From the perspective of forty years of directed nets for communications volunteers in government service this is what I have learned.
The following nets usually die off for lack of interest:
The following nets usually die off for lack of interest:
- Nets that consist only of a roll call and nothing else.
- Nets that threaten expulsion if a station misses a certain number of check-ins, especially if that particular station's participation is not critical to the organization's mission.
In contrast, nets that allow check-in to ebb and flow with the life of each member and provide a constant flow of information, news, and items of interest, keep their members and remain active for decades. Members WANT to participate in order not to miss out on what's happening.
The major problem is HOW to get the news, information and such. To that end, here is a suggestion:
Get the organization's director, commander or staff (such as the RACES Coordinator, secretary, etc.) to prepare something to be read on the net -- but not dictated as in a formal message. In any agency there is always information of on-going interest to volunteer participants. It just takes an effort to obtain it and begin the flow. Once that process is started it continues. Trip reports from your staff, articles in publications received only by the staff, news of or about the staff, activities that affect agency budget, mission, and such are useful, as well as reports on or about incidents. These reports may range from the mundane, such as a creek flooding, to a major incident like a forest fire or earthquake.
---S. Harter, KH6GBX
The major problem is HOW to get the news, information and such. To that end, here is a suggestion:
Get the organization's director, commander or staff (such as the RACES Coordinator, secretary, etc.) to prepare something to be read on the net -- but not dictated as in a formal message. In any agency there is always information of on-going interest to volunteer participants. It just takes an effort to obtain it and begin the flow. Once that process is started it continues. Trip reports from your staff, articles in publications received only by the staff, news of or about the staff, activities that affect agency budget, mission, and such are useful, as well as reports on or about incidents. These reports may range from the mundane, such as a creek flooding, to a major incident like a forest fire or earthquake.
---S. Harter, KH6GBX
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