[CQ-Contest] I watch with interest, but with great sadness

[jmax at attglobal.net]

I've been surprised at the response to this piece -
several of you have actually taken it seriously.  Folks,
it's satire!  He's pulling our legs!  You need go no further
than the first paragraph to pick up on it - " In those days,
I was told, the average ham picked up the magazine and
skipped directly to the DXCC listings page for his first
half hour or so of reading.  The same 3-4 callsigns over
and over."  Sure, it takes a half hour or so to read the
same 3-4 callsigns??

Further, the claim that the DXCC certificates is in danger
of elimination is absolutely bogus.  It's simply not true.

Get a grip, fellows.  Relax.  The world isn't coming to
an end.

73.  Jim, W6CF


Leigh S. Jones, KR6X" wrote:

> QST magazine used to print the DXCC listings once each month.  When
> they first began this practice there were no DXCC members yet, only a
> race to be the first, and the race was quite limited in number of entrants.
> In those days, I was told, the average ham picked up the magazine and
> skipped directly to the DXCC listings page for his first half hour or so of
> reading.  The same 3-4 callsigns over and over.
>
> QST and the ARRL grew up on reporting "Section News", which was
> basically anything the SCM wanted to report -- usually the traffic handled
> by section ORS stations together with short notes about Bessie the cow
> knocking down Jake's dipole and news of the upcoming swap meet.
> Anything that came in on those little cards we all used to mail.  Reams
> and reams of it.  Then there was the DX News.  Although some of the
> best content in QST was in the DXHPDS report, a lot of the DX News
> was tired reporting about how some WB6 worked KH6 regularly on 40.
> We can certainly trace the present move to cut contest coverage out of
> the magazine to those little post cards and the reputation QST got for
> printing all of that stuff.
>
> Really, the problem at HQ right now was reflected in the move to get out
> of the business of issuing the DXCC certificate.  Someone at HQ
> complains about the money it's costing to review QSL card submissions
> at ARRL division conventions.  Some HQ staffers actually are reimbursed
> for airline tickets and hotel rooms and lunches.  Word gets around to the
> Board, and they have to decide whether to cut the DXCC certificate out
> of the ARRL program.  Since it's a coin toss whether they have been
> informed correctly over the issue, it's a coin toss how they'll decide.
>
> So the DXCC certificate is in danger of elimination.  Someone produces
> data that says the cost of sending HQ staffers to the convention isn't
> being offset by all of the money being spent by DXers on their DXCC
> stamps.  Someone produces statistics saying that only a fraction of the
> ARRL members have DXCC certificates -- therefore certainly only a
> fraction must believe that the ARRL should continue to underwrite the
> cost of administration of the DXCC program.  How's DXCC going to
> survive in this climate?
>
> So one by one the ARRL is considering eliminating each of the programs
> that made the ARRL great.  Step by step the stature of the ARRL is cut
> down by this shortsightedness until finally all services to members are
> gone except perhaps the book sales -- they pay for themselves.  Then
> pretty soon the stature of the ARRL is so low that Wayne Green could buy
> it.
>


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>From Silver Ward" <hwardsil1 at mindspring.com  Thu Feb 14 02:58:02 2002
From: Silver Ward" <hwardsil1 at mindspring.com (Silver Ward)
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 02:58:02 -0000
Subject: [CQ-Contest] I watch with interest, but with great sadness
References: <01b101c1b4d2$06465910$963fca96 at pacesetter.com> <3C6B23F5.FB87D74F at attglobal.net>
Message-ID: <00e401c1b503$6b86a4c0$d4e6bfa8 at ward>


I think we need a good contest or something to lower the hormonal levels a
tad.

Any good ones coming up? :-)

73, Ward N0AX


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