On May 25, 5:01�pm, Steve Bonine wrote:
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.

..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.

Those things are part of daily life for almost everyone (in developed
countries) today.

But amateur radio has had that sort of competition for many decades -
it's nothing new.

�I suspect that the vast majority of them have not been
exposed to ham radio at all.

IMHO, *that* is the Big Problem.

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.

Here's one data point for you:

I graduated from high school in 1972. Middle class suburb of
Philadelphia, emphasis was on math and science. Out of about 5000
students (boys and girls in two side-by-side schools), there were
never more than a handful of hams. Less than a dozen in the four years
I was there (which covers 7 graduating classes. At any one time there
were no more than six hams in both schools.

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 ob
vious that I needed teaching.

Yep. But at the same time, there had to be a willingness to learn.

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.

And on a first-name basis, too. A bank president was "Joe", a
respected MD was "Bill", a highly skilled professional radio operator
was "Lou".

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".

That's true, but it's not what I was getting at.

What I have seen happen more than a few times is the case of a young
amateur rising through the ranks very quickly, passing older and more-
experienced amateurs on the way. Not just in license class (although
the "incentive licensing" changes helped that) but in things like DXCC
countries, code speed, contest scores, operating skills, new
technology in use, etc.

While most hams are glad to see such things, I suspect that there were
at least a few who did not like being bested at *anything* by
young(er) folks. Particularly when it's in the area of skills.

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.

Again, that's the Big Problem.

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.

Yes. it's new to them. But they rapidly recognize that it's not a new
technology at all. Doesn't matter; it's the uniqueness that makes it
interesting.

Uniqueness is a big deal to the young people I know. I clearly recall
seeing the first Harry Potter book appear - and seeing it being read,
in hardcover, by local kids as young as 2nd and 3rd grade.
"Conventional wisdom" says that "kids today" would not read books, let
alone buy them (or pester their parents to buy them), yet here they
were doing just that. Because the stories are unique.

Ham radio is never going to appeal to everyone. �
Never has; never will.

Of course.

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.

I think it's much simpler than that. Some people like the idea of
"radio for its own sake", others can't see the point.

That applies to almost any voluntary activity. For example, most
golfers will never play at anything like a professional level. The
game takes a considerable amount of time and expense, is dependent on
season and weather, and even when you play really well only a few will
ever know.

Yet lots of folks play, because it's not only fun but a challenge.

Same for sport fishing, target shooting, running marathons, and a
variety of arts and crafts done for pleasure. In all cases the journey
is as important (if not more important) than the destination.

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.

Agreed! But that requires a teacher who is a ham.

Scouting is perhaps the #1 source of new young hams
today, btw. Particularly boys. Scouting groups are
always looking for responsible adult leaders.

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.

Sort of. A key factor is knowing just how little help to give.

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 in
clusive.

Agreed - and that includes being willing to delegate authority.

I will never forget being allowed to run the 40 meter CW setup
overnight on Field Day back in 1970. I was 16, a ham for three years,
and there I was with a Drake 4-line and good antenna on a hot contest
band. You can bet I learned a lot that night!

73 de Jim, N2EY