All together for our passion

Good evening, KOPains¹

I often browse Facebook and am frequently surprised by what I read about our radio clubs and our national association. I often wonder why these spiteful posts?

Ham Radio is a free passion. Free to practice alone, in the quiet of a shack, listening to the world, driven by technology, experimentation, and the pleasure of making contact. These solitary moments are precious; they shape the operator, develop expertise, and nurture that intimate relationship with radio.

But Ham Radio should not remain a solitary pursuit. Truly, I believe this passion only has meaning and a future if it is shared, passed on, and defended collectively.

That's where our commitment becomes truly important.

So, those of you who are so adept at writing in a few words on social media, have you considered getting involved in your passion?

Getting involved in a radio club isn't just about access to premises or equipment. It's about choosing to meet others, share experiences, and engage in debate. It's about giving a little of your time to receive so much in return: knowledge, experience, friendship, and shared aspirations.

Joining your radio club means contributing to a vibrant space where you learn, share knowledge, and build projects together. A place where conviviality isn't just an empty word, but a lived reality.

Furthermore, joining our national association is a powerful act; it's extending this spirit to an even wider scale. It's affirming our commitment to a community, to our history, to strong values! It's affirming that Ham Radio deserves to be represented, protected, and promoted. It's supporting those who work to defend our frequencies, our regulations, and our place in society. It means rejecting individualism and choosing a united, visible, and respected community. It also means actively participating in the sustainability and future of our passion.

Despite all the detractors, the mockery, the foolishness, and other nonsense, our passion, Ham Radio, has always progressed thanks to collective commitment, through training, mutual support, intergenerational transmission, and action both in our clubs and on the airwaves.

Without clubs, without volunteers, without strong structures, our passion weakens, but with them, it grows stronger, is renewed, and looks to the future.

Today, more than ever, being a radio amateur is not just about transmitting a signal.

It is above all about participating, getting involved, defending, and passing on the torch.

It is, of course, understanding that our passion is greater than us, and that it can only thrive if we are united and work together.

Because ultimately, being passionate on your own is possible.

But being committed, motivated, and fully engaged with others who share the same passion!

That's what gives it its true strength and meaning.

Frank (F4AJQ).