I disagree with you there. To welcome and to encourage
newcomers who have already demonstrated their future relevance
by being technically motivated is one thing, but to
swell the ranks, just for the sake of swelling, with those
who are CBers, and who will always remain CBers, and
will never be more than CBers-Masquerading-As-Radio-Hams
is quite another.

BTW, It is CB Radio that is a "hobby". Ham Radio is a technical
pursuit.

"Dr. Anton T. Squeegee" wrote in message
...
Amateur radio's real enemy is not those who don't know an
oscilloscope probe from a soldering pencil. No, the real danger to
amateur radio comes from those, like you, who display nothing but
intolerance to newcomers who are interested in the hobby, but who may
never have picked up a multimeter in their lives.
So: Instead of responding to newcomers with elitism and arrogance,
try responding as an "Elmer." Inform them about the purposes behind the
service, and explain about the responsibilities that a license carries.
Also explain that the Amateur Radio service, like any other hobby, is a
mirror: The 'reward' one gets out is directly proportional to what one
puts into it.