[LakelandARC] Tips and Tonics for Healthier Radio Clubs

[N. A. Monllor]

Sorry George, I meant before the net.

Ren

 

From: LakelandARC at yahoogroups.com [mailto:LakelandARC at yahoogroups.com] 
Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2015 9:46 AM
To: LakelandARC at yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [LakelandARC] Tips and Tonics for Healthier Radio Clubs

 

  

Hey George,

I tried bringing up the email you posted on Thursday before the meeting but unfortunately no one picked up on it.

Ren

 

From: LakelandARC at yahoogroups.com [mailto:LakelandARC at yahoogroups.com] 
Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2015 4:35 AM
To: LakelandARC at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [LakelandARC] Tips and Tonics for Healthier Radio Clubs

 

  




Successful radio clubs are a joy to experience.

Easy to spot,
they are usually populated by
enthusiastic, gun-ho members
who are involved with a full agenda
of interesting things.

They are generally at the center of
 most Amateur Radio activities in
town. 

Healthy radio clubs are vitally important to the future of Amateur Radio.

It is the club that often provides the motivation and support for such
fundamental activities as recruiting new hams, sponsoring radio classes and
doing volunteer testing. 

Clubs are often the best organizers and financiers of
expensive repeater systems, ham-fests and emergency communication
programs, as well. 

What makes a radio club successful?

 

What secrets enable them to keep
adding members, providing interesting activities and offering interesting
programs?

Have Fun!

 

Most of us enjoy Amateur Radio because
it's fun. 

We use it to escape from work
and stress, and as long as it fills that
need, we return to it again and again. 

So the first sign of great radio club is that it
is a fun place for hams to go.

If it is fun, they will come, but if club meetings
are long, boring and serious, seldom
creating a chuckle among the members,
the future is dark.

If, however, the business

meetings are kept short and to the point with

plenty of light-hearten
and fun things on the program, and
there is a warm welcome waiting, members

(and visitors) will enjoy coming --
and they will return. 

While clubs must conduct

some business during
meetings, most of the lengthy planning
and detail work can be done by its
board and officers. 

Give 'Em What They Want

Good clubs have good programs. 

The most popular

programs will meet the
needs and interests of the members, so
it pays to stay in touch with them.
How?

By listening. 

Survey them, talk
with them and solicit feedback. 

Ask members to list their favorite program topics and

invite ideas for guest
speakers and activities.

Ask what they do not want. 

Have them evaluate and rate programs and speakers. 

Check other clubs in the area for the names of good speakers.

Find out who in your own
club has a skill, talent or specialized
knowledge that would make a good program. 

Tap the Talent

 

Radio clubs are cooperatives. 

Since they lack

employees or paid staff,
everything must be done by the members. 

These volunteers are the brains
and brawn behind every club activity and are extremely important. 

The ability of a club to tackle a wide variety of programs and projects depends 
upon having enough volunteers.

If there is one sad theme heard again and
again in most clubs, it is this: "We don't have enough volunteers. 

The same few people do all the work. 

Those who don't pitch in should be pitched out."
Radio clubs must tap their talent pool.

A skills inventory is helpful in
identifying those with special talent or
training such as electronic engineers,
lawyers, writers, mechanics and so on.
New member applications can ask for
such information, and a periodic update of skills is helpful.
Getting enough volunteers is not just
a matter of shaming members into it.
Many members will step forward when
a need is announced, but others need to be asked. 

The club's volunteer corps will remain strong if
it does a good job of recognizing them and making them stars of the organization. 

After all, no paycheck is given for their labors, but a classy thing to do is to hand out a
sincere public "thank you" during a club meeting, followed by a written
acknowledgment in the Blog. 

This simple application of human
motivation can work wonders.

The flip side is that if a club takes its
volunteers for granted and ignores recognition, this precious talent pool may
soon dry up. 

Devote one meeting a year to presenting
awards and honoring those who serve.

How a club treats its volunteers influences
the rest of members, and from those
ranks can come even more honorees in the future. 

Stay Active

Good clubs offer members a variety of activities.

The club meeting is no substitute for fun things like Field Day, fox hunts, emergency drills, social
nights, antenna parties and picnics. 

Active clubs give their members many
opportunities to participate in interesting things.
Operating events, for example, allow many members to participate. 

Field Day is a classic opportunity for fun and public service at the same time, and
special event stations can create enjoyable fellowship while promoting
Amateur Radio.

Staying active is a good growth tonic. 

If the main action in your club is
drinking coffee, its future is doomed. 


Use your Radio Communications

Having a club whose members possess personal radio communication
capabilities is a great asset. 

Having an informal club net can promote
fellowship among members while allowing discussion of club activities
between regular meetings. 

Special features can be included, such as ARRL
bulletins, a DX bulletin board, swap
and shop, group trouble-shooting of
technical problems or details on new equipment. 

Promote Fellowship

 

Radio clubs do a wonderful service by
helping individual hams meet others
and promote mutual help. 

The tradition of Elmer's helping newcomers is often
the first opportunity that hams have to demonstrate fellowship.
Together, radio club members can do much more than any individual is able
to do.

Erecting antennas, helping with license exams, troubleshooting,
enjoying social events, sponsoring ham-fests, providing emergency
communications and many more activities are why radio clubs remain
popular. 

Above all, healthy radio clubs are warm, inviting groups that make visitors
and newcomers feel welcome. 

A greeting, handshake, a round of introductions
and getting people involved as quickly
as possible are sure signs of a club
whose future is bright. 

Recruit New Members

 

Clubs must recruit new members to insure their survival. 

Members leave for various reasons, and without a plan to
replace them, clubs will stagnate.
Promotion is important. 

Keeping the club name before the public and other
hams should be a continuing effort. 

Use news releases regularly to announce
club meetings, Field Day, emergency dills, new officers and social events.
Invite newly licensed hams to your club meetings. 

Have a membership drive
to encourage your current members to
recruit new ones. 

Mail your newsletter
to area hams with a special invitation
to a future meeting, and put it on the
Internet or send it via e-mail.
Encourage members to bring guests.
Opportunities to promote membership
are limited only by a club's
imagination and resources. 

In summary, there are numerous factors that determine the success and
longevity of radio clubs.

So use these tips for an examination of your club's
health, and here's hoping it is in good shape. 

Radio Club Program Ideas

Have an auction. 

Club members can bring
items, with a portion of proceeds going to
the club. 

Go on a field trip.

Visit local radio or TV
stations, electronics firms or police
communications center.

Radio trivia game. 

Ask questions relating
to radio, with prizes for most correct
answers.

Show and Tell. 

Members bring items and
describe them.

Home-brew night.

Members bring a radio
construction project and describe it.

QSL night. 

Cards are shown and stories
told relating to the contacts. 

Equipment reviews. 

Owners of new ham
equipment describe and evaluate it. 

73 George KI4NBE

 



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