Bob wrote:

While I agree with some of what you say about slipping standards,
nevertheless numbers are shrinking and new blood must be encouraged into
the hobby/pastime/service/pursuit, etc,

Why do people continue to propagate this myth? The Amateur Service is
not dying, and never has been, and the numbers are not falling. Even
the IARU quite clearly state this in their document "SPECTRUM
REQUIREMENTS OF THE AMATEUR AND
AMATEUR-SATELLITE SERVICES Revised August 2006" at
http://www.iaru.org/ac-spec06.html

When referring to the 7MHz allocation, the IARU say "The amateur service
requirement continues to be for at least a 300-kHz allocation. This
requirement is even greater today than in the past, owing to the
increasing number of amateur stations and the expanding diversity of
modes of emission used in the amateur service". Note the phrase
"increasing number of amateur stations"!

When referring to the 14MHz allocation, the IARU say "The growth of the
amateur service and its heavy dependence on this band for international
communication....". Note the phrase "the growth of the amateur service".

This doesn't sound like anything that is dying.

The only people who try to propagate the myth that the Amateur Service
is dying are those who have a financial interest (national societies
through membership numbers and equipment manufacturers/retailers).
Don't listen to them. Instead, turn on your radio and listen to that
instead.... you will find it is busier than ever!

The latest data available on the IARU website at
http://www.iaru.org/statsum00.html (bottom of the page) shows the number
of licensed amateurs from 1965-2000. In 2000 the number was at the
highest ever, so where is the evidence to back up the 'dying' theory?
However, the number of licensed amateurs who were also members of their
national society was at the LOWEST number ever (19.6% in 2000 compared
to 38.6% in 1965).

There are too many people with no real interest in amateur radio who are
continually pushing to have the standards lowered so that they can gain
financially from it. They do this by lying through their teeth that
amateur radio is dying and use scare tactics that we will lose
allocations. It is time to put a stop to this!

--
ARRL membership = $39 (~£20)
RSGB membership = £44

Don't let them rip you off any more.
Do the right thing, resign from the RSGB today.

The RSGB said Radio Amateurs were a threat to national security!
Is this the type of organisation you want to represent you?