Good afternoon, everyone! Some of you I have had the pleasure of meeting/talking to and others I look forward to meeting.
I just wanted to shoot out a brief email on why I'm running for office in BVARC because I know some of you might vote by proxy and I wanted to bend your ear before Thursday night if I can't talk to you in person. First off, just go to my QRZ page HERE<https://www.qrz.com/db/N1ER> and you will learn all there is about me and my passions in life and radio. That being said, I'm running for office in order to help shape the future of the club and get/retain new members. I've got 3 ideas that I've successfully implemented, to some degree, with my other club affiliation in the Aurora Amateur Radio Group where I currently serve on the Board of Directors. 1. Engage new licensees through building a tangible something * A lot of new hams are completely overwhelmed by the cost of the hobby. That's why they gravitate to Baofengs and cheaper entry level gear. HOWEVER, they get frustrated and leave the hobby because their rubber duck antenna can't hit the repeater and they feel the need to upgrade and incur greater costs. Some can afford it, some can't. Sometimes, we lose them before they even get on a Stir Crazy Net and get them engaged. * I would love to work with club members and officers on starting a "Build Saturday" where we could invite new and old members alike to a "build project". Think "Come Build a 2m J-Pole!" or "Come Build a Yagi for Satellites!". A lot of these types of projects are cheaper than buying already built antennas and we could get new members working alongside old members to get the relationships started. Members could bring tools/supplies and share what is needed. A completed antenna would be a great tangible service the club could provide. 2. Engage all members through varied, scheduled outings involving radio use (some additional ideas to what we are already offering) * Encourage POTA. We have several members already stepping up to encourage POTA participation and it truly is a gateway to the hobby. Every ham should be on the receiving end of a pile-up and POTA allows it. Furthermore, it replicates Field Day every time you activate. Wanna practice setting up a battery powered portable station? Meet us at the park on Sunday, you don't have to wait for that one day out of the year! * Host a Special Event Station at least once a year * Involve the Club Call and get members to sign up for a shift. Shifts could be wide ranging, to accommodate as many as possible, and would have special periods where brand new users could learn SSB/CW/DATA procedures in a low impact environment alongside a buddy. Great way to work pile-ups and make contacts. * Involve members in other key aspects like QSL cards, logs, etc... 3. Explore ways to further our VE program for outreach and licensing * AK5MGJ does amazing work here! I want to explore partnerships with other clubs on remote testing while also maintaining our in-person service to our neighbors. * Licensing is the life-blood of amateur radio. I want to fully engage everyone in the club on making the VE program everything it can be and giving it all the resources needed to thrive by exploring all options. If you have read this far, thank you. In the end, getting into the hobby can be daunting to some people. I want to minimize the stress by getting them licensed when/where it's convenient, give them an additional tool to get them on the air, and then engage them in some very fun aspects of the hobby. I appreciate your consideration for the position and look forward to being alongside you in all the hobby has to offer. 73, Drew Dasher N1ER adashe...@hotmail.com
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