The subject of amateur radio clubs has come up today on social media, in response to a letter in the February Practical Wireless about clubs and training. It’s reminded me that I’d planned to share a video of a very interesting discussion on the future of clubs.
This comes from one of the sessions at the recent RSGB 2019 Convention, where there was a discussion session organised by the ICQ Podcast. With the provocative title of “Grow, Merge or Disband your Amateur Radio Club“, this stimulated much debate.
Two videos have been released, and if you’re involved with a club – they are well worth a watch!
Around the table at the session at the RSGB Convention on the 13th of October 2019, were:
- Martin Butler M1MRB, ICQ Podcast (and session Chairman)
- Chris Howard M0TCH, Secretary Sutton and Cheam ARS
- Kamal Singh M0IOV, RSGB Director
- Richard Thomas G43JJP – Mid-Somerset ARC Chairman
- Ian Shepherd G4EVK, RSGB Chairman
Themes covered included the rise of virtual clubs, problems with the word “club” and the image of amateur radio, clubs joining forces, getting youngsters interested, geographical restrictions, a bottom-up approach (members not committees), and support from the membership. One of the more controversial concepts came from Richard Thomas G43JJP, the Chairman of the Mid-Somerset ARC. Some of you will remember that he wrote a thought-provoking piece in the June 2019 Radcom about the idea of “hubs not clubs” – an idea that’s not been well-received by some clubs (as the video demonstrates!).
As the two videos are quite long, we’ve provided timecode references for the videos:
Grow, Merge or Disband – Part 1
- 04’58” – “We all like to protect our own little empire”
- 05:32″ – Virtual clubs are starting to appear, and the importance of social media
- 06:50″ – “Disintermediation” – Getting rid of the middle man. Clubs were “the middle man”.
- 07:40″ – “Think ‘hubs’ not ‘clubs'”
- 09:50″ – “Clubs are too competitive and don’t work together” … “That kind of thinking has to stop”
- 11:20″ – “Not practical to get to clubs after work”
- 12:10″ – Virtual clubs and online lectures (to end geographical restriction)
- 12:40″ – Clubs that build their activities around families survived.” … “80% of clubs that have educational content retain membership”
- 14:30″ – You no longer have to go to a club for information as it’s online (virtual clubs)
- 15:10″ – Clubs offer “hands-on training and a community” … “something to go and do” … “a social club” “something you can’t do on YouTube”
- 15:40″ – “The network members direct what activities are wanted and required, rather than the centre dictating it”
- 17:20″ – Essex Ham and Suffolk RED
- 18:00″ – I’m a member of Essex Ham and I don’t live in Essex
- 18:40″ – “niche & virtual clubs.” RSGB now has a person dedicated to listening to Special Interest Groups (who?). Example: VMARS and GQRP
- 21:00″ – CambHams
- 21:40″ – Spread hubs out to other groups, to get new ideas
- 22:10″ – “We need to move away from the word club. The world club had a whole load of baggage with it” which alienates
- 23:00″ – The word “amateur” has connotations too. We have an image issue.
- 23:40″ – Club politics, cliques and baggage not welcoming to newcomers
- 24:10″ – Should RSGB be the first “hub” to set the model?
- 25:04″ – “Essex Ham has it” … “It’s a good starting model”
- 25:15″ – We should set up hub pilot schemes. RSGB should be doing this
- 26:20″ – It’s too easy to kick the RSGB for not doing things. We’ve all got to get involved and do something
Grow, Merge or Disband – Part 2
- 00:30″ – Sarah from Suffolk RED. “Define a hub”… how is that different from a virtual club?”
- 00:40″ – “Essex Ham provides connectivity to other clubs”.
- 02:50″ – Sarah: “Collaborative working with Essex Ham, CambHams and Suffolk RED” has been happening for 18 months
- 04:34″ – Malcolm Hirst M0OLF, Huntingdon ARS. “The hobby is not dying because of clubs… clubs are dying because of the hobby” … “You shouldn’t be trying to dismember clubs”
- 06:45″ – “It’s not a hub, it’s a club”
- 07:05″ – Clubs are a “closed set” organisation, a move is needed to a “centre set”
- 08:35″ – Clubs that are doing well that were to join forces, would have an even better opportunity to service the community
- 09:45″ – We don’t want the RSGB disintegrating clubs
- 10:45″ – Huntingdon: “Support from the members isn’t brilliant” … “It’s the same people every time who go”
- 13:25″ – Steve Hambleton G0EAK, Worksop ARS. We put on talks about things that people wouldn’t have considered – broadening their horizons
- 13:50″ – RSGB Brickworks
- 14:30″ – “We all have a responsibility to promote the hobby and to bring more people in”
- 15:45″ – Dave Parkinson 2I0SJV, Mid-Ulster RC: We have a regional newsletter (Region 8). We work with neighbouring clubs – “amateurs supporting amateurs”
- 16:50″ – Should we have our meetings online in Winter (people won’t go out when it’s dark. Streaming meetings?
- 19:10″ – We’re trying to get kids off their computers, and you’re suggesting we get them to sit on their computers?
- 19:45″ – Parents wrap their kids in cotton wool
- 21:00″ – Chris Rolinson G7DDB, Wythall RC: Club committee structures have changed – It used to be “Who wants to stand for Chairman?” We now have a “bottom-up movement”. People decide what they want to do, not the committee. Could you start a club in today’s climate and get people to come along, now that society has changed? We have people “dipping in and out”
- 23:30″ – Derek Kozel MW0LNA Cardiff University ARS. Disagrees that it’s hard to get youngsters to engage. Nothing but passion and enthusiasm.
- 25:30″ – Captive audience at schools
- 27:20″ – Today, a very small sliver are ‘creators’. Today “2% create, and 98% consume”. Successful clubs should show other clubs the way forward.
Summary
Some interesting topics, and potentially some food for thought for those running clubs.
If anyone has any thoughts or comments, it would be great to get them in the box below – this could be something we return to if there is interest, to find out how clubs (including Essex Ham) need to adapt.
We hope you’ve found the videos of interest.
