Cutting back

One of the things that I've think I've decided to do in 2024 is cut back a bit. Not Amateur Radio-wise, but more of the activities that I volunteer for. I think it's time to enjoy the actual hobby more and divest myself of some of the peripheral responsibilities.

Recently elections were held for the 2024 Slate of Officers for the South Plainfield Amateur Radio Club. I gave up the office of Vice-President. Not that there were all that many duties involved, but I felt the obligation to attend each and every meeting without fail with the exception made for family emergencies and that sort of thing. I'll remain the Trustee of the NJ2SP call sign, but that gives me a bit more flexibility. If I don't feel like attending a particular meeting for whatever reason, the pressure will be off.

I'm thinking of cutting back on CERT activities as well. I've been a CERT Member in South Plainfield since 2004. I'll remain active within South Plainfield itself, but I may cut back on the County CERT activities. That will not affect my Middlesex County AUXCOMM / ARES / RACES activities. I plan to participate in those as much as I can. "Participation" seems to be just checking in with the New Jersey State Police on monthly radio nets a few times each year. The members rotate in that duty, so that happens maybe three or four times a year and I'm fine with that.

Looking back, I was a Communications Officer for the Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management back in the late 70s and early 80s. That involved taking Special Police training at the Middlesex Police Academy. In addition to that, there was Haz-Mat training, radiological training, defensive driver training, etc. All kinds of training which ate up a lot of personal time. I enjoyed doing all this stuff back when I was younger and single, and not a husband or father.

On the hobby side, I was an officer in the Piscataway Amateur Radio Club for a long time as Vice-President and eventually President for a number of years. I've been the Secretary of the ETS of NJ for more years than I care to remember now. 

I've been a VE since 1994. I'll keep doing that as a way to keep paying back to the hobby that I enjoy so much. Even though there's a lot of detail work involved in being a liaison, exam sessions are only once a month - so it's not all that time consuming.

I think I've volunteered enough. It's time to enjoy and not be so busy anymore. Maybe this will free up some weekends for POTA? I certainly hope so! The idea is just to be able to spend more evenings at home and devote a little bit more of that time to radio FUN. I'm not a spring chicken anymore and I want to enjoy this hobby for as long as I can.

Last night I surprised myself and did participate in the 80 Meter Fox Hunt. Dave N1IX was the lone Fox and I found him very easily as he was an honest 579. I worked him at 9 minutes past the start time and was still able to hit the sack on the early side. It was a good night!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!