Klystron wrote:
Jim Higgins wrote:
We already have a membership organization so what you must be talking
about is a different membership organization that appeals to a
different set of members. So... exactly which different set of
members would that be?


75% of all hams are NOT members of the ARRL. I'd start with them.

Respectfully, I would suggest that you start the new organization,
Klystron. If the present situation is unacceptable, then go out and
change it.

I might caution you that reading that 75 percent figure that a person
can get a distorted perspective. Are all those Hams active? Are they
from the group of Hams who came in during the so called "honeydo era"
when repeaters functioned as a sort of public cell phone for a lot of
folks? They started dropping off a few years ago, and will likely
continue for several more years.

It is just about a sure thing that most members of the ARRL are a group
that is actively involved in amateur radio. So they pay their dues,
vote, and get something for their money (in their opinion)



That said, it seems imperative that hams have some sort of
functioning and EFFECTIVE membership organization. Is there some
existing organization that could serve as the nucleus of a new
membership organization or would it make more sense to form a new
association from scratch?


I would suggest that you start the process of forming a new organization.

I would respectfully suggest that you might think about omitting
statements about the obsolescence of Morse code. Give some consideration
to your statement:

It was inexcusably slow to accept the obsolescence of Morse code and,
in the process, its curmudgeonly foot dragging alienated most of its
potential future members.

You are alienating the users of the mode - who are also more likely to
be Active Hams, IMO. As well as those of us who are presumably at least
somewhat satisfied with the ARRL's performance, witness our continued
writing of dues checks.

After all is said and done, your task is to organize a group that
includes inactive Hams, disinterested Hams, Hams who are content to
make use of the ARRL's benefits without getting involved personally, and
those who are frugally noncommittal to the whole thing.

When you do start this new organization, it might be helpful to provide
a monthly post to the newsgroups in the same manner that we have in
r.r.a.info and r.r.a.moderated.

As a start,an outline statement about what your organization is going
to do for us would be helpful.


- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -