COMMENTS

Bill Booth has expressed in letter below the same frustration that some members of SMARS have expressed.  Field Day is many things. Perhaps most important is the opportunity for socializing in a activity where all regardless of skills can take part. The lack of participation by members of the club in various club activities is frustrating. At the national level, the same problem occurs. Note that later in this newsletter an appeal is made to write to your congressman with regard to a pending bill. How many will get off their dead fanny and do something about either activity. Past experience suggests that nothing will happen.
WA8MFL

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

    HI MARION

    Just a little bit about Field Day 2007. To all of you that came out to field day this year and helped set up, operated radios, help tear down, cooked meals, and provided support of those who did show, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I was very disappointed that more did not come to show support of your club. We had one trailer that was not staffed for the whole week end, one trailer that was staffed part of the time and one trailer that was staffed most of the time.
    Most of the club members that come to our club meetings are always saying that we need more younger people in the club to keep it going. What are you doing to encourage these young people? There are a few that help
all of the time on whatever event we put on and the rest are never around. The people who show up at these events are the people who care and are willing to help the young people learn what ham radio is all about.
    You want more younger people in ham radio and in our club to keep in going.  We tried to get a class started to teach people about ham radio and train people so they can take the  licence testing. No one would volunteer to help teach the class. Our club has a lot of very experienced and knowledgeable people in it. We have people who are very knowledgeable about electronics, and some who really know about antennas, some who know about CW and how to use it. YET! NO one would volunteer to help teach a class when Norm was trying to get it started.  There are several in our club who would like to take that class. There are several people who would like to have a class to learn what ham radio is all about. They want to
get there ham licenses but won't take the test because they don't know anything about electronics.
    Lets stop griping at our meetings and start backing the club and help it to grow. I have learned a great deal from listening to all of you in the past. I hope to learn a lot more from all of you in the future. Again, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE BACKED ME WITH THE HAMFEST AND THIS YEAR'S FIELD DAY.


BILL BOOTH  KD8CDS

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Back Cover