Free WIA membership for assessors

[VK3BA]

G'day All,

Here's a suggestion...

What's your thoughts on having a scheme where WIA-registered exam assessors are entitled to 12 months free membership of the WIA ?? From my rough calculations, this could offer approx 300 registered assessors a free 12 month subscription.

Why? Well, many of our assessors have a fairly big workload, many are also heavily involved in the training & tutoring of students, they carry out the majority of the assessment process, many are retired with a reduced income and without them, it would be very difficult to get new applicants over the line. I think our assessors (and instructors) deserve a big pat on the back.

My suggested criteria for free 12 month WIA membership:

- Carry out at least two exams (either single or group session) per calendar year
- Be a registered assessor with the WIA

The cost of this scheme could hit the WIA bottom line to a tune of $24k assuming 300 full members take up this option and are actively carrying out examinations, which I suspect not all are. If you don't agree with a 100% discount, how about at least a 50% discount instead?

Considering our assessors do all of the hard work for nothing, except for a warm & fuzzy feeling, do you think the above scheme should be suggested to the WIA Exec for consideration?

Cheers,

[VK4TS]

What a great idea....Why don't you pose the question to the WIA board rather than an unrelated website ?

[VK3BA]

What a great idea....Why don't you pose the question to the WIA board rather than an unrelated website ?

G'day Trent and HNY to you. I thought I'd bash it out here first, as in my opinion, the VKLF membership here is a good representation of amateur radio in VK... Bang! I'm sure to be shot at dawn for that line...

Cheers,

[VK5TX]

I think it's great idea. I wanted to become an assessor and give back to the hobby but only find out it cost will cost me $80 to volunteer.

(I know the WIA membership comes with other extras but what if I only want to be a assessor)

Ben

[VK3MEG]

I think its a great idea and I'm a member not a knocker

[VK2AAH]

Should the President have to pay for his/her membership?

What about the board of directors?

How about people like our ITU liaison person who gives up weeks of his time to travel to meetings to argue our interests?

All of these people give considerable time out of their private lives too. I think it is only fair that they all receive free memberships.

See you all in Queensland in May at the AGM- I'll support your resolution then. Has anyone submitted such a resolution?

Cheers

Richard
VK2AAH

[VK4TJ]

I think it's great idea. I wanted to become an assessor and give back to the hobby but only find out it cost will cost me $80 to volunteer.

(I know the WIA membership comes with other extras but what if I only want to be a assessor)

Ben

The $80 is only the tip of the iceberg, Ben. You are supposed to be a member of the club you are doing the assessments for as well. I perform assessments on behalf of 4 clubs spread over a wide area, so, if I complied fully, that's another $100 or more. I'm out in the country, so I pretty much have to provide morning & afternoon tea + lunch for my students/candidates, and occasionally put them up for the night as well, as many travel significant distances to find a course. You are required to provide your candidates copies of the LCD, so depending on circumstances, you may be on the hook for significant photocopying costs as well. I'm so embarrassed about the fee structure that I don't have the heart to recoup courier costs (mandatory) from the candidates, so they come out of my own pocket as well.

If you conduct assessments on your own premises, you really need to maintain 3 HF stations + 2 VHF/UHF stations. That turned out not to be a hardship for me (the stuff seems to follow me home!), but it could be a hardship for somebody on a pension.

So perhaps you made the correct choice....

73
John VK4TJ

[VK2AAH]

John from what you describe the whole system of volunteer examiners is flawed and we should be asking ACMA to take the job back or outsourcing it to a commercial service provider.

Cheers

Richard
VK2AAH

[VK4TI]

John from what you describe the whole system of volunteer examiners is flawed and we should be asking ACMA to take the job back or outsourcing it to a commercial service provider.

Cheers

Richard
VK2AAH

I agree with you , for once . I did mine ages ago in Brisbane central , it was cheap and fast and well organised .

[VK4WM]

Happy New Year to everyone! however it would not be a happy new year for the WIA if this idea goes ahead, as it is paid up membership numbers are a poor representation of the total Amateur population of VK but heaven help the WIA if some dont agree with a decision the WIA board makes! as it is the WIA board have a hard enough time to balance the books as it stands let alone take as big a slice out of revenue being proposed here, I am an assessor for the good of Amateur Radio and that is it! I dont have any qualms about asking for the postage for the completed assessments and have never had any candidate complain about paying it, all they are interested in is getting on the bands if successful or the process completed if they failed so they can have another go at it, most people now days are very familiar with the concept of "user pays".

Like so many volunteers in Australia I do it because I care and do not look for any compensation for my efforts, I shudder to think what costs would be if a private contractor got their hands on the process and the ACMA were glad to see the back of it which is why the WIA got it in the first place, we should be very grateful for that.

I may as well drop in here that after years of WIA membership and enjoying getting a printed copy of AR magazine every month it has sadly got to the point where apparently the cost of producing AR is getting too much and an option would be to only produce an E digital version that could be emailed or made available on the WIA website (as the ARRL does with QST for members only) yes, I would be content with that, anything I want to get hard copy of I could print out.

73 Wade VK4WM
Assessor # 4-050

[VK2ZRH]

Let's go back to "basics" - the ITU definition of the amateur service says:

1.56 Amateur service
A radiocommunication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, by duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.

The (European) CEPT Electronic Communications Committee CPG15 – PTC -3 recently (30/9/13) recognised four concomitant objectives of the amateur service:

. . . the continuation of their existing missions, such as:
- providing essential communications in the event of natural disasters;
- training of operators and technicians in radiocommunication technology at no cost to a state and community;
- contributing to the advancement of the state-of-the-art in radiocommunication;
- enhancement of international understanding and goodwill.

Perhaps Nik VK3BA's proposal could be re-examined in these contexts ?

Posted in the interests of broadening the debate.

[VK2AAH]

Prepared to share an opinion Roger?

Cheers

Richard
VK2AAH

[VK3TCX]

I think Wade summed it up perfecly for many of us who have chosen to become assessors.

I fully accept that the costs involved can be a burden but I for one would continue to pay my membership fees regardless.

Without an effective lobby group, how many individuals would take on issues like the amateur tower debates in NSW, increased access to 6m, possible 5 MHz and 70 Mhz access; the list goes on and on..........

Best wishes to all for the New Year

Ian
vk3tcx
Assessor 3-073

[VK3XRI]

what wade said !!!

assessor 3-070

[VK2AVR]

Considering the WIA is already running at a loss, I think trimming revenue further by giving assessors free membership is not something they (and by extension the AR community as a whole) can afford.

To play devil's advocate, if we gave free WIA/club membership to everybody who contributed voluntary time and money to make AR a better place then the WIA and individual radio clubs would all go broke. We do it because we are passionate about AR, and the investment in time, effort and money is returned to us in enjoyment.

[VK4DU]

I may as well drop in here that after years of WIA membership and enjoying getting a printed copy of AR magazine every month it has sadly got to the point where apparently the cost of producing AR is getting too much and an option would be to only produce an E digital version that could be emailed or made available on the WIA website (as the ARRL does with QST for members only) yes, I would be content with that, anything I want to get hard copy of I could print out.

73 Wade VK4WM
Assessor # 4-050

What a great idea......

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!

[VK3DQ]

Hi Folks

I don't know about giving the assessors free WIA membership but it would be very nice if we could have a forum where assessors could exchange experiences and compare notes so to speak..

We are a bit like mushrooms .. kept in the dark and fed on ..........


With over 600 assessments in the logbook it would be very nice to share with others outside of my area .


But agree there is a certain burden we all take on which a little appreciation might help lighten

Best 73 John VK3DQ Assessor 3-044

[VK3PY]

On a related matter, does the WIA record what percentage of candidates who avail themselves of the good will of trainers and assessors actually join the WIA? My observation (as a trainer and former assessor) is that very few even join the club which provided them the service, let alone the WIA. In retrospect, I believe the WIA was sold a pup (or bought a dog - choose your metaphor) when it so eagerly took up the assessor role. It effectively pledged the free labour of its members to a government authority for a perceived source of income for itself.

Nik's suggestion is worthy of consideration. It might go some way to increasing the number of volunteer assessors. Or is the WIA currently over-supplied with them?

Chas
VK3PY

[VK3BA]

Everyone else in the food chain except the assessors are getting a piece of the action. It is the assessors (and also trainers in many cases) that are often doing lots of the training, the legwork, the numerous hours away from home, the travel, etc. There's a lot of work required just to qualify to be an assessor with the WIA.

Sure, there might be many assessors on the WIA list. But how many are available? Worn out? Feeling used and abused? Re-prioritising their lives such as family first?

No assessors = no newbies or upgrades.

Some sort of tangible recognition might go a long way.

Cheers,

[VK4DU]

It effectively pledged the free labour of its members to a government authority for a perceived source of income for itself.

Nik's suggestion is worthy of consideration. It might go some way to increasing the number of volunteer assessors. Or is the WIA currently over-supplied with them?

Chas
VK3PY

Well said.