Reaching Across the Chronological Divide

[Elecraft mailing list]

A few observations.
  

    We cannot think of the problem in passive terms. New hams will not come to us in great numbers.
    We need to go to them.
    We need hams to help teachers set up and run ham clubs in schools. (Collaborate)    We need to appear at events like Maker Faire and present ham radio in a new light. Some of our local group started, "Not your dad's ham radio" at the Faire. The Dorthy Grant Elementary School in Fontana is also another good example.
     We could specifically interface with national youth-serving agencies and start or enlarge programs. How about a Sota/QRP activity that we develop with specific local groups? 
    What not to do-     We had a science day a few years ago and had someone set up a field day operation. Unfortunately, he set up the radios so that he faced away from visitors and did not have a separate person to explain what was going on. No one was interested.  We have done ham radio demonstrations and information booths at dozens of fairs for years. Not a single new ham has made themselves known from those events. Obviously we were doing the wrong thing at the wrong place and probably in the wrong way. 
     We have put lots of effort into outreach. We have done what seemed to be the right thing, without analyzing whether it really was the right thing. Most nonprofit groups spend huge amounts of money and time in this area with little to show for it.
     We need to reach out to groups and form partnerships that work.  One organizational technique I am using in my area is to establish "daughter" clubs. These are smaller clubs or groups that we specifically help with equipment and expertise to help them realize their goals. There is a specific board member in our club that talks directly to a leader in the other club. It seems to work.       Lastly, we must not sit on the sidelines deftly approving of what others are doing. We need to be part of it. If there is a program that is working, help keep it going.

      (My EdD. research was in this area.)
  Hope the latter helps,
    Dr. Doug Millar EdD
    K6JEY
    
  
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[Jim Campbell]

One point that I don't believe has been addressed is Emergency
Communications. As a former ARES Emergency Coordinator, it seems to me
that if Emergency Communications could be presented to young people in
the right way it might interest some of them. It fills a need in the
community. When other communications break down, hams can usually find a
way to bridge the gap and provide the necessary communications. I can
remember some exercises in Spartanburg County, SC where most of the
people in the EOC were gathered around the ham radio position listening
to live, relevant communications that their positions weren't getting.
We were providing real-time communications because communications was
our only job. Many others had their primary job and communications was
something that they did when they had a spare minute.

Jim Campbell - W4BQP
K2/100 #2268
Former Spartanburg County, SC ARES EC
Former Spartanburg County, SC RACES Radio Officer


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[Joseph Street]

I believe this is a very important point.  The modern civilization, at least in the developed world has become so dependent on the infrastructure.  I'm pretty sure the younger generation has no appreciation for the extent of that and also how far reaching the impact of a breakdown of that infrastructure can be. Many of the not so young as well, I'm pretty sure. Back in '98 right after Christmas when a massive ice storm hit the north eastern US and Canada, my folks were without power for 14 days in January.  Many unforseen dominoes fell.  Large dairy farms had massive piles of dead cows they couldn't milk without electricity.  Didn't see that one coming.  They couldn't pump gas until the hand pumps came out and then they couldn't keep a ledger till the notebooks came out.  Grocery stores lost a lot of food and kitchens too.  No restaurants to turn to.   All of this was denial until days went by and people began to realize they had to do certain things old school until the powe
 r came back.  Hospitals have emergency generators but there were many small and not so small ways we fell on our faces.  The cell phones had some power but the towers ran out of backup power in short order and didn't get re-fueled too quickly given the breakdown of everything else. No internet. The field day setups came out and traffic was passed.  Of course there are many stories where amateur radio helped out but unless folks have some direct experience with this type of thing it is too easy to live in blissful ignorance of just how big the problem can be when critical infrastructure fails.  I don't like to dwell in doom and gloom but I do think that more can be done to impress the importance of alternative technology for communication on the general public and to help people realize how much their lives can change and to what degree when the infrastructure fails.  This can be an important point for keeping public perception of amateur radio as something current and import
 ant rather than just an antiquated relic of yesterday's generation.


Joe ve3vxo


________________________________
From: [hidden email] <[hidden email]> on behalf of Jim Campbell <[hidden email]>
Sent: December 23, 2019 7:45 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Reaching Across the Chronological Divide

One point that I don't believe has been addressed is Emergency
Communications. As a former ARES Emergency Coordinator, it seems to me
that if Emergency Communications could be presented to young people in
the right way it might interest some of them. It fills a need in the
community. When other communications break down, hams can usually find a
way to bridge the gap and provide the necessary communications. I can
remember some exercises in Spartanburg County, SC where most of the
people in the EOC were gathered around the ham radio position listening
to live, relevant communications that their positions weren't getting.
We were providing real-time communications because communications was
our only job. Many others had their primary job and communications was
something that they did when they had a spare minute.

Jim Campbell - W4BQP
K2/100 #2268
Former Spartanburg County, SC ARES EC
Former Spartanburg County, SC RACES Radio Officer


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