Log on to ARRL website to get the details.

Grow Your Club With New Hams

By Norm Fusaro, W3IZ

 

      One of the most frequently asked questions that we hear from ARRL affiliated clubs is "How can we increase membership in our club?"  On the surface the solution is a simple one - make more hams.  A foundation of active Amateur Radio operators is required in order to

maintain a healthy Amateur Radio club.  If you lack a sufficient pool

of licensed hams in your area then create some.  Clubs that conduct

licensing classes where they make recruitment part of the lesson

continually increase membership.  It does not matter if the course is

an eight week program or a weekend crash course, a good instructor

will pepper the syllabus with the advantages of membership in the

local club and the Radio Amateur's national association -- ARRL.

 

      Providing a license course for those people in the community who are interested in learning about Amateur Radio demonstrates the club's

commitment to helping people.  Reinforcing Amateur Radio's tradition

of helping each other let's the new hams know that they are not just

getting a license to operate a radio but that they are also earning a

ticket to become part of a worldwide society whose existence is built

on mutual contact.  Whether on the air or in the community Amateur

Radio has always been a two-way function.

 

      From the moment the license class begins new hams need to know that your club is there to help them as they begin their Amateur Radio

journey.  This relationship begins not in the classroom but at the time of registration or when that first contact is made whether in person or on the telephone or through the internet.

 

      As the class progresses the new ham is made aware of the reciprocal

bond between hams and while the novice may not believe that he or she

has something to offer at the moment, their attendance and a desire

to belong is sufficient contribution.  As long as the club maintains a friendly environment that encourages participation and supports

activities the novice will soon become the Elmer to the next group of