[CQ-Contest] "It's not a contest."

[Ward Silver]

> >I know, I know: It's not a contest.
>
> I have NEVER understood this timeless Newington pronouncement.  Somebody
> show me why accuracy and efficiency should not be rewarded, especially
> during an Emergency Preparedness Exercise.
>
> My only guess is that it is an attempt to "not turn away the curious
> newcomer."
>
> Mark N5OT

And you're exactly right.  If it's promoted as a contest - even lightly -
we'll lose a lot of folks that just don't want to be or think they can be
"competitive".  Without getting into the psychology of it all, I think the
contest community's best return on time invested would be to...

1) Be there at Field Day and teach, teach, teach...
2) Suggest a Field Day challenge of another local club - say CW-against-CW
or something like that so it doesn't require that all operators be fully
committed to compete.
3) Right after Field Day, when everybody is still full of good memories,
suggest some kind of Sweepstakes "event" within the club for making, say,
100 QSOs or working 70 sections.  Challenge another local club in some way.
4) Remind folks about the easy-going, friendly August NAQP (or whatever the
equivalent is in your QTH)
5) Pounce on the guys that are having the best time and organize a low-key
multi-op for WW or something.

Field Day is mostly a competition between one's own group, Mother Nature,
and the Forces of Murphy.  For those of us that take it to the next level,
we can do that, too.  It would be a good idea to add to the Field Day write
up - in the spirit of enhancing contest coverage in QST without adding
pages - commentary to the effect of, "If you enjoyed the freewheeling
hurly-burly of Field Day, try entering the following events..."

73, Ward N0AX