How can ham radio clubs attract and retain members in 2023?

The Milwaukee Radio Amateurs' Club celebrated its 106th anniversary this January. And we experienced 48% growth in the past two years. As President of the club, I'll pass along my advice...be relevant, be meaningful, and add value for each member.

 

Some excellent points Matt. That's why clubs in my area of Vermont are saying what can we do? At least all the older members say this. Truth is people get a little authority and it goes right to their heads. Not all people. 73’s DE NJ1S in VT

 

Nice video. Everything is allright, but the past should stay where it is.

So the clubs here in Germany needs to get liberalized. Especially the big clubs. They really awaiting, that everybody join them minimum partly or full, like in the past where the country was devided. So QSLs will never send, when an operator is outside of their own organisation. To pay postage isnt trend and internal QSLs are always without stamps. My personal experience is, that the return is around 40 percent and lower, when the card should get outside from their clubs.

At next members often break a conversation when they realize, that an operator comes from outside their organisation. So in a QSO, what is nearly perfect in quality, the quality changes rapidly nearly down to not to understand. Thats then their fake rapport, for to justify their behave and action. Of course its not always, and mostly in case of special activities.

Further they show themselfs to the public, like they are really. Thats not modern, its for to runaway. To get this illustrated, I just have to point on the 22.03.2015 between 11:00 and 12:00 o'clock localtime in the morning. Following "lovely" tune at 6070 khz bit my ears. That tune was broadcasted for a german club, with their weekly radio magazine.



So the local repeaters are always good visited. When somebody unknown calls CQ, there is no answer or not so often. But when a member of those club with a higher internal grade gives a CQ, its like a horde of bees what is to look at. So spontaneous high activity is always to remark.

All in all is that not for to lead to a brillant future. Its for to stay in the old stinky times. And thats it, why the public is more and more unintrested or nauseated in this.

 

Check out W4OT

 

My son just took an online Ham test, the club / organizer said there was a on average 1,200 new Ham per month...That was only one testing center..There are many online testing organization. And by the way, very strict, (Very!) Which is a good sign!

Maybe Ham clubs are not increasing in numbers but the Ham community as a whole is..

I recall back in late 1980's early 1990 I was at one Ham Club in Pittsburgh, it was like a Bar, expect free local beer, now that is not the place for young Ham operator, but that seem to keep the place full. There was a bartender, (Of course Ham Operator) and it was a Bar scene just only Hams...I am not suggesting this, for one it is not healthy, (And to I don't drink) but it did attract a crowd every 2 weeks.

DE NN2X / Tom

 

In my experience, from my eyes, as I see it in life (your mileage may vary)...
The number one thing killing Amateur Radio is the same thing that's killing Church in America - Judgy Old People.
I like Amateur Radio because it enables other hobbies like hiking, hunting, off-roading, camping, CERT (more than a hobby but same vein). Every time I get to a club meeting I'm greeted by a guy that only wants to sit in his recliner and have his computer banging away at sending weather reports in RTTY on 30 meters - and if you don't like to ham the way he likes to ham then he will treat you like you are a cancer on this earth. Too many people that have shut their minds (rusted shut) to new and different ways of using the technology. It isn't a P!$$!n6 Contest either. Too many people that are looking down their nose at others because they have a $15,000 station, because they talked to someone who activated Bouvet Island, because they are an Amateur Extra, etc...

We need to lift each other up, as long as some one is operating in good faith and not braking the law, radio is about experimenting and we need to embrace people that do it differently.

You are ABSOLUTELY right about events and help and support.

 

Last thing I want to do after getting up at 4am and working all day is loiter around town for several hours after work before meeting start time just to endure a meaningless presentation on how 10 guys with radios perspired in a tent on Penguin Poop Island in 1973. I could be at home doing something much more enjoyable.

 

MAN! DO YOU HAVE AN AXE TO GRIND! HOLY SMOKE!

And the killing of "church in America" has ZERO to do with your alleged "judgy old people!" IF IT DOES it's because we "judgy old people" won't fall into the flaming BS of this 21 century attempting to tweak the God's word to fit the desires and "life styles" OF this 21 century!

Wanna talk about WOKE now, OM?

 

There are several things that we can do to improve the growth of our hobby and improve the health of our Amateur Radio clubs.

First, is the fact that Amateur Radio has never marketed itself well. If you are a club, you need to appoint a specific person responsible for outreach activities. Outreach is not PR but giving introductory presentations about the hobby to libraries, groups, retirement and community centers, scouts, blind and deaf, etc. As most people don't know the hobby even exists, clubs need to stop being so invisible and take some action.

Second, club meeting presentations need to be more hands on, interactive and informative and take place BEFORE the business meeting. New or prospective members aren't interested in that stuff. If your club does the business side first, you'll likely never see them again and you'll easily hear the snoring coming from the back of the room.

Third, increase your clubs visibility. That means wearing clothing or hats that identify your club or it's members, to the public, so they can see you. Clubs that think that posting an article once a year about Field Day is sufficient publicity, are simply lost. That perspective will never move the participation needle.

To give you some examples of what the possibilities are, I've personally and successfully started two weekly elementary school Amateur Radio Clubs in Cleveland, conducted more than 70 individual local introductions to AR and am always looking for other opportunities.

Finally, your club could easily do what I'm doing, but it needs to have the energy, the vision and the commitment to even make more of a difference in your community.

Through increased visibility, you'll find those interested, motivated and energetic people, that every group is looking for.

Like us, they're out there looking for a hobby that will last a lifetime. We all know what that hobby is, so let's stop keeping it such a secret.

Jeff, K4DKW
Painesville, OH
Control Operator for the Communion of Saints and St. Als elementary school Amateur Radio Clubs in Cleveland

 

I run the K5LBJ LASA High School Amateur Radio Club and what I've found is that food always helps to attract people and retain people, also getting on the air and working on neat little projects is also really good. Mind you, I run a High School Club so your mileage might vary .

 

Exactly, It has been my experience that some old fart has his ego singed and refuses to talk ...Younger folks have more energy and seem to be more flexible... Politics and money are at the root usually....In a small washington town there were three groups because ,,,again money and stubborn grumpy old men thinking prices were to high and accussed eacher of theft and greed ...bla bla bla...

SOOOOO FOCUS ON SERVICE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SKILLS AND TALENT BE A "LET GET-ER DONE GROUP AND GIVE GIVE GIVE!!! tHE REST WILL WORK ITSELF OUT!!!!!!

 

It's almost like you were trying to exemplify his point. Right on the nose. People don't need an amateur radio license if all they want is AM talk radio anger and spittle.

 

If you have a club web site, keep it up to date. Tried numerous times to contact an Athens AL radio club last night (N4SEV) and their e-mail addresses are kaput.

If you have a web site, have a calendar of club events, like Field Days. There's a FD this weekend - you'd never know looking at their web site. Last night on their weekly radio net (145.150 repeater), they were begging for help for the FD. I missed the early discussion of when and where: E-mails don't work, no calendar of events, nothing about the FD on their site and no phone numbers to call.

No wonder they can't get any help.

 

Excellent video excellent ideas, definitely my ham club needs to see this video, K0LWC does a great job in explaining how to reach the younger generation, Our club is struggling at the moment I hope it will do better in the future. W6FRD.

 

If the club has a regular net. Try to have the net operators and the clubs web site administrator maintain a professional realm.