Issue No. 26 - 1st May 2009

One third of 2009 gone already and Christmas feels like only yesterday which brings me on to the Hogmanay Pop-In-Pop-Out Net. Having received but two comments, one positive and the other negative (owing to an error on my part) I assume all was understood. I received one comment last year from a member saying that he "could not understand that bloody table thing" but as he has not mentioned it this year he may have followed the plot. Anyway as to the error: whilst shuffling words and sentences around to make the report fit unfortunately I dropped Andy G8JAC from the "Worked all Controllers" list. I even read over this error twice and did not pick it up so Andy G8JAC, if you are reading this, please accept my sincere apologies and I will be doubly careful next year. You worked hard, especially with Sam G4OHX (having seen all logs), and you certainly did not deserve not being mentioned in the report. I will request that this omission be mentioned for me by our Editor in the next "MERCURY" journal.

So what has been happening in the QSL Bureau? Sadly not a lot - but much better than expected it is good to report. Incoming was up mainly owing to our recent new member to the Society and to the Bureau - David GI4FUM. With David's stamps I also received 19 cards and in turn sending to him 11 - Sod's Law of course intervened: as I was out posting his envelope another arrived for him, so he is already building up to his next batch

Cards for V8FHX, 5X1NH, G4OHX (N2DAN Key) thankfully continue to arrive and help to keep us occupied, but more so we are seeing cards from our Overseas members which is great, therefore living in hope for a busy few weeks after the May Activity when historically the Bureau has been at its busiest. We have a few new members join us since last May and it is hoped that they have read details in our latest "MERCURY" and will dip their toe in the water. As to the statistics whilst the table below does not really make for happy reading at least there is movement on receipts into the Bureau. The reason for the small number of cards being despatched during April is not due to any strike action by me or sympathy for Royal Mail but because of having a recent Bureau clear-out. Obviously there are cards in the Bureau again so if you are waiting for just one or two for your next claim please either give me a call via the landline (I will ring you back if needs be) or send me an email and I will let any member know of their card situation. My pleasure but no phone calls after 2100hrs in case you wake the cats.

Well I think that is it for this month, apart from the bit of history below, and I look forward to reporting on the May Activity as heard by me in my June newsletter.

PERIOD	CARDS RECEIVED	CARDS SENT

April 2005	669	801
April 2006	343	310
April 2007	501	233
April 2008	183	295
April 2009	116	33

As always - good hunting, especially with our Overseas members.

Before closing and with the agreement of and thanks to our Editor for providing this, I include for interest and comparison how it was when Tony G3CWW took over the Bureau in 2002, sadly for the same reason as I did, taking it from a Bureau Manager having gone Silent Key

How it was March 2002

RSARS QSL BUREAU

G3CWW

"ЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕ
With a minimum of upset, the QSL Bureau is running at full capacity, and it is my aim to provide even more help to Members, hopefully to satisfy every need.
The Bureau records and equipment came into my hands on 12th January. ¹
Within eight days the system was virtually cleared of all the cards held -1988 cards were despatched to 606 Members, since then a further 1950 cards (as at 3rd March) have been received from Members and more than 1300 of those have already been dispatched. The index cards are being refurbished, a job which Dennis was unable to tackle due to his physical incapacity - this work is about 70% completed and progressing at a steady pace - it is a tedious job!
The files of Members' envelopes are, to put it very mildly, chaotic - a huge variety of shapes, qualities and sizes which defy logical arrangement. I have introduced a standard envelope size, the C6 envelope and now offer to supply and address four envelopes in return for five second-class stamps - the fifth stamp pays for the envelopes and the small cost of typewriter supplies for the addressing. The envelopes are good quality, with self-seal flaps to relieve me of the licking, and capable of taking between 10 and 15 cards according to size and weight, within the 60g limit of a single stamp. I ask Members to treat our QSL system in accordance with the current level of activity - I propose to dispatch the cards in relation to the activity of each individual Member, judged from the evidence on the index cards, rather than obeying the very arbitrary "wait 10" or whatever number a Member may have selected. The primary object is to "keep the traffic moving constantly", to keep the files as empty as possible, and thereby to achieve maximum efficiency in helping Members. There are bound to be some slow movers - this I will tackle by introducing three complete clearances of the files per year, dispatching every card even if this means that in some cases there may be only one card in an envelope. I maintain that there is no point in using first-class mail for the service to UK Members - what is a day or two when the interval between batches is usually many weeks?

ЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕЕ"

The above is an extract from the March 2002 "MERCURY" where Tony gave an update on the Bureau situation and you can now see when the 5 x Second Class stamps system started. (I have no plans to change what is by now a well tried and tested system - and probably 98% of Bureau members follow it exactly).

What I found specifically interesting was: "Within eight days the system was virtually cleared of all the cards held -1988 cards were despatched to 606 Members, since then a further 1950 cards (as at 3rd March) have been received from Members and more than 1300 of those have already been despatched".

Not sure of the full Bureau membership in March 2002 but obviously well up on what it is today! Also the receipt and despatch of cards brings tears to the eyes, it must have been great to be so busy and even a need to take on a lad hi!

¹ Dennis Hawley, G4KIE died on Christmas Day 2001, a few days short of his 75th birthday. Dennis had served RSARS as QSL Manager for two periods, the first of 4 years and then, after a break, for a further 8 years in spite of suffering a stroke - he was described in terms of "the QSL Bureau was 'his baby' and his knowledge was encyclopaedic."
The duties of QSL Manager were taken over by his very close friend Tony, G3CWW

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