Carl R. Stevenson wrote:
Here's an interesting, but short-term, lmited lifetime idea for you folks
who want to promote code learning.

The Lehigh Valley Amateur Radio Club has ammassed $100.00 to present as an
award to the last *club member* to pass Element 1 for an upgrade at a
*club-sponsored* ARRL VE session before the new rules come into effect and
the Element 1 test moves out of the rule book and into the history books.

How will it be decided who is the last one?

(Actually, it was announced last week at this month's club meeting that
"several benefactors" had contributed a total of $70.00 to the cause and I
just *had* to immediately kick in an additional $30.00 on behalf of NCI to
make it an even hundred :-)

omigawd that's hilarious, Carl! I wish W3RV and I coulda been there
when
you did that....

As I said, this is a short-term (limited lifetime) opportunity. If you want
to *continue* to promote code learning, great, but you'll have to come up
with a new idea ...

Here are 10 ways to promote Morse Code. (The "you" in the following is
aimed at the person who wants to promote the mode):

1) Use Morse Code on the air. For ragchewing, DXing, contesting,
traffic handling, QRP, QRO, QRS, QRQ, whatever floats yer boat. If your

favorite band is crowded, try another and/or get a sharper filter. If
you contest, even a little, send in your logs, photos, soapbox
comments, etc. Our presence on the air is essential - one of the
reasons FCC took away so much of 80 is that they were convinced it
wasn't being used. Our presence on the air is more important than ever.


2) Work on your Morse Code skills. Got a CP certificate?

But not just speed alone. Can you send and receive a message in
standard form? Can you do it faster than someone on 'phone?
Can you do both "head copy" and write it down? How about copying on a
mill? Ragchewing? Contesting? Being able to have a QSO at slow as well
as fast speeds?


3) Find a local club that does Field Day and go out with them.
Particularly if they have little or no Morse Code activity on FD now.
Help with their Morse Code efforts however you can - operating,
logging, setting up, tearing down, etc. FD is one way to actively
demonstrate 21st Century Morse Code *use*. Talking to people about
Morse isn't nearly so effective as showing them.


4) Set up a Morse Code demo at a local hamfest/club meeting/air
show/town fair/middle school etc. Not as some sort of nostalgia thing
but as a demonstration that Morse Code is alive and in use today.


5) Conduct training classes - on the air, in person, over the 'net,
whatever. Help anybody who wants to learn. Could be as simple as giving

them some code tapes or CDs, or as involved as a formal course at a
local community center.


6) Elmer anybody who wants help - even if they're not interested in
Morse Code at all. Your help and example may inspire them.


7) Write articles for QST/CQ/Worldradio/K9YA Telegraph/Electric
Radio/your local hamclub newsletter etc. Not about the code *test* nor
about Morse Code history, the past, etc., but about how to use Morse
Code *today*. For example, how about an article on what rigs are best
for Morse Code use, and why? Or about the differences between a bug,
single-lever keyer, iambic A and iambic B? Your FD experiences with
Morse Code? (QST, June, 1994) Yes, you may be turned down by the first
mag you submit it to - but keep submitting.


8) Get involved in NTS, QMN, ARES, whatever, and use Morse Code there.
The main reason so much emergency/public service stuff is done on voice

is because they don't have the people - skilled operators - to use any
other mode.


9) Join FISTS & SKCC and any other group that supports Morse. Give out
numbers to those who ask for them even if you're not a contester/award
collector.


10) Forget about "the test". It will be gone soon and FCC won't bring
it back. Yes, a lot of us think they made a bad decision, but that's
nothing new, just look at BPL or their rulings on the sale of broadcast
radio stations.

FCC won't preserve our standards and values - we have to do it.

And our attitude is a key part of that (pun intended). If we're seen as

a bunch of old grumpy gus types, not many will want to join us. But if
we present ourselves as a fun-loving, welcoming,
young-at-heart-and-mind, helpful group with useful skills,
similar people will want to join us.

IMHO

73 es KC de Jim, N2EY