[IRCA] The idea of merging NRC/IRCA

["Mark Durenberger" <Mark4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Karl, you smacked the nail straight on.  Well-pounded!

1.  ANY club has a certain percentage of members who want to see things 
'made better.'  Many decry the "aging" of clubs and dwindling membership. 
Good for them; clubs need energy.  If that energy doesn't include the 
capabilities of fund-raising and new-membership promotion, so be it.  It's a 
HOBBY club!

2.  Though I was energized by Skip Dabelstein's session about this at last 
year's joint convention, I'm now realizing: "Clubs are getting smaller.  So 
what?"

(As you noted Karl, even if there were TWO members, we'd still be QSLing.)

I'd add however that if a club is going to incur significant publishing 
costs it needs a large-enough membership base.  "Aye, there's the rub." 
When a club can't justify significant expenditure, it cuts costs.  Bully for 
IRCA going electronic!

3. Club "styles:"  The French say: "Vive le Difference."  IRCA and NRC ARE 
different; different leadership style, different community, different 
colloquy.   I say it's nice to have these differences, and I draw from both, 
giving back as I can.  We accept the differences and we Get Over It.

4.  One issue that will always be a problem is soliciting direct support 
from a larger group of members.  It's not fair to those few who do all the 
work.  But it's a fact of life in ANY club.  It is however, one area in 
which we could all actually make a difference.

My friend Jim Wulliman of WTMJ/SBE says: "don't get mad; get involved." 
So...with all due respect to those who sustained this latest dialogue, let's 
turn our energies away from position e-mails on unsolvable issues and 
instead direct our focus on nagging our recalcitrant pals and pal-ettes into 
giving something back to the clubs.

Last I heard, 'sharing' was no longer a dirty word.


Cheers!

Mark Durenberger
DX Audio Service

-----Original Message----- 
From: Karl Zuk
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2014 4:03 PM
To: les@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; Mike Sanburn ; am@xxxxxxxxxxx ; 
irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; Mailing list for the International Radio Club of 
America
Subject: Re: [IRCA] CQ Communications & The idea of merging NRC/IRCA

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



_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca

Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers

For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org

To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx