Mike -- Wouff Hong ceremonies are typical for our annual Rocky Mountain Division conventions which rotate amongst our four Sections each year. We've never had a problem with gathering a team to do them, and attendance by hams has never been a problem. We typically pull our Convention's special guests in as actors which gives the audience a chance to see their much lighter sides. That attracts attendees, and the other actors enjoy putting on the ceremony alongside the guests. There is an assortment of WH appropriate costumes that we use. We have never lip synced to a tape or memorized lines. We go ahead and read from the script that we print on index cards, which comes off as more natural and relaxed. Also gives actors a chance to go off message or ad lib when the moment seems right. The crowd loves it. Our Division's ceremonies are known as a night of levity tied off with a traditional and serious message. It's a time for both the actors and the audience to let their hair down after a long day of conventioning, relax, laugh, and bond as a ham community. While reading the script, the other actors are doing subtle, humorous things in the background -- some in the foreground too -- that keep the crowd tuned in, sometimes bawling. Noises, comments interjected, props, object flying, etc. The crowd loves it, and the actors feed off of it. As the crowd exits the room, customized certificates hot off the printer and a pin await them so they have instant momento before they turn in for the evening. Our best ceremony was in Taos, New Mexico in 2011. Riley Hollingsworth, Chip Margelli, Dwayne, and Katie were the core acting team. I don't think I need to expand on that any further, whatsoever. Beaming comments about that particular evening were occasionally heard up to a year later as folks reminisced about the convention, which was cool. Those who attended the ceremony at the Centennial in Hartford got only a mere glimpse of what we do in the Rocky Mountain Division as far as levity is concerned (Dwayne, Katie, Chip, and Riley were part of it too), and you saw how the crowd enjoyed that. Lots of fun, lots of crowd engagement, tied off with the serious Wouff Hong ending, and a closer knit ham community as a result of it all. That's what it's all about for us! 73, Brian N5ZGT

On Sep 8, 2015, at 13:26, <vze18vwgu@verizon.net> <vze18vwgu@verizon.net> wrote:

Hi Folks,

Up here in New England the Wouff Hong ritual has long been a staple of the Division Convention. Lately, however, we've had some trouble getting a group together to do it. Neither the 2012 nor the 2015 NE Division conventions had a Wouff Hong ceremony. Since the New England convention is going annual, I figured I would dig into this a bit more, and see what I could do to bring it back for 2016.

The questions for you:

- has your division had any trouble getting a Wouff Hong ceremony to your division conventions? - if your division has been doing it, what club or group has been organizing it? - what has the quality been ? Lip-sync to a tape, or actual memorized lines? - any interest in putting together a high quality team to do Wouff Hong?

I've been reviewing the script, and with just a pronoun change or two it could be brought up to current political correctness standards. I've also identified a talented costumer (also a one-time Wouff Hong novice) who can make the necessary robes and accoutrements. I've been thinking of organizing a team that could do it a bit better than just trying to lip-sync to a scratchy prerecorded tape.

Thoughts? Experiences?

Thanks, Mike K1TWF

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