Under the President's HatThoughts and Ruminations from |  |
Under the President's HatThoughts and Ruminations from | |
I was just looking at the definition of “volunteerism” in my American Heritage Desk Dictionary, and it states simply: “Use of or reliance on volunteers”. Further, the definition of “volunteer” reads “A person who performs or offers a service of his or her own free will”.
For more than 20 years now, volunteers, working tirelessly for our benefit and without any thought of reward or compensation, have made the Nashua Area Radio Club what it is today. When you pause and review what the club has done over that short span, you can’t help but be impressed by its many accomplishments. The latest string of Field Day wins is only a fraction of the overall picture. Moreover, many of the old old old timers in the club still retain their membership, participate from virtually all corners of this country in one fashion or another, and retain their ties to the club, even though the miles separate them from us physically.
The roster of members now shows a large number of “new faces”. Some of these folks are new to amateur radio, while others have been hams for many years. Certainly, many of these new folks have good ideas and skills which, in total, will significantly add to the body of expertise we already enjoy.
Yet, with all of this having been said, it is still a difficult task to find folks willing to “volunteer” of themselves for a year or two, to give back to the club some of that which they have received or will receive. Each year the same folks step up to the plate and take their turn, and, in some cases, again and again. However, there is a finite limit to the number of times we can continue to draw from the well. After a time, even the best of wells runs dry, or at least needs a period of recuperation and rest. Such is the case this year. Four of the members of the Executive Committee, dedicated amateurs who have worked so hard for us, have decided that it is time for a rest, that it is time to see if some “new blood” might not step up and shoulder some of the responsibility for keeping our fine club operating smoothly.
We, as proud members of the Nashua Area Radio Club, also owe it to ourselves to seek out and nurture talented and energetic folks, and encourage them to participate actively, even if only for a year or two. We owe it to ourselves to have a choice of at least two candidates for each of the offices of the club. We owe it to ourselves to ensure we choose wisely those individuals we feel confident will best personify our goals and ideals.
Toward that end, and beginning this weekend, the members of the Nominations Committee will begin calling some of you to ascertain if you might possibly be interested in serving on the Executive Committee for a year. While elections are not until December, the slate of candidates will be presented in November, and we need to ensure that each of you has sufficient time to ponder the qualifications of each candidate, or your own qualifications to serve.
The members of the Executive Committee and I ask each of you to give serious consideration to serving for a period. If you would like to participate, please contact Mark Wagner, N1ZYZ, or Jon Cuneo, W1SU and let them know. It only requires a few hours a month, and the benefits derived by the membership from your participation cannot be adequately measured.