Les:
First of all, there is no problem.
Both clubs are rolling right along.
Both offer different things to different people.
Your idea sounds like this to me:
Cincinnati and Cleveland are both in Ohio - let's merge them.
Huh?
Second: Both clubs have very long standing and different communities
of people.
Yes, some people belong to both. There's nothing wrong with that. Some
don't.
Third: There's a distinct difference in philosophies that has always
given each club its own personality.
IRCA is west. NRC is east.
Even more so, IRCA has a very large group of people who handle all the
club tasks in a democratic way.
It characterizes itself as being very fair and forthright.
I really can't speak about the NRC since I have never been a member.
When I think of the NRC, I see it as centralized and more formally
structured.
Nothing bad about it - simply a different approach. All well and fine.
Cool beans.
These thoughts from a former President and Board member of the IRCA
(myself.)
Fourth: The clubs have their differences, but they have always gotten
along with civility.
I joined the IRCA in 1981 and at that time joint reciprocation deals
were being cut to share resources (like guide books) and to get along
better. I honestly think that having two clubs has always been better
than one. More is being done to support our hobby. More points of view
have been shared. More has been developed. More has been published.
Brilliant people have met more brilliant people.
Accentuate the positive.
We may be old and dying but we are all still fascinated with medium
wave propagation and programming.
I believe that if there are only two of us left in North America we
will still trade notes.
People have talked about CW this way for decades. More people use it
than ever.
I've saved the best for last.
AM isn't going anywhere.
The bandwidth is not really applicable to other technologies and is
not sought for digital transmission.
It will always remain as a very simple and effective way to send a
wireless signal for a thousand miles or more.
You need nearly nothing to pick it up - especially compared to
Internet 'radio' - the most un-wireless method of transmission ever
established! No other medium has this ability.
Many small stations may fold, but the big boys will find a way to keep
making money at it.
AM is like baseball. It is simple and perfect.
Les, we like being autonomous. We like being different. Is there
anything wrong with that?
Respectfully, Karl Zuk N2KZ
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* Les Rayburn <les@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*To:* Mike Sanburn <mikesanburn@xxxxxxxxxxx>; "am@xxxxxxxxxxx"
<am@xxxxxxxxxxx>; "irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Thursday, March 13, 2014 3:39 PM
*Subject:* Re: [IRCA] CQ Communications & The idea of merging NRC/IRCA
Honestly, I need to terminate my participation in the discussion at this
point. My perception is that a few hard-liners on the BoD on one or both
clubs are the ones standing in the way of what is common sense to many
members. We're up to about twenty e-mails on the topic so far, and still
no one can or will state what the original issues were, or how they
relate today.
Frankly, Mike, I'm not interested in the feelings of the Board of
Directors on this issue. I'm interested in someone presenting some facts
that will help me understand what the problem was, and possibly still
is. If those can be articulated, I might change my point of view.
Otherwise, it just looks like an entrenched position situation.
As for people who "stand up for their heritage". I'm a Southerner, and
proud of it. But I share no heritage with men who fought to protect an
economic system that enslaved other human beings. History judged them
wrong, and justly so. That the symbol of that rebellion causes people of
color pain and outrage is no surprise to me. Anyone who displays it is
ignorant at best, and racist at worst.
And with that, I'll terminate my participation in this discussion.
73,
Les Rayburn, N1LF
Proud Member of both the IRCA and NRC.
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