It's become kind of personal

I've been a member of QRP-ARCI since my General days. I joined in 1980, way back when QRP was considered to be 100 Watts or less ...... way before 5 Watts became the QRP standard that we hold to now.

In all those years that I've been a member, I've come to make some really great friends, but leadership was kind of foreign to me.  I've never knew any of the "upper ups". They were always there, at the helm, guiding the QRP-ARCI ship through Amateur Radio waters, while I was down in the hold with the other economy passengers.

That's changed recently. I am still down in the hold with the other economy passengers, but the captain and some of the crew are actually people that I kind of personally know, now.

David Wayne Cripe, NMOS was recently chosen as President by the Board of Directors. Dave is a QRP Hall of Famer and has many accomplishments to his name. But in a way, I "know" Dave. We follow each other on Facebook and I've built a few kits that he's designed. He's the first QRP-ARCI President that I know something about other than reading his name and title on the officer masthead. It's not like if we saw each other that we's slap each other on the back and say "Hi, buddy!", but the connection is more than I've ever experienced before. 

Paul Womble K4FB is now the Contest Manager for QRP-ARCI. Paul and I are both avid QRP Fox hunters, We are friends on Facebook and we have communicated with each other. I know first hand how good of an accomplished QRPer that Paul is and the club made an excellent choice in naming him their contest chief.

Bryan Murrey KB9BVN is the QRP-ARCI Webmaster. Bryan is one of the coolest guys I know. He's a good friend on Facebook and he's also a Brother K of C member. We've communicated in the past and we almost got together a few years ago when he was in the area on business. It's just my luck that the night we could have gotten together for dinner, I had to work late.

And one of the "movers and shakers" behind the scenes - Jim Stafford W4QO ..... seems like we've met on the radio so many times before. Jim is good people and he's one of the many people who I consider to be a "real good friend that I have never met".

The purpose of this post was not to name drop, or anything like that. It's just that when you know some of the people who are running the ship, somehow membership becomes something just a bit different and a bit more .......... I guess "valued" is the word I'm looking for. These guys actually know me, I'm not just a number to them and that makes being a member of QRP-ARCI more special to me. Maybe that's not the right way to look at it, but that's how it feels for me.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!