So I'm sitting around with a bunch of friends last night, and the topic of the conversation gets around to the upcoming RARS class. Specifically, how we should go about recruiting students for the class. Somebody said that they had a prospect, but that person visited a RARS meeting, and decided that ham radio is not for him. I couldn't believe what I just heard. How could this be? What could have happened at that meeting to have this effect on a person? Well... the meeting was in June, 95, and the topic was... (drum roll here please...) CONTESTING. Remember that? It was a presentation by yours truly, and I explained how it works, presented some examples, and then had a five minute simulated contest involving everyone in the room. We all had a blast... or so I thought.

Well, after hearing last night, that I had turned someone off so badly, I was devastated. That lasted for thirty seconds (plus or minus a few). Now, I'm trying to put this all in perspective, and here's what I think: When someone likes something, they like to share it. Especially hobbiests, and hams are no different. We think everyone should be a ham. And we think everyone should be interested in the same aspects of this diversified hobby that we are. But the truth is that most people are not interested in ham radio. Or at least not interested in becoming a ham. When being drug into the fold, and receiving pressure to become one of us, they can resist. They seem to have an endless list of reasons that they cannot or should not become a ham; (no time, no money, test too hard, don't know other hams, mic shy, no room for a shack... etc.) Of course we can overcome each and every excuse a person may have, by why don't we understand that that person is just not ready, and turn our attention to those that are ready, and help them along?

Now, what about the content of the RARS program. Was it a mistake to risk this presentation last June, and expose this aspect of the hobby? How many programs a year should be a ham radio sales pitch? One or two? Six or seven? What are our members expecting for a program? What do they deserve? The way I see it, they deserve to be introduced to parts of the hobby they are unfamiliar with. They deserve to sit for an hour and be entertained. They deserve to leave, taking with them a view they may not have had before. And what about our guests? Well, they deserve the same things. So was the contesting program a mistake? I don't think so. There is hardly a ham alive that wouldn't poo poo some aspect of the hobby in favor of some other aspect. But rest assured, that when it's my turn to present a program, I will do my best to give you an exciting presentation, and show you something you have not seen before. If you enjoy it, I have been successful. If I turn somebody off, well, I'm sorry. Sort of. You'll just have to try the next months program.

Sheesh.

Jeff - AC4ZO