"Steve Robeson K4CAP" wrote


A program that identified qualified "mentor stations" and "training
clubs"
would directly couple these folks with people who want to help and
have the
knowledge and skills to help.


Perhaps it escaped your notice, but such a nationwide program already
exists, without big-government establishing a "supervised only, store
bought rigs only" operator class.

At their web site ARRL lists all their affiliated clubs, including
services those clubs offer such as organized training programs, club
stations, etc.

They also have established a four-level mentoring program which include
ARRL Club Mentor, ARRL Mentor, Interactive Mentor and Special Interest
Mentor.

The ARRL Club Mentor will involve the participation of ARRL-affiliated
clubs in close cooperation with ARRL Headquarters staff. Affiliated
clubs will be encouraged to actively participate in this program to
"mainstream" more people, licensed and otherwise, into Amateur Radio.
The club mentor program also has the additional benefit of potentially
increasing a club's membership as well.

The ARRL Mentor program will work through ARRL Headquarters. An ARRL
mentor is a person with an interest in mentoring--or "Elmering"--new
licensees who may or may not be members of an ARRL-affiliated club. ARRL
Headquarters staff will support these mentors, who must be ARRL members.

The Interactive Mentor is intended to aid enterprising new hams via the
ARRL Web site by providing answers to basic questions and through chat
rooms, where discourse between new hams and mentors would help new hams
to get on the air.

The Special Interest Mentor is intended to match people with interests
in advanced, specialized areas of Amateur Radio technology with mentors
who are experienced in these technologies.

73, de Hans, K0HB