More on public service

This time of year, I am racing around breathlessly trying to keep the wheels on my life. We have just completed the Evanston Century Bike event—35 hams radio folks helped out, from three different radio clubs and now we are preparing for the Chicago marathon. We have 140 hams on the roster from four states… and wildly disparate cities: Peoria, Indianapolis, Madison, and San Francisco. It has been a real privilege to have helped build this team. We have nearly 10 radio club’s manning their own complete stations - this is huge, if you know anything about trying to round up volunteers that know what they are doing! The North Shore is also well represented but by no means the largest club group! We have five AS station leads, three net control operators, and nearly 20 members of our club.

And while I am preoccupied with my own agenda here, trying to collect all of the gear and answer all of the zillions questions that it takes to manage 140 people, I am reminded and thankful for all of the hams who have devoted their ham life to public service. Supporting these events is a huge opportunity to showcase what ham radio can do for a community. FEMA will once again be observing how well we integrate into the fabric of the event. I am told such observations helps others garner funding for more training. All good stuff. I think sometime we forget how much ham radio can do for folks. I know there are many of you who work with other clubs on their service projects for community marches or events. Many serve as Skywarn observers or net control operators. Some work with ARES groups or RACES groups supporting local officials in their various activities. Some work for the Red Cross and other non-governmental agencies.

Public service is the best way for us to give back to the larger community who allow us to use all of the frequencies that we have. It is mission critical that we present a public face, and for the most part, that is not easy to do. Most people do not even know that ham radio even exists. We are also so caught up in our apps and cell phones that we never bother to reflect on the possibility of life without one! Well, encounter one disaster, a tornado or hurricane and you will see how quickly the normal order falls on its face.

When I got into this hobby after being away for many years, I wanted to get back to CW and DX. And I did for the first few years until I was called upon to serve this club in a greater capacity. It was very obvious to me that we needed to build a bigger public service attitude. And we are definitively getting there. One of the more rewarding parts of this entire exercise has been the number of like minded hams I have met who really keep me charged up. One of the hams working the marathon is building a comms trailer on his own…no agenda, no real defined purpose, he just wanted to have a way to get on the road and do radio. Those desires to be mobile, flexible and nimble are precisely the traits we are looking for in folks who want to do more public service.

I have to cut this short this month because I have a ton of personal work to do and many hours before I can call it a day. So, thanks to all of you who have signed up to help with any of the events I have described and for the others, give it a try. It is one of the most rewarding things you can do with a HT!!

73, Rob K9RST