How to make your ham radio club as unappealing as possible
My eyebrows shot up when I read this on Reddit!
Quoted from r/amateurradio on Reddit:
I joined an amateur radio club and experienced issues that make me question the competence of the club president and the board. So here's my list of things a club needs to do to make it as unappealing as possible:
Don't answer any emails that the new member sends you. Even if the new member asks if you got their email, say something like you'll take a look but actually never do it.
On the same note, never check your spam folder. If a member's email lands in there, it'll be there for a reason.
If you do reply, don't use a salutation. Also, don't close your email with "Kind regards" or similar. Use an unfriendly tone so that the member will stop emailing in the future.
If there is some email back and forth with a member, just stop answering them at one point. Even if the member tries to reestablish contact, keep ghosting them.
Basically, just be bad at communication and try to come across as unfriendly as possible.
Have the same people on the board for years, and all of them have to be 70+.
Start all meetings at least 30 minutes late. Bonus points if the presenter is late and needs extra time to figure out how to hook up their computer to the projector.
Only have one club meeting per month. Other activities are useless.
Don't give members an easy way to communicate with each other outside of club meetings.
Ignore any ideas from new members, especially if they try to make the club more appealing.
Don't organize any events or activities besides Field Day and Winter Field Day. Only share minimal information on Field Day organization and preparations. Make it as hard as possible for new members to join the event.
There are great people in the club, but no improvement is possible due to board members that don't want change or don't think any change is necessary.
After my eyebrows settled back into place, I chose to respond, as quoted below:
I will confess I've had some of the thoughts you share. Over time, I've come to realize that what I get out of my amateur radio club is as much as I choose to put into it. (Cue the Beatles: "the love you take is equal to the love you make".)
There are some initiatives I'd like to see my club take on. Adding AllStarLink to the club repeater is one of those wishes, but that hasn't happened because (a) club members don't see the value and (b) nobody else in the club is a subject matter expert. I could complain about it, but instead I'm trying to learn more about how repeaters actually function and how to tight beam an internet connection to the repeater which does not have an internet connection.
The other thing I've done is joined other clubs. Each is unique. If you don't like the club you're in, find a different club. (Or in my case, add another club.) My "home" club seems most interested in sticking close to home. Nothing wrong with that. My "other" club is in a major metropolitan area and they are setting up a new repeater site and then will invest in AREDN capacity. I can, and do, learn from hams in both clubs.
Not to sound too unsympathetic, but: it's your choice whether to stick with the unappealing club or not.
What say you about frustrations with your amateur radio club? I suspect that many of us have had some unhappiness from time to time with how our club functions, but what I’d really like to know is: what can (or did) you do about it? A club is, after all, a collective composed of unique individuals, each bringing their own set of life experiences and learning to the group. Just because I want something doesn’t make it a priority for the club. What can club members do to help advance initiatives they find compelling?
I hope to hear from club members. I hope to hear from club officers. I’ve been both and there are often frustrations felt in both camps.
Most of all, I hope to hear ways we can contribute to help make our own amateur radio club more enjoyable and fulfilling. I’ve previously commented on the social aspect of amateur radio clubs and continue to believe that the sense of belonging and camaraderie are some of the most important things a club offers, even if we rarely talk about it. Leave a comment. Let’s talk about it!
Clubs are dead. Just look at the age demographics of most clubs The membership is mostly your fathers age assuming your at least 65. The last club I was a member of I was the youngest one in the room and I was 60 at the time. Amateur Radio facebook groups have replaced the traditional ham club and the best part is you don't have to listen to the opinionated old farts spout of about subjects totally unrelated to amateur radio and I no longer have to keep up my CPR skills. The truth is most amateur radio clubs have been on life support for a decade or more.
Tom- a great article and it so perfectly describes any social group. I'm on;ly in one ham club bur 2 ski clubs, the US Coast Guard auxiliary ( were civilians), not government, a former board member as well as a general member of that club, eyc, etc,etc. I see it also in the board of my house of worship. They all have the same issue. To many click members that are in for self gandoisment and not for the membership. All had thins for me to take advantage, which I did, with many of the board not wanting to hear suggestion or make any changes; they felt everything was great.
Ernest Kraus
KD2EAV