At 10:05 AM 4/12/2017, Mike Lisenco N2YBB wrote:
Greg and all-
This is a marvelous idea and, perhaps, the crux of what we should be
doing to focus on, and meet the needs of, the bulk of our newer and
future members;
Greg wrote,“We must offer them something to make them
stay--things like lower-cost membership and an emcomm-focused
journal--that the comments of non-renewers already tell us we
need.”
If we don’t look forward now, today, in ten years we will find a
Board of 80+ year-olds directing a dying organization of old fogies
completely out of touch with reality whose primary issue will be the
decertification of Scarborough for DXCC.
Greg brilliant!!
Just for historical input, the Board went through something like this 30
years ago. That doesn't mean we shouldn't take a hard look at
it now. Actually, it means we probably have not been doing what we
needed to do.
The Board considered a serious proposal to create a second publication
aimed at newcomers, I think the project was called "silverlake"
or something like that. In the end, the conclusion was that the
costs to make a new magazine viable compared to the benefit was not
significant enough and it was dropped.
A lot has changed in the intervening years. But one thing
that has not changed is that ARRL continues to do very well with Extra
Class licensees and very poor with Technician (and Novice and even
General) licensees. Over the years I think we've seen
that QST can not be all things to all people - we have too diverse of a
population to work with. I'm not convinced that the
comments from non-renewers are any different now than they would have
been 10-20-30 years ago. But, it's easier to ask them and get
feedback now. Maybe we collectively have the sense that
change is needed.
My guess is that the only thing that works financially will be an
electronic publication - but even that is expensive because it requires
talented authors, editors, etc. I'm QRV to see what is
recommended!
-- Tom
=====
e-mail: k1ki@arrl.org ARRL New England Division
Director
http://www.arrl.org/
Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone:
860-668-5444