January 2014
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Making Radio History
On March 12, 1933, Franklin Roosevelt became the first President of the United States to address the nation by radio. That was the bottom of the Great Depression, and neither Roosevelt nor anyone else knew what to do about it. In that “Fireside Chat,” he announced the guiding philosophy for the rest of his twelve years in office:
“It is common sense to take an idea and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”
Imagine a president saying that today!
Over the decades of the Rogue Valley Amateur Radio Club, the membership has taken a similar approach. Even a casual perusal of old Repeaters makes that clear. As we enter 2014—the 100th anniversary of the ARRL—there are still things to try. Some may have been attempted before, but just as “one cannot step into the same river twice” the membership of the RVARC today is not the same as yesterday’s. We have many new members, some members who have not been active lately, and hundreds of licensed amateurs in our “neck of the woods.”
For these reasons, let’s try some things. In no particular order, here are some thoughts of my own.
- The club constitution provides for three members of the “Executive Board” from the general membership. Let’s fill those slots.
- Let’s form a few standing committees of at least three members each: Development, Membership, Public Information, Projects and Activities, Funding, and maybe a few more. That’s at least eighteen members right there.
- Let’s go back to the “3A” category for Field Day 2014, and to “4A” for 2015. Neither can be done without sufficient participation, so breaking operator hours into small sign-up pieces (as small as one hour long) rather than open-ended commitments might help. In any event, there’s lots of opportunities for member involvement here, whether on a large scale or very small.
- In addition to Field Day, the Summer Ice Cream Social, and the Christmas Potluck, let’s try a few other annual club-sponsored events. Examples might include a fox hunt, a camp-out QSO party, or “Ask the Elmers” sessions.
- See if some special interest groups—SIGS—within the club could be opportunities for involvement. Examples might include SIGs for QRP, homebrewing, contesting, satellite/ISS, digital/data, SDR, and D-Star. Ham radio has so many facets. A list of possible SIGS would be lengthy.
- For our meeting programs, let’s try splitting them into two half-hour presentations: one on an aspect of the “basics,” and the other on an advanced topic. We’d also alternate between technical and operating subjects. Something for everyone, you see.
That’s enough for now, isn’t it? I look forward to the coming year. Ham radio is fun already, but how much more fun when enjoyed with others?
Happy 2014 to all!
Todd K7TFC
