Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Ever Had That "Terminally Burned Out" Feeling?

Well, I'm there with the one radio club I've been a member of since 1995.

I've been on the board for the last six years.

I've been the Field Day chair for the last six years.

I've been running the weekly net for the last four years.

I'm the President (again....) this year.

And my dear sweet wife assembles, edits, and publishes the club newsletter.

Most of the members are good people, but like most clubs we have a few flakes.

The problem is that nobody wants to help do things with club activities.

Out of the 40 some members, it's the same four to six people who make everything happen, and I'm tired of "fighting above my weight" doing so many things.

Oh, sure, the members have "ideas", and "suggestions", but they want somebody else to do all the work, and when their ideas and suggestions don't happen, they get upset about it.

When you point out that they could do the job, they immediately fall back back on the old "Oh, but I don't know how to do that" excuse.

I told everybody back in January that I would NOT be the Field Day chair this year, and nobody stepped forward to pick up the ball.

As a result, we'll only have two stations operating this year, where we normally have four or five.

And know what?

I don't care.

Amateur Radio is a HOBBY to me, and when your hobbies stop being fun, that's bad.

Besides, I'll be retiring very soon, and I have other interests and activities I want to pursue, along with doing a bunch of things around the house.

It's 100% different with the association we have on the Iowa, where everybody pitches in, and pulls more than their own weight.

And I don't mind bending over backwards one bit on the Iowa......

4 comments:

  1. Welcome to every small, volunteer organization!

    I've had this in two professional organizations I was involved in. I stepped out for several years to let someone else take over, then came back to take a smaller part.

    Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I'm also in some other groups that don't have this problem.

      Most of our members are getting up there in age, and the young people who do come in to Amateur Radio are looking for other things, like Public Service and EMCOM.

      We're also the oldest club in California, going back to 1927, and it might be time for a sever "pruning".

      Delete
  2. Tiime to step away from the dead wood... People are on Iowa because they WANT to be... I know which one I'd drop...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hear you - BTDT, too. Sometimes, walking away is the only solution.

    ReplyDelete

Keep it civil, please....

Gloomy, Gritty, Grey Day

 At 1700 local it's as described in the headline; 30*F, 88% RH, completely overcast, snowing like crazy (small flakes, but lots of them)...