Michael Coslo wrote:

I think it is pretty fair to say that the ARS will never be a
mainstream hobby or avocation. I really don't think that that is even a
good idea, after some thought.

It's much like other hobbies -- there are people who enjoy collecting
stamps or snapping pictures, but these aren't "mainstream" either.
There will always be competition for peoples' spare time, and ham radio
is one of the things that people can enjoy in their spare time.

What attracted you, and can we get some ideas from that to attract or
identify and attract new blood?

I would certainly like to see some of those ideas.

I think my path into ham radio was fairly typical for the 60's -- I got
interested in radio and electronics, had a friend who had similar
interests, and ham radio was a good fit. Not only did it provide a way
to learn about electronics but it got me introduced to many people who I
would never have met otherwise.

I suspect that my analog in the current generation pursues a similar
interest via their computer. There's an interesting correlation between
meeting people at the club meeting and on the air, versus meeting them
via the Yahoo Group, the chat room, or via online game playing.

My path back into ham radio was via the public-service aspect. When I
retired and moved to a place where I could participate in the hobby, I
got back on the air and tried several aspects of the hobby -- NTS,
contests, DX, general ragchewing. None of them really caught my fancy,
for various reasons. Then I ended up in Mississippi in the Katrina
effort and that activity did capture my interest. Since then my
ham-radio activity has been primarily related to public service and
emergency communication.

I'm not suggesting that this is the only way to recruit people into the
hobby or that it's the only segment of the hobby that's worth anything.
It's MY primary interest, and if other folks enjoy DX or contests or
whatever, that's wonderful. Different people enjoy different things,
which is one of the great things about ham radio -- it's many different
hobbies, all rolled up into one. The difficulty is selling this to the
general public.

73, Steve KB9X

"Steve Bonine" wrote in message
...
Michael Coslo wrote:


What attracted you, and can we get some ideas from that to attract or
identify and attract new blood?

I would certainly like to see some of those ideas.

Our Section Manager came up with a great idea. We have a very successful
youth group in the far reaches of the state. There are, of course, a number
of other amateur radio youth groups around the state, having varying levels
of success.

In April, we are going to gather kids from all these groups together, ply
them with pop and pizza, a have them tell us what it was that attracted
them, and what we could do better. What better way to figure out how to
attract new hams than by asking the new hams themselves, and especially the
young ones who we need, and who are likely to be more open than their older
counterparts.

By the way, that successful group out in the boonies has started another
chapter in the state, and yet another in a neighboring state. They're doing
something the kids lke.

...

xpyttl wrote:
"Steve Bonine" wrote in message
...
Michael Coslo wrote:


some snippage

Our Section Manager came up with a great idea. We have a very successful
youth group in the far reaches of the state. There are, of course, a number
of other amateur radio youth groups around the state, having varying levels
of success.

In April, we are going to gather kids from all these groups together, ply
them with pop and pizza, a have them tell us what it was that attracted
them, and what we could do better. What better way to figure out how to
attract new hams than by asking the new hams themselves, and especially the
young ones who we need, and who are likely to be more open than their older
counterparts.


Your group has hit on the correct way to attract the young folks - by
getting a number of them together.

If a young person comes into Ham radio all by themselves, it isn't as
interesting for them, and they can't do as many things easily as if they
were older. Its been my experience that young people (tweens and early
teenagers) can get a little lost at club meetings and activities like
Field day. And these days, there should be an approved adult to
chaperone them at events who has been cleared by one of the state police
background investigations.

But if you can get a fair number of young'uns who can relate to each
other well, they can become good hams and a future resource.

- 73 de Mike N3LI -

Michael Coslo wrote:

Your group has hit on the correct way to attract the young folks - by
getting a number of them together.

I agree, but I haven't found the secret for getting them together. How
does one publicize this first gathering? I have not found the term "ham
radio" to be effective in attracting young folks.

How about some more detail from the original poster of this scheme in
terms of how they got it off the ground, and how they manage to keep it
going?

Thanks and 73,
Steve KB9X

"Steve Bonine" wrote in message
...

How about some more detail from the original poster of this scheme in
terms of how they got it off the ground, and how they manage to keep it
going?

Well, I wasn't the guy who got the original group going. However, my
(vague) understanding is that the DAR Girls and Boys Club (I hadn't even
known there was such a thing) was the original resource. Whether the DAR
approached someone looking for an activity for these kids, or whether some
interested ham was already a member, I don't know. Somehow they hit upon
the idea of HF Contesting, and formed the "Young Amateurs Contest Ham Team"
(YACHT). This, for whatever reason, took off. Apparently these kids enjoy
contesting. As far as I know, the amateurs involved weren't big contesters,
so this must have been the kids' idea.

On reflection, contesting seems a pretty good idea. Kids are often
reluctant to have conversations with older hams on the air. A contest is an
easy way to get a lot of contacts without the risk of being asked hard
questions.

Locally we did have the 4H approach us looking for something of interest to
the boys in 4H, since most of the activities seemed more oriented towards
girls. As it turned out, we didn't attract many boys; a few girls but a
bunch of parents! So that didn't work out for us. We still put together a
little booth at the 4H annual pancake supper, but that really hasn't been
terribly productive. One local activity that does seem to be working out is
a school club. A couple of amateurs go to one of the middle schools once a
week for a meeting of their radio club. This has gotten us a handful of new
hams. Not huge numbers compared to the population, but every little bit
helps.

Someone mentioned having mentors for the kids background cheked, and in this
day and age, there is something to be said for this. Most RACES
organizations now require background checks, so your RACES organization
might be a source for mentors for these kids that have already been vetted.

...

xpyttl wrote:

Someone mentioned having mentors for the kids background cheked, and in this
day and age, there is something to be said for this. Most RACES
organizations now require background checks, so your RACES organization
might be a source for mentors for these kids that have already been vetted.


Keep in mind that the background checks for working with children are
looking for different issues.

When I was prez of an association and coaching youth Ice Hockey, I
often had to explain that we weren't looking for violations of basic
law, that no one was going to be rejected because they had an underage
drinking offense or the like. No one is perfect. The only thing that
would trigger the thing was violations involving children.

The RACES checks might be a bit different, but I'm not sure. I'm almost
certain the Red Cross' ones are.

- 73 de Mike N3LI

"Michael Coslo" wrote in message
...

Keep in mind that the background checks for working with children are
looking for different issues.

When I was prez of an association and coaching youth Ice Hockey, I often
had to explain that we weren't looking for violations of basic law, that
no one was going to be rejected because they had an underage drinking
offense or the like. No one is perfect. The only thing that would trigger
the thing was violations involving children.

The RACES checks might be a bit different, but I'm not sure. I'm almost
certain the Red Cross' ones are.

RACES background checks are, of course, dependent on your local emergency
manager. Most, however, a looking for pretty much the same things. In the
event of an emergency you might be deployed at a shelter or other location
where there might be vulnerable individuals. That is the same sort of thing
I would suspect one would want to know if someone were to be around
children.

But it is a good caution. Different jurisdictions can be amazingly uneven.
I know of one jurisdiction where a deputy interviews the candidate's spouse.
The concern is that the volunteer work might interfere with the home life.
So clearly, YMMV.

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