On 7/11/2012 4:09 PM, Richards wrote:
This may be an example of the proverbial "walks like a duck, quacks
like a duck... must be a duck" syndrome. If we set it up to walk and
quack like a contest, we should not be surprised so many treat it like a
contest.
If it didn't function in part as a contest, I predict that participation
would decrease
greatly. I don't turn out for SET, so I probably wouldn't if FD were
less of a contest.
It's one of my favorite times of the year. To change FD drastically
would upset a
number of people.
The ARRL could modify its points scheme, accordingly. Point schemes are
often used to measure club performance, and the extent of involvement in
desired activities. They often use point schemes to measure local
chapter performance on key criteria, such as new member recruitment, old
member retention, promotion and public relations (such as awarding
points for obtaining city proclamations or placing informative printed
matter in public places, and measure chapter performance on good
business practices, such as having regular board meetings, having
regular member meetings, having regular planning sessions, having
regular fund raising events, using recognized good organizational tools
like Roberts Rules of Order, publishing a regular newsletter, and the
like. The ARRL could revamp the point system to identify, list, and
measure good Field Practices - rather than count the number of
meaningless contest-like contacts are made.
Our FD group meets only twice a year: a few weeks before FD to plan the
logistics
and to have a picnic, then the FD weekend itself. We don't have a
traditional club
format. There are no officers, thus no board meetings.
Likewise, no business meeting or dues. This is fairly typical of a QRP
group.
73 de Jim - AD6CW
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