From: "Dee Flint" on Sat,May 7 2005 5:08 am

"K=D8=88B" wrote in message
link.net...

"Dee Flint" wrote



Contrary to common sentiment, they are extraordinarily engaged in
the
local ham scene and not just "shack-on-a-belt-repeater-lizards" as
some
like to characterize them.

The Technicians here are also quite engaged in all the public service,

community, and club activities. What the participation seems to lag
here is
in the wide range of on air activities.

We can be sure some of your best friends are Technicians...

The sooner ARRL membership has Technicians as members in numbers
proportional to their population, the sooner ARRL will truly
represent the
full spectrum of amateur licensees. My PBI seeks to make that
happen.

I thought that I had seen a statistic where close to half of the ARRL
membership were Technicians.

Whose pipe smoke were you gazing at for that factoid?

The ARRL remains silent on demographics of its
membership. On the QST "Publisher's Sworn
Circulation Statement" [www.arrl.org/ads/circ.html]
page marked "last revised 17 March 2005," the
ARRL membership as of 31 December 2004 was 151,727.
The "individuals who are ARRL members" is given
as 138,127. Obvious discrepancy there. ARRL
does not clarify what seems to be a glaring error
in arithmetic...

That's about ALL that is given BY the ARRL on their
membership...or any other demographics.

According to www.hamdata.com, the total licensees
for U.S. radio amateurs was 733,080 on 7 May 2005.
Of those, 310,455 were Technician classes...which
works out to 42.35% of the total. If the ARRL
membership is really as high as 151,727 then that
represents only 20.70% of the total number of
licensed U.S. radio amateurs.

If so, then it simply means that the Techs
need to get more involved on the management side to make things
happen.

Long jump of a conclusion. Tsk, tsk. What
would your class say about that?

Afterall there is no reason that a Tech couldn't be President.

Quite true. The only requirement is that they
are natural-born citizens of the United States,
are at least 35 years old and been a resident of
the United States for at least 14 years.
- Article II, Section 1, Constitution of the
United States of America

Oh, you meant the ARRL? The ARRL laready has TWO
Presidents...Sumner and Haynie. Are you suggesting
they try for THREE? [incroyable...]


Perhaps if this PBI were more aimed at expanding the membership at all

levels it would be more fruitful. Very little change would be needed
to
what you propose other than seeking out non-members of all classes.

ARRL membership is dropping. [go look at older
BoD Membership reports] Dropping with essentially
NO change in their requirements. That is NOT good
for the League.

What is "seeking out non-members of all classes?"

First you say that "half the ARRL membership is
Technicians," then you want more attraction for
all classes? You aren't being clear in what you
are saying.

BTW, how DID the cake taste?