AmateurRadio.com

I normally try to steer this blog away from ham radio politics. In my opinion, too much time is spent on politicing rather than advancing the hobby. And in a way, I suppose, that’s what this blog post is about.The RSGB website today carries a statement that the General Manager, Peter Kirby (who, incidentally is no relation of mine…) has ‘left the Society’s employment after the discovery of financial irregularities on his part’.More than that, I do not know.Peter had a difficult job to do, one which I would not wish to attempt. But it seems to me that with Peter’s departure, there is the opportunity for the RSGB to be run by someone who has a vision of amateur radio in the 21st century. It would be good to see the society taking a lead with inspiring people to take part in amateur radio. There is much new and good in the hobby and many new ways (blogging, social media just to pluck a couple out of the air…) to inspire and engage people. Under Peter’s stewardship, it seemed to me that the society was stuck in a 1970s (maybe) time warp – of headmasterly toned communication with similar 1970 styled communication methods being employed.The RSGB needs, desperately, to freshen their image! I know many people, deeply involved with the RSGB that read this blog – people that can communicate their passion. These people are just the one’s who should be writing the society’s blogs, tweets, Facebook updates – as well as the GB2RS audio and video podcasts/YouTube videos.My wife Julie just popped in to ask what I was blogging about. I told her. As she put it – financial irregularities in the UK’s National Radio Society? It hardly paints a positive view of the hobby, does it.Along with my hopes for a more visionary approach to the hobby, it is good to see that Don Beattie, G3BJ has assumed (for the time being) the role of RSGB’s General Manager. A safer pair of managerial hands I cannot imagine, belonging to a REAL radio amateur.Today represents a REAL opportunity for the RSGB.