[CQ-Contest] Hats off to K6NA, K5OT, and N6TV

[Warren C. Stankiewicz]

Not that I would ever deride the efforts of Mssrs K6NA, K5OT, or N6TV. In 
fact, they are to be congratulated for what can clearly be considered an 
odious, boring, and thankless task.

With a look towards the past, there was once a day where all SS logs, in 
fact logs from 16 different ARRL-sponsored contests, were, in the majority, 
entered by hand. Nor was there a division between the "regular" contests and 
Field Day, which was a monster in itself (the routine would go Sweepstakes 
one month, 10 meter contest the next, January VHF, DX Contest, Field Day, 
and on and on it went. Contest Corral and Special Events were done "in 
house", as well.

We've certainly come a long way since those dark days of just 10 years ago. 
Progress, and the acceptance of computer logging and electronic submission, 
has become the norm, where it was once a novelty. These are good things.

But there should always been some of us who will remember a much older, and 
much nastier business, and those who toiled in the relative anonyminty of 
the ARRL Contest Branch should not be completely forgotten by the passage of 
time.

Personally, I wish I had saved just one of the famed K3ZO dupe sheets from 
those days.

With Malice towards none,

Warren, NF1J