Such a great idea, so much fun
There are a few ham radio clubs around me, and most are not a good fit for me. I tried a few out, but nothing really lined up with me. They tend to fall into the same common club stereotype; old men that meet to tell the same old jokes and old stories. They complain the club and or hobby is dying and in the same breathe shoot down any idea of trying something new, or make sure to run off anyone new or young that stumbles upon their club.
Last summer I stumbled upon a different type of club. The Stillwater Amateur Radio Association (SARA). They were hosting a POTA meetup at a nearby State Park. Here are some video from that fun event
They are all having fun, open and inviting to other hams and the ham curious alike. The club was well organized and showcased that they were all about activities and other opportunities to enjoy the hobby together.
You can learn more about SARA at their website. Follow this link.
This club came up with the fantastic idea of organizing a 5 park POTA rove into a Poker Run!
Poker Run?
I've been part of other poker runs for fundraisers in the past, and they can be a lot of fun. Now combining that with a POTA rove is taking the fun to a whole new level.
This poker run was setup with checkpoints at five area POTA parks. SARA went all out by getting special event callsigns for each checkpoint, that was manned by club volunteers to help anyone new to POTA, confirm activators & provide the cards to draw from. But most importantly be ambassadors for our hobby for those passing by.
At the end of the event we met for dinner and the best poker hand won a prize. There were other awards presented, but most of all we all had a great time.
