Hello All,
As all of us express our deep respect and appreciation for John's many
outstanding contributions to our hobby (and especially to our Ultralight Radio
enthusiast group), perhaps the most appropriate way to honor his memory is to
follow his example of unselfish service to others.
Having had the privilege of cooperating very closely with John in the
creation and promotion of our ULR group over the past two years, I frequently
heard his concerns that although the group was growing rapidly and fulfilling
its primary objective of introducing this exciting form of AM-DXing,
the same core leadership group from early 2008 was constantly carrying
the load in providing service to the membership. John was truly a "giving"
type of leader for whom service to others came naturally, but he seems to have
been unusual in his motivating concept-- that the greatest hobby
pleasure comes not from one's own success, but in helping others to
succeed.
Based on John's superb example (and the unselfish contributions of many
other ULR group leaders), our enthusiast group has certainly reversed the
general impression of an AM-DXing "hobby in decline," and has grown at a
phenomenal rate during these past two years-- introducing new DXing
excitement and enjoyment to hundreds of hobbyists around the
world. John knew that we had hit upon a "winning combination," and
took pride in how we were restoring the original thrill of DXing to our
membership. But he also knew that those successful in ULR-DXing,
antenna experimentation or other technical areas had a responsibility to
"give back" to the membership, and share their expertise with those who could
benefit from it. Many new members have been surprised when John
politely (but firmly) asked that they draft an article to share the
secrets of their success with the membership-- but this has actually been
a ULR group tradition since the very first days of our existence, and
probably the primary reason for our booming growth rate. We all have a
responsibility to "give back" to the membership, and in this essential
priority, John certainly set a great example for all of us.
As we face the very unpleasant news of John's accidental passing, I would
encourage all of you to honor John's memory by following his example. If you can
contribute technical articles of interest to our group (antenna experimentation,
radio modification, equipment reviews, etc.), please consider doing so. If you
have expertise in graphic design, John's untimely passing has left a need for a
creator of Ultralight Award certificates. Those successful in domestic and
international DXing should consider writing tutorial articles. If you
have had great success DXing with a certain radio model, please let us
know why it is your dream machine. Don't be concerned about the lack of
file space on the Ultralightdx site-- John and I recently agreed on a solution
for that. If you have interest in serving on one of the ULR group committees
(Definitions, Awards or Contests), please consider volunteering. Discover the
unique satisfaction that comes from "giving back" to others, and honor John
by following his unselfish example. We all have something to contribute--
let's show we really have learned this final "lesson," from one of the
hobby's greatest teachers.
73, Gary DeBock
ULR Group Co-founder
