[UK-CONTEST] Contest Certifcates

[Don Field]

My thanks to those who have responded to my request for input to the
Contest Committee annual meeting, which takes place in late April. One
of the problems we face as a Committee is getting feedback from what
might be described as the "casual" contester - all too often the
feedback is from the more experienced, serious (and vocal!) members of
the contest community, which is all well and good, but can result, for
example, in rules and scoring being geared to the "big guns" in a way
which can be off-putting to the "little pistols" (if I may be
permitted to use some terms which are well-known across the Pond). So
do please encourage those members of your club who maybe take part in
AFS, Field Day, the various activity contest, etc. but who may not be
members of this reflector to send their thoughts either to me or to
Steve G3UFY, Committee secretary.

On a related topic, each year we discuss the issue of contest
certificates. These are a constant problem. Some adjudicators lack the
quality of computer printer to generate them. Some certificates get
lost in the post. Some, with the best will in the world, end up with
errors. We send out something like 1000 certificates a year, at an
estimated cost of £2 each including postage and reinforced envelope.
This is non-trivial. Some are appreciated and, indeed, it would be
nice to send out more to newcomers, leading Foundation and
Intermediate participants, etc. Some, particularly for the regular
high-scoring entrants, no doubt just end up gathering dust in a drawer
in the shack or even in the circular filing unit (!). One option,
already adopted by some contest sponsors, is to mail out a PDF
certificate file instead, so that entrants can print their certificate
locally. This could be an option or, indeed, become the standard
approach. I am interested to hear what contest entrants' reaction
would be to this suggestion. Don't worry - no immediate changes are
proposed.

Don Field G3XTT
Chairman, RSGB Contest Committee