARRL's revenue needs. Beginning at $75 per year including basic membership ($50 for Life Members), the Diamond Club offers increased recognition and benefits in steps commensurate with contributions. More than 800 already have signed up, but we need more of you to become Diamond Club participants if we're to be able to continue doing the job for all of Amateur Radio. Please consider joining the Diamond Club; you can find the details about the program on the ARRL Web.
While
every ARRL member should join in appreciation for those who are able to make
this extra commitment, rest assured that we cherish every member, Diamond Club
donor or not. We know there are increasing numbers of members for whom even the
basic dues is a budget stretch. Through their willingness to do a bit more
because they can, Diamond Club participants help the ARRL do more for Amateur Radio
while keeping membership as accessible as possible for everyone. It's a worthy
and important program; if you can, please give it your support.
| Previous: The Amateur Radio Crossword Puzzler | Next: The K7RA Solar Update |
