[CQ-Contest] YCCC Contest Mentoring Program - Go Global?

[Jim Idelson]

Tom K5RC and all CQ-Contest Readers,

Contest Mentoring is already underway in the Yankee Clipper Contest Club.

Last year, I conceived and implemented the club's Contest Mentoring
Program. It has about 20 people signed up. This is a program that definitely
needs some "critical mass" to keep going. I got it started about six months 
ago. I'd say that it's been modestly successful.

We have a blurb about the program on the YCCC web-site, 

http://www.yccc.org

and I put a some info and a sign-up sheet on my site,

http://designet.com/k1ir/MentorSignUp.htm

One of the things I've noticed is that, although we've offered the program only 
to YCCC members, I have received quite a few form submissions from all over
the US and a few from outside!

There is an opportunity to go global with this program. I have discussed this
with YCCC president Don, K2KQ, and we're in complete agreement that this
program can be a major benefit to all of us - and we should work cooperatively
with other contest clubs and individual contesters to make it happen on a
larger scale.

Here's my basic idea:
1.	YCCC and others [TBD] sponsor the program
2.	We form a Management/Steering Committee
3.	We make it an international program
4.	Web tools and resources run on contesting.com
5.	Lots of good ideas and sponsorship opportunities come to mind
	a.	Awards for Mentor/Student teams
	b.	Mentor recognition
	c.	Standardized recruitment tools, presentations
	d.	"Fast-Tracking" of high potential students
6.	Assist in establishing competitive high school and college club stations
7.	More . . .

Since I started the program, I have found that I really need some help - it takes
a lot of time, which is limited for me. I believe that this expansion idea may be a 
good solution for growing enrollment and increasing the management resources -
making it a better and easier-to-manage program.

Please share your feedback with me.

73,

Jim K1IR

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