Remember to vote in the RSGB Board elections

RADCOM appeared this week and with it came the voting papers for the upcoming board election.

Like many I suppose, I have the odd gripe with the RSGB, but bluntly there's no alternative. We need a strong national society to represent us as amateurs and to represent us in the way we want. That last phrase is a very deliberate one.

About 5 years ago, I knew most of the members of the RSGB board and they were active radio amateurs (albeit in different fields) and I knew, without question, that they'd do their best for amateur radio and we'd be thinking along broadly similar lines with regard to the future of the hobby.

Looking at the composition of the board now, there are only a couple of members that I know as 'active' or enthusiastic exponents of the hobby. That's not a criticism of the other members. But in my view, many that 'represent' us are administrative radio amateurs. They're good people, they're well meaning. But how do they see the future of the hobby? Do they see the bigger picture?

But if you're reading this site, you're probably active in DXing or contesting - regularly active on the bands in some way or another - perhaps keeping skeds or trying new things like solar powered radio. You know what makes radio tick. You know why radio is magical. When you cast your vote in the Board election, as I hope you will, ask yourself, does the person I vote for know what makes amateur radio tick, does he/she know how it's magical and does he/she know why it's important?

We get what we deserve in the board. Let's make sure we get the best we can.