I mentioned in the original message that I did not intend to submit a log entry.
As such, I can use as many different calls over the weekend as I want to.
73,
Ed
-------------------------------------
Name: ed sleight
E-mail: k4sb@avana.net
Time: 21:52:36
This message was sent by Chameleon
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>From gswanson@arrl.org (Swanson, Glenn, KB1GW) Wed May 22 23:03:00 1996
From: gswanson@arrl.org (Swanson, Glenn, KB1GW) (Swanson, Glenn, KB1GW)
Subject: Our Clique - SK?
Message-ID: <m0uML8M-000RD3C@mgate.arrl.org>
Here's one response to the post below. It's an honest reaction, but it's not
mine.
(i.e. Don't flame me.) Some food for thought, however. 73, --Glenn, KB1GW
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The corrective has to be more aggressive than what he's talking about. My
own impression as an outsider who's done a little contesting is that "new
guys" like me are scared away by (1) the arrogance and/or unsociability of
many "big gun" contesters and (2) the financial investment that *seems* to
be necessary to join the in-crowd. There really needs to be a more open door
and recognition that some of us are, by necessity or by choice, going to be
second-tier or third-tier or (gasp! hold onto your heart,) QRP contesters or
(gasp again!) mobile contesters. The present (maybe past) situation reminds
me of when I was in high school, and the BMOCs were the guys who went out
for sports and had their names and pictures all over the papers and the
yearbook. Then there were the rest of us.
[Name and call withheld in respect of the corespondent who sent this to me.]
----------
>From: BK1ZX70SFL
>To: cq-contest
>Subject: Our Clique - SK?
>
>----------------------------------------------------
>On the way out of Dayton on Sunday we ran into K1DG in the outrageously
>priced pizza place in the airport. We talked a little about what it is like
>for a non-contester to schmooze with the "regulars".
>
>Part of contesting is sharing tales with fellow contesters and a lot of
times
>the non-contest-circle guys have a hard time fitting in. This is probably a
>real tough thing to do for someone who is new...it must be like being a
>teenager going to a mixer and having to introduce yourself to a potential
>partner. I am not saying that this is kinky what I am saying is that if you
>are a contest regular you are accepted by virtue of your known callsign. I
>know I worked the halls and suites as best I could with this miserable cold
>and what I did was spy the badges, and when I saw a familiar call said hi,
or
>thanks for the contacts, or whatever. If you were just checking into this
>contest thing, I can't imagine the nonperson status of being an unknown.
>Would you say hi?
>
>The contest fraternity is aging, as evidenced by the earlier QRT of many of
>its mainstays come this past weekend's Friday and Saturday nights...I don't
>even know if the "lobby suite" even formed this year! Many of us are
>"getting up there" .... was there any wee hours pizza this year? I don't
>think so.
>
>The same group of us continues on and it seems the young blood is the
>"Sultans" crowd, which isn't that young - albeit crude enough at times!
>
>Without new blood we are up the creek, I know we have all heard this before
-
>but this year I really sensed it.
>
>K1DG talked about offering a portion of the contest program next year to
>"new-guy" topics. This sounds interesting, but the new guys have to be at
the
>point a year from now where they are opening the program and saying "yeah,
>that program interests ME"....will we be creating newbies this year?
>
>I refuse to believe that only our generations can have fun contesting. I
>always have so much fun with our group of hams at Dayton that I come away
>every time saying what a great bunch of guys contesters are. Others feel
the
>same I am certain. SO, what have we forgotten, what are we doing
differently
>that is scaring new guys away? Contesting's lure is timeless....isn't it?
>
>Heah, after seeing the pair of W0GD and W2UA this weekend, you know this is
>great stuff!
>
>Jim zx k1zx@contesting.com
>
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