September 2010
Hello everyone!
I hope that everyone has been enjoying this spectacular summer, one of the best in years. And yet, for those in need of substantial quantities of rain, this has been anything but a wonderful summer. Even Mother Nature has a difficult task in trying to please everyone all of the time. Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it.
This year has been the celebration of the 45 years that LIMARC has been in
existence. That in itself is quite an accomplishment. With the diversity of
members and backgrounds that have made up this club for so many years, it has
always been a struggle to maintain the general interest of all. Overall, the
club has been successful at doing this, particularly as measured by maintaining
and even increasing our membership numbers.
We are beginning to see a renewed interest in amateur radio to some extent
precipitated by the increased interest in emergency response. The singular
motivation to get a license is sometimes lost in the overwhelming diversity of
the hobby. Many new hams sign onto the repeater with little idea of what to do,
and trepidation if they will even be welcomed by others. In this instance, we
can all be on the same track. It is extremely important that all of us take on
a role as mentor, as “Elmer,” when we hear new voices and call
signs on the air. Don’t let calls go unanswered! Exercise patience! Offer
gentle guidance regarding rules and regulations! Encourage, don’t
discourage!
The common desire to maintain this hobby is after all our most common
ground. Your good efforts will help to insure not only the survival of LIMARC,
but the survival of our hobby, and we can look forward to many more years of
trying to figure out how to keep everyone happy, rain or shine.
