Ambassadors of the Association

I have been planning on making this post for a while, but with the new training classes starting tonight (9/17/2009), I thought now would be a perfect time to put this in writing.

We have a lot of exciting stuff going on in ARAN. Our VE team has been formed and the training classes have been produced and implemented. New faces will soon be among us. We have dozens of new members showing up for meetings and events. It's always exiting to see new members grasping new knowledge. The opportunity to pass on some of the knowledge we have earned over the years is always a rewarding experience.

New members can be hesitant at first and make many mistakes, I know I did. We all know that the reward for persistence is the satisfaction that you learned the task and now can make meaningful contributions to the association and community at large. It will be exciting for all of us to participate in this process, especially for the newcomers. There is much to be taught and learned.

The learning does not stop when you pass your exam. All of us "old timers" know that. Operation of our stations, emergency communications and on air procedures are all something all of us can always improve. It can be intimidating.

Those of us that have been around for awhile need to keep this in mind. All of the new faces in the association need our help more than ever at this time. We need to be humble and remember what it was like when we started out. No question asked should be treated like a "dumb question", the only dumb question is the one not asked. We need to keep in mind that we are all "Ambassadors" of the association. What we say to newcomers as well as existing members will be noticed by our new members. We have to realize that they haven't been around us and won't know when we are just kidding each other when we give one another a hard time. We need to foster an environment that is welcoming to old and new members alike.

Older members have to accept the fact that even though we have years of experience, the world is always changing. There are plenty of things we will need to learn the next few years. The Amateur Radio Service has always grown and changed, it is at the core of what we do. New technologies and and new requirements make it necessary for us to always be open to new ways of doing things.

That is why it's such an exciting time here at ARAN. The new blood coming in will foster new growth and experiences for all of us. Each new member will bring in some new life experiences and knowledge that we can all learn from. Let's make sure that we all make the association a welcoming environment for all of us to share and grow in.

Just my 2 cents, if anyone disagrees, I am always willing to listen.

Allen
KBØASQ