Elmers Corner (Mentors)

WHAT EXACTLY IS AN ELMER?

Image of Greg helping out at the Technician Class Lab.
Greg (KO6TH) showing one of our students proper soldiering technique.

Posted by  on May 1, 2019, at 8:33 pm @ Read More

Say the word “Elmer” to a non-Ham and two thoughts spring to mind: glue for elementary craft projects and a bald-headed rabbit hunter who has trouble pronouncing his Rs (see Barber of Seville). In the Amateur Radio realm, Elmers hold a high place of esteem. The word means an experienced operator who takes a novice under his or her wing, providing personal guidance and answers to the thousands of questions that confront the newbie. It can also be used as a verb, as in, “Elmering an aspiring operator is a cherished tradition that goes back to the early days of the hobby.”

The word has relatively recent origins. It first appeared in a 1971 QST article by Rod Newkirk, W9BRD, in which he bemoans the all-too-familiar story of an eager student who falls off the Amateur Radio wagon once his mentor moves away. He wrote, “Too frequently one hears a sad story in this little nutshell: ‘Oh, I almost got a ticket, too, but Elmer, W9XYZ, moved away and I kind of lost interest.’”

ASK AN ELMER!

If you are a new ham and looking for an Elmer fill out the form below. Once we get your info, we’ll match you with an Elmer from our club.  Want to be an Elmer to an upcoming ham, send us your information.


SFARC ELMERS

NAME

CALLSIGN

Chip

Gerry

Clyde

Doug

Gary

Greg

Carl

Steven

Brian

Dennis

Don

Greydon

Jim

Jon

James

JoJo

Jeff

Rob

Tom

Evan

Anders

Smitty

Christina

Thomas

Jim

Aaron

hello world
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