Welcome to Handiham
World!
...And welcome to a new era
of challenges for radio clubs.
What do I mean by
that?
Well, if you have to ask, you
might not be that tuned in to your local club's activities.
Radio clubs provide a means for you and I to get together with
like-minded folks who appreciate amateur radio and who enjoy
learning new things through club programs, keeping up their
operating skills through club nets and activities, socializing with
other radio amateurs, or being part of public service activities -
to name just a few of the more obvious ones. I know that I have
learned a lot about useful things that have helped me out in ham
radio, thanks to the presentations at my local radio
club.
Pictured: Greg Widin, K0GW, ARRL Dakota Division
Director, gives a club program presentation on lightning and
grounding.
"A club is an association of
two or more people united by a common interest or goal."
Thanks, Wikipedia! Of course we seldom think of clubs in terms
of only two people. Usually a radio club is larger - sometimes
much larger - and there may be several distinct interest groups
within the club. The club may own some equipment, such as
special tools for antenna work, a repeater system, a club station,
training materials and equipment, and
more.
The
challenges:
1. Meeting
space. If you have a club of only a few
members, this isn't a big deal. Clubs of a dozen or fewer
members have lots of choices, up to and including private homes.
Typically, a radio club will have a membership that is too large to
be accommodated anywhere but a more formal meeting space, and that
means casting about for a venue. With a demographic that
includes aging baby boomers, a club definitely wants to have a
meeting space that is accessible to those who might use wheelchairs
or who are unable to climb stairs. You also want electricity, good
lighting, and quiet space. Internet is a bonus, but if it is
not available, it isn't exactly a deal-killer. The challenge
is finding the space at an affordable price! Back in the day,
meeting spaces were plentiful and free for the asking, especially to
small public service or special interest clubs like ham radio
groups. Venues might include the local school, church halls, service
organization halls, and municipal or county buildings. It is not so
easy today. The economy is down. Every venue is looking
to raise extra cash, so the days of free meeting space might just be
in the rear view mirror! And permanent space with room for a
club station - wow, that is REALLY hard to find these days. I
know that several clubs have either lost or given up their space for
club meetings and stations due to the press for more revenue or
other activities related to the needs of the landlord or host
organization.
2. Apathy. This one
drives club officials nuts. And it's nothing new, of course.
There have always been club members who would rather jump out a
window than put together a club program or write an article for the
newsletter. But it's worse now than ever before, and it's related to
number three on my list, which I'll tell you about shortly.
Suffice it to say that there are all too many hams out there who
think it is a major hassle to even join a club, much less actively
participate.
3. Overworked
club members. Yes, this
one has always been around because some club members take on way
more than their share of club duties. But the reason it is
worse than ever before goes back to the world economic downturn that
started in 2007. As the economic woes gathered, companies and
organizations began trimming their workforces. Everyone seemed to be
affected, no matter what the industry, and those who were still
working felt lucky to have jobs. Those who lost their jobs,
ham radio operators among them, tightened their belts and didn't
spend anything extra on their radio hobby. Back at the
workplace, those who still had jobs were doing the work of their old
job plus that of a co-worker or two, since there were now not enough
people on staff to get everything done. That meant longer, harder
hours at work, and less time for amateur radio club activities. I
have been a ham since 1967, and this is the first time I have been
hearing about this phenomenon from other hams who feel too pressed
to participate in club activities as they once
did.
4. Recruiting. A club
will fade away if it does not attract new members to replace those
who die, lose interest, or move out of the area. Yet this aspect of
club life is often left on the sidelines, going unnoticed until all
of a sudden it seems as if there is no longer a reason to have
regular club meetings. Recruiting is challenging in a world of
worldwide internet connectivity with VoIP and other activities that
mimic worldwide radio communication.
What can be
done?
Remember that whatever needs
doing, you do not have to do it all yourself. Leverage the manpower
you do have by using the resources available at ARRL, which has lots
of advice and ideas about clubs, club organization, and recruiting.
Let's take a closer look at each challenge:
A strategy to make meeting
space more available is to make your club stand out above and beyond
the others who might be competing for the same space. For example,
if you are meeting in the county law enforcement center, you can
make a better case for meeting space because your club supports
emergency communications, Skywarn training and weather spotting, and
public service communications. You are making sure that your club's
mission is aligned with that of the meeting space owner! No matter
who hosts your meeting space, remember that it is wise to give back
to your host in some way. If you are using a church hall for
your meetings, perhaps the church needs volunteers for a cleanup day
or help at the church picnic. If you are lucky enough to get a
special meeting room at a restaurant, everyone should buy a meal or
at least spend a reasonable few bucks to make sure the restaurant
owner turns a profit. The key? Be the best meeting space
user you can be, and you will have more
choices!
Apathy is hard to cure.
In fact, I don't even care
anymore.
Ha, ha, I am just kidding about
that not caring part, of course! I look at the programs and
activities as the "good stuff" associated with a radio club.
The other more pedestrian activities like the business meeting don't
really interest many of us. It's the program on the DXpedition
or the special event station that draws club members to the
meetings. If your club has apathy oozing out of every nook and
cranny, I'm willing to bet that your club doesn't host good
programs. Finding good presenters isn't a given; the
really good ones make the rounds but have limited time and
resources. Most of your club's programs and activities will
ultimately come from within the club itself, and that means finding
the right club member - one who is a really enthusiastic and
positive go-getter - to do the going and getting. By that I
mean they need to observe the membership, noting what areas of
interest and expertise there are within the club. Then they
have to recruit the guy who knows about antennas to give a talk.
Apathy is something you chip away at by slowly building your circle
of presenters. The more varied the topics, the better.
Like the offerings on a menu at an excellent restaurant, there will
soon be something for everyone at the club
meetings.
The problem of club members who
are stressed out by their work schedules will not be solved at the
radio club, but I think it is reasonable for those members who are
retired or who have a bit more time to step up to the plate and take
on some of those extra club duties. We need to appreciate that those
in their working years are trying to stuff 10 pounds of potatoes
into a 5 pound bag these days, and are often also raising families
with all of the obligations and demands on their time that those
things require. Yes, those people are sometimes willing to
take on club duties, but they are subject to "burn out" if they
don't get a little help. Next time you are at your radio club
meeting and something needs doing, raise your hand. Lead by
example.
Recruiting is vital, but how
does a club go about it? I have seen several once active and
vital radio clubs fade into obscurity and finally disband.
Others have been successful in maintaining and growing their
membership numbers. What is the
secret?
Well, there are several,
really. You have to understand the world around you - no small
feat, that. What it means is knowing that amateur radio has a
lot of competition for hobbyists who want to experiment with
electronics. It means understanding that on line video gaming,
so-called massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG),
include elements of world-wide communication, cooperation,
competition, scoring points, and community-building that are found
in traditional amateur radio. There is, in other words, a lot
of competition out there. Knowing what you are up against
makes it easier to figure out how to package amateur radio and your
radio club to better draw people in. If you want to make ham
radio attractive to anyone under 100, you'd better start thinking of
some interesting activities, outreach to school science teachers,
high-profile cooperative ventures with other groups... I think you
get the idea. My own local club drew some university students
in by participating in tracking high-altitude balloon flights via
APRS.
Another recruiting strategy is
to offer Technician courses to the general public. We schedule
ours right after a Skywarn course in the Spring, just before severe
weather season kicks in. The classes are free, but the participants
buy their own books. Graduates are invited to join our club.
Education is one of the most important indicators of a club's
health. Show me a club without an education program, and I'll
show you a meeting room that will soon be available for a group of
rock hounds or stamp collectors. Seriously, you have to offer
classes or your club is toast. Again, check out the excellent
resources on the ARRL website for tips on teaching and for resources
like math help. Most importantly, say "YES!" when asked if you will
be part of your club's education and training
team.
Your job? Make getting on
the air with amateur radio sound like it's at least as much fun as
World of Warcraft®.
Go get 'em,
tiger!
Patrick Tice
[email protected]
Handiham
Manager