Yuma 2023 Canceled ?

https://www.yumahamfest.com/

I'm very surprised about this one looks like they canceled the 2023

73 from,
The K0UO " Rhombic Antenna Farm" 2 miles of wire in the Air & On the AIR daily

 

Yuma Hamfest
& Southwestern Division Convention
The 2023 Yuma Hamfest has been canceled. Due to silent keys, a diminished volunteer pool, increased costs, and other factors. The 2023 Yuma Hamfest has been canceled. The Yuma Hamfest may return in the future in a simpler format. Thank you to all those that have supported us over the years. The past success of the Yuma Hamfest is because of you. Those that have already paid money for 2023 will be issued refunds.

 

This is unfortunate. Not just for this hamfest, but our hobby in general. SK's, diminished volunteer pool are indicative of our aging hobby. I worry about the future of amateur radio. Yes, I am mentoring younger hams....but it's like the problem with the job market or Social Security....there are a lot less younger humans to participate than the older folks. Even if we could overcome the "cell phone" factor to get younger folks interested in the hobby, how many teenagers would participate?

Same thing happened with the huge southeastern artist festival, Art in the Carolinas. Wife and I attended pretty much every year since 2007. Thousands of attendees to take the classes and browse the trade shows. The only people younger than 40 who were there were the kids who were employed by Jerry's Artarama (the sponsor) to work the event as employees. Just by visual inspection, the average attendee was a woman (80%), gray or white hair (again 80%).

 

I sadly agree. My daughter laughs at me as she has more real contacts and conversations over her groups on her phone. Why get licensed? Many younger ones fascinated by digital see no point or do not even enjoy rag chewing as we called it. I am aging poorly and have begun slow process of bringing down station as reality of health sets in. I was first licensed at 14 in 1960's. active in swl, radio broadcasting. Not my world anymore of live DJ's who spun records. gave live news, wounderful SW broadcasters, built radios from junk piles, served in clubs, worked JY1, doctors etc. talked about things not just exchange qth, sig report and call that a contact. It breaks my heart but time goes on and who listens to old gizzer like me ? Sad as I miss the hiss and crash of static and the chirp of CW and using my BFO to out wit Radio Moscow on old Hammarlund and my orange box with three tubes, a switch two nobs and a meter and a box full of crystals and being DXCC and all on code. All before I was 18. Ham Radio is national resource we may regret loosing! Few realize the substantial role Ham Radio played in the early growth of commercial radio and communication technology. We also can carry on after all their fancy internet and satellite based items fail but you never now what you had until you have lost it and needed it.
We need to do a better job of preaching the faith if we want any new converts! After a sad time out of hobby I saw and met no Hams and assumed it was gone. five licensed Hams three in church, not a word or comment when mentioned hobby. I rediscovered it by sheer accident. We do have a lot to offer but if not doing so, we will be forgotten and gone.