Via Southgate ARC (original post here), via the VK1WIA News broadcast.
This is WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH with news on licensee numbers and what might be done about attracting new amateurs.
In WIA News Roger VK2ZRH says:
In a recent broadcast, I reported that the total number of individual amateur licensees in 2015 reached 14,144, which is up from 14,035 for 2014.
Well. I was wrong!
I am informed that the figure of 14,144 individual amateur licensees for 2015, is in fact 13,977.
So – we lost fifty eight amateurs over 2015, compared to 2014, when there were 14,035 licensees.
Marc Hillman VK3OHM, who ran the numbers from the ACMA database for the WIA’s Open Forum Reports published for the AGM in May, has – er – “confessed” to the error. “I accept all the blame for misleading people”, he said in an email to me.
Marc’s sterling analytical efforts to provide snapshots of amateur licensee numbers over the years are widely appreciated, no less so than by the WIA Board.
I am reminded of a few lines from the Goon Shows’ “Tales of old Dartmoor”. The Goons take Dartmoor Prison for a sailing holiday to the south of France. Having discovered that Eccles is responsible for a miscalculation in navigation, Neddy Seagoon berates Eccles, shouting: “You idiot! We’re 4000 miles off-course!”. Eccles responds with, “Nobody’s perfect…”
Anyway, amid the bad news of 58 licensees lost over 2015, I took a look at 2013 versus 2014.
We had 14,202 licensees in 2013, which fell to 14,035 for 2014. That’s a loss of 167 amateurs.
Wow.
Can we conclude that the loss is declining because we only lost 58 over 2015?
Well, no. Not until we know what happened over this year.
Naturally, of course, the naysayers out there will blame these losses on the nearest available target – the Institute.
But then. Aren’t we all in this together?
At the regular August WIA Board meeting this past week, the Board agreed to organise a symposium, you might call it a summit, in November, in Canberra, for all those interested or involved in S.T.E.M or S.T.E.A.M activities – Science Technology Engineering Arts and Maths – to plan ways and means the amateur radio community can engage those interested in technical pursuits.
This is one area from which future radio amateurs will likely emerge.
Watch this space.
This has been WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH for VK1WIA News.
Paul VK2ICQ adds:
Here’s a table from the WIA Directors report showing historical licence numbers back to 2011, as published by the WIA critical ‘WIA Reform Group‘* in their post ‘WIA board in denial as amateur numbers decrease‘.
*Opinions expressed on the ‘WIA Reform Group’ website do not necessarily reflect the views of the Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club.
The problem is that there are serious issues associated with the management and propriety of the WIA at the moment. Yes it all may be “legal” – but why do things still “stink”? Why are AR numbers heading backwards? Why is there no budget? What has there been such a revolving door of directors? Why have TWO DIRCTORS pushed for (but not succeeded in) a No Confidence Motion in themselves and the current board? This is UNPRECEDENTED !!!!
The WIA is being managed as a club. it needs to be managed as a REPRESENTATIVE BODY for people. The Directors MUST STEP BACK and manage and guide committees – not run them. The most important committee is the education committee. This has not operated in well over 2 years !!!!
All this requires people skills.
We have a lot of directors that, in the past, were gods in the technical field. I stress the word “past”. Its also well known that technicians and engineers are not the greatest people persons as they are creative by nature. We need a balance between the technically competent and the people competent leading us. Its now time to look at who we have leading us, how they are leading us, and whether they are the right people.