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Steve Bonine · May 25th 08, 10:01 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated

wrote:

I became a ham at age 13, mostly through what I learned from ARRL
books. The big attraction was that Radio in general and Amateur Radio
in particular looked like a lot of fun to me. And for more than 40
years, it has been.

Me too. But I do think that we have increased competition these days
from other outlets for prospective hams, and other things that "look
like a lot of fun". Computers and such gadgets are a part of daily life
for young folks these days; it's only natural that they gravitate in
that direction. I suspect that the vast majority of them have not been
exposed to ham radio at all.

I had a good buddy when I was that age who was interested in radio and
electronics, and peer pressure being what it is, I followed his lead.
Those people are fewer these days.

I think there is a sense that, back in the Old Days, there were young
hams (high school and younger) all over the place. In my experience as
a young ham (1960s-70s), however, that was not the case at all. Ham
radio was a niche thing back then, same as now, even without
computers, cell phones, etc.

Yes, I agree. I do remember more young hams back then, though. It was
mostly a hobby for older people, but I do think there were more young
hams then.

There were a few curmudgeons back then who had no time for young hams.
But they were only a few. And a considerable number of young hams
dropped out because equipment was expensive, antennas were huge
compared to their houses, and/or they got interested in other things.

A considerable number of old hams dropped out for similar reasons,
sometimes providing a source of equipment for the new folks.

One big "hook", for me was that except for those few curmudgeons I was
not treated as an inferior - particularly on the air. A big part of
this was due to the mode I used - Morse Code. With Morse Code (and
text modes), no one knows your age or gender unless you tell them.
Operating skill, QSO content and signal quality established one's on-
air reputation, not how deep or gravelly your voice was.

This was a very important consideration for me, too. Even for the
operation that I did on phone, by and large people treated me as an
equal, and if I demonstrated skill they recognized that skill without
regard to my age. Even in traditional in-person interactions like club
meetings and Field Day operations, I was treated as an equal if I could
demonstrate that I deserved to be treated that way. Generally speaking
the local ham community was eager to reach out and teach me if it was
obvious that I needed teaching.

I can't think of another hobby where I could have gained access to such
a community of people who were often peers of my parents.

To speculate wildly, it might be that one cause for curmudgeon-ness is
the fear of what advancements/accomplishments the young folks might
actually make.

I think you give this segment of our hobby too much credit grin.

There are always going to be folks who simply have no social skills or
prefer not to deal with "kids". There will be people who enjoy building
or experimenting, but they have no desire to interact with other humans.
That's their prerogative.

It's a shame when they make newcomers feel unwelcome, but it's going to
happen in any group. Other members in the group must compensate.

The core value of Amateur Radio is "radio for its own sake". Some
folks get that, most do not. The task is to spread that word to all,
publicize the wide variety of things hams do, welcome those who are
interested, and help them with what *they* find interesting.

Spreading the word is more important these days than ever before. We
can't expect people to become interested in something that they don't
know exists.

Oddly enough, a lot of the young hams I have met are fascinated by
Morse Code, simply because it is unique and outside their experience.
That doesn't mean it's the only thing to show them, or that all new
hams must start out one and only one way. But it does mean we cannot
assume young hams are only interested in "new" things.

But CW is new to them. It's different. Unique.

Ham radio is never going to appeal to everyone. Never has; never will.
The majority of people, young and old, tend to go with what has the
interest of the mainstream. Hams have always been somewhat "different",
and the hobby has always appealed to a segment of the population that
wasn't interested in doing whatever the fashionable thing might be at
the moment.

Some ideas:

1) Presentations at the middle-school and even elementary-school level
- including the parents.

Getting the teachers involved would be ideal. Teachers are an
incredibly important influence on their students.

2) Identify local hams who are available to be Elmers. (I suspect that
some of the curmudgeon-ness is due to the fear of being expected to be
an Elmer).

This is indeed key. It's what made the hobby so important for me as a
younger ham.

3) Subtle helps to prospective young hams, such as a ride to a club
meeting, Field Day or hamfest, the loan of a rig, the gift of a box of
"old wire" that happens to contain all the parts needed to build an
antenna, etc.

And the help to actually put it together.

4) Inclusion and acceptance. This means being considered an equal, or
at least a potential equal. For example, put new hams or prospective
hams to work with FD setup, logging, etc. (That means knowing how to
do things the right way, though!)

I do think this is the most important aspect. I'm not suggesting that
we coddle people simply because they are young, or fawn over them. But
we should give them the opportunity to contribute as equals, with
appropriate encouragement and assistance. Breaking into the "old boys'
network" can be impossible if the old boys don't make an effort to be
inclusive.

73, Steve KB9X