Steve,

I'm located in North Pole, Alaska and to be honest I have no idea what a SM does or am not sure if I've ever met one. I congratulate you on your effort's sir and hope that someday we can meet or at least have a QSO.

For now, we're beginning to emerge from winter into what we call breakup (spring to you) and shed the mountains of snow accumulated up here since last September. I do see emails and read them when they come in. I am currently in a battle with stage 4 cancer and my ham activities have been hampered by this effort. I am planning a new antenna this summer (June, July, and half of August) and do like to work all modes including CW.

In my professional life I am the lead engineer for a flight simulator division of a major airline and so electronics is my money maker .... ham radio activities helps me keep my sanity ...

Please feel free to contact me if there is anything I may help you with sir.

73

Mike AD7VV

Lt. Michael Heit (Ret)

North Pole, Alaska 99705

AD7VV

“When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, ‘just men who will rule in the fear of God.’ The preservation of [our] government depends on the faithful discharge of this Duty; if the citizens neglect their Duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the Laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizen will be violated or disregarded. If [our] government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine Commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the Laws.” – Noah Webster

"'Democracy,' where a handful of extremely wealthy and powerful insiders 'change rules and laws,' and 'control the flow of information,' this may not resemble the democracy that you learned about in civics class but is a term of art reflecting uniparty control from above.

www.survivalblog.com

Sent with ProtonMail secure email.

------- Original Message -------
On Wednesday, March 30th, 2022 at 5:01 AM, Steven Lott Smith KG5VK ARRL NTX SM <lottsphoto@...> wrote:

Mark,

Thanks again !

I guess there really is no one magic bullet so to speak

my goal has always been to be visible and in reach of my our members

I attend as many club meetings and hamfest as possible

I have a very understanding and supportive wife

we are almost always at functions together

She is a licensed amateur radio op as well.

Newsletters from myself as the SM are sent by way of the ARRL SM Email toolset

which we are hoping to see a drastic improvement of

once the arrl site is back online.

I have only made it to New Mexico once and that was a very short trip through the North corner of the state

However it is a small world for us Amateur Radio ops as you know, and I look forward to

meeting you.

73

Steve

KG5VK

Steven Lott Smith

Tele 318-470-9806
ARRL NTX Section Manager

Please note: My Out Going Email address is LottsPhoto@...

KG5VK@... is forwarded to my Gmail address

On Wed, Mar 30, 2022 at 7:24 AM <k5lxp@...> wrote:

W5PDY's activities were well covered in the ARRL Letter, which I'd do a search for but as you mention, the site is down for the upgrade. I would say what was most notable about him is he was just a plain nice guy, and he would stop and talk to everyone. As I mentioned above, he was as much an ambassador as a manager. Given what you describe of your activities you are already far and away more than many SM's I've known over the years. Often the only time you saw or heard of them was the perfunctory "ARRL forum" at a hamfest, blathering about League business. It's hard to beat up on any of those in the field organization as it's volunteer, and a huge commitment if you take it seriously. From my perspective it's more about serving League members for their interests and needs, promoting the hobby, and lastly promoting the League. In these days of competing hobbies and interests it is an uphill battle to gain attention but it's possible. I don't think it takes any special activities or methods, once you've licked visibility and accessibility the rest is by the numbers. Assign your PIO to keep your section website fresh so it becomes a focal point of current events and not a static directory page. My SM sends out periodic mass emails but I don't think often enough, I'd like to know more about what's going on in the section so maybe you can look at that.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

W5PDY's activities were well covered in the ARRL Letter, which I'd do a search for but as you mention, the site is down for the upgrade.  I would say what was most notable about him is he was just a plain nice guy, and he would stop and talk to everyone.  As I mentioned above, he was as much an ambassador as a manager.  Given what you describe of your activities you are already far and away more than many SM's I've known over the years.  Often the only time you saw or heard of them was the perfunctory "ARRL forum" at a hamfest, blathering about League business.  It's hard to beat up on any of those in the field organization as it's volunteer, and a huge commitment if you take it seriously.  From my perspective it's more about serving League members for their interests and needs, promoting the hobby, and lastly promoting the League.  In these days of competing hobbies and interests it is an uphill battle to gain attention but it's possible.  I don't think it takes any special activities or methods, once you've licked visibility and accessibility the rest is by the numbers.  Assign your PIO to keep your section website fresh so it becomes a focal point of current events and not a static directory page.  My SM sends out periodic mass emails but I don't think often enough, I'd like to know more about what's going on in the section so maybe you can look at that.  

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

GM, and greetings Steve.

Serving as a local president for two years to an affiliate club, I made sure that an invitation to a club meeting with 45-60 minutes of “floor time” allotted to them. They would be able to field questions and do a presentation of their own. This established two-way communications. One year it was my Section manager, the next was my Division Direction. My family is from Texas (Gorman and Eastland) and I know of the vast wasteland North Texas covers. Club members do not always attend hamfests, but this gave them insights into what was going on. I tried to emphasize the “freebees” that the local club had at their disposal (such as mailing lists). Sounds like you are doing a bang-up job down there.

Dale K8TS

 

From: ARRL-New-Hams@... <ARRL-New-Hams@...> On Behalf Of Steven Lott Smith KG5VK ARRL NTX SM
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2022 11:12 AM
To: ARRL-New-Hams@...
Subject: Re: [New-Hams] As a New or even Old Timer.... Do you know who your ARRL Section Manger is? Have you ever met them?

 

Mark,

 

Thanks for the reply

 

It appears that I am doing it right, I guess.

Most of the feedback I am getting lacks specifics

 

I am averaging three club meetings every month

I attend every Hamfest within our Section

and some in our neighboring sections

and at least one National Fest every other year.

 

ARRL FD I average 12 site visits

which in North Texas demands 18 hours of windshield time

within 24 hours (little or no sleep) and only 30 minutes worth of time at each site

 

In addition I am doing a virtual Round Table meeting every other month for the Club officers within our Section

as well as a Section Staff meeting

We have a team of 18 assistants and have even dedicated several Section Manager Ambassadors

Our Section is one of the largest geographically speaking, hence the ambassadors are dedicated to areas displaced from the "Metro-Plex"

I have also awarded an ARRL NTX Section Ham of the year every year, since taking office

by asking for nominations from our ARRL members, the nominees are voted on by four members of our Section Management team 

and Only vote in advent of a tie

 

To my knowledge this Awarding a Ham of The year was not done in our Section since the seventies

until I took office in 2019

 

This past year The first ever Female from Texas was awarded 

the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Youth Award, she is the the first amateur radio op 

in North Texas to ever receive this award and only the second amateur within our state. (North, South and West Texas)

 

My current push is on three fronts for this year:

1) Continue recognition of Members

2) Garner at least one national award for another North Texas ARRL Member

3) Help clubs grow the wealth of knowledge they provide members and hence enhance the membership depth in those club's

    by building a Club Prosperity Handbook  Just one specific method is to forgo most of the business part of a General membership meeting
    thru allowing the club BOD to conduct business outside of the general membership meetings.

 

I exhaust my Section Management budget with the first 9 months

each year and dig into my own finances to do the things for my fellow North Texas members

 

I am still wanting to perform better

than any other SM, How is the question?

 

I consider what I am doing, as a minimum standard

 

I would love specifics on how to do better and looking for examples with specifics, anyone ?????

 

Mark thanks again for the input !!!

 

 

Steve

KG5VK

Steven Lott Smith

Tele 318-470-9806
ARRL NTX Section Manager 

Please note: My Out Going Email address is LottsPhoto@...

KG5VK@... is forwarded to my Gmail address

 

 

 

On Tue, Mar 29, 2022 at 7:18 AM <k5lxp@...> wrote:

1. I've known my section manager for about 30 years (long before he was SM).

2. I see him at hamfests and other social events, and talk to him regularly on the radio.

 

>  I would love to learn how to be the Best SM for my Section

> What makes a good SM?

 

In my view the "better" SM's (having been a league member ~40 years and have seen my share of them) are the ones that focus less on emcomm and more on connecting League members to League resources, and growing the field organization within the section.  Whether it's a technical problem needing Technical Specialist attention, help getting clubs some program or administrative help, getting folks in touch with League officials regarding operating, legal, membership issues, on and on.  In other words, a liaison between members of the section and the League.  That requires putting yourself out there socially and usually physically, attending as many meetings and events as possible, checking into nets, being active on the air in general, and putting a face to your resources.  If geography limits your availability you can appoint assistant SM's to spread the load.  I have had the privilege of knowing Joe Knight W5PDY, one of the best SM's by any measure for whom the League named their distinguished service award.  A true ambassador for the League and amateur radio.  If you want a role model, you need look no further than his accomplishments.

 

Mark K5LXP

Albuquerque, NM

1. I've known my section manager for about 30 years (long before he was SM).

2. I see him at hamfests and other social events, and talk to him regularly on the radio.

 

>  I would love to learn how to be the Best SM for my Section

> What makes a good SM?

 

In my view the "better" SM's (having been a league member ~40 years and have seen my share of them) are the ones that focus less on emcomm and more on connecting League members to League resources, and growing the field organization within the section.  Whether it's a technical problem needing Technical Specialist attention, help getting clubs some program or administrative help, getting folks in touch with League officials regarding operating, legal, membership issues, on and on.  In other words, a liaison between members of the section and the League.  That requires putting yourself out there socially and usually physically, attending as many meetings and events as possible, checking into nets, being active on the air in general, and putting a face to your resources.  If geography limits your availability you can appoint assistant SM's to spread the load.  I have had the privilege of knowing Joe Knight W5PDY, one of the best SM's by any measure for whom the League named their distinguished service award.  A true ambassador for the League and amateur radio.  If you want a role model, you need look no further than his accomplishments.

 

Mark K5LXP

Albuquerque, NM