Journal Archival from Paul Bourbin

When I joined CHRS in 1983 things were quite a bit different from what they are today. Radios were cheaper then. I bought a Magnavox horn for $25 and a Parkin crystal set for $20. 01A tubes were $5-6 each, '99's $10 and 50's not much more. People wondered why anyone would be willing to pay fifteen dollars for a little plastic set made out of a strange plastic only a few knew was Catalin. There were only four swap meets a year and all of them were at Foothill College. One had to get there at first light to get the "good stuff". It was basically a bunch of guys who like to fool around with old radios. Herb Brams was writing the Journal almost single-handedly and asked for others to provide articles. I wrote one about the early days of radio called "In the Beginning", and it, prophetically, marked the beginning of my close involvement with CHRS. About six months after I joined, the President, and some of the other officers resigned, and the Society was in limbo. I was asked to become President and, in my naiveté I accepted. I wanted the Society to continue. No one seemed to know who was on the Board of Directors or what the by-laws were. There was not much money and the only thing I had to go on was from what I could find in a couple of boxes of papers and stuff dropped off on to my driveway. I was able to find a membership list, however. With the help of Gary Halverson and Bill Helander, we were able to make an audiotape and I sent a message telling everyone that CHRS was alive. After a couple of tapes, Doug Martin, and later, Adam Schoolsky helped to revive the Journal. For a while, we alternated tapes and Journals until a Journal could be produced prior to each of the four swap meets.

I asked a number of members what they wanted from CHRS and they all exclaimed, "More Swap-meets". Soon, regional meets throughout Northern and Central California were interspersed with the regular Foothill Meets. It was not long before the membership number exceeded the number of members that we had when I started and continued to rise: as did the number of vendors, and the prices of the radios. Finally, the "official" starting time of 8:00 A.M. was enforced. After a while members found that it was nice to sleep longer and interested people came from farther distances to attend. We had exhibits in different locations throughout the greater Bay Area and in Redding. We had membership picnics (the first one was postponed because of the Loma Prieta earthquake!). We dreamt of a museum, but all the time and labor available was needed to just keep the Society going. The Society's membership continued to grow, and so did the treasury. And it was good.

Now the Society's membership is half-again larger than it was. More vendors are attending the meets, and radios cost more than ever! The talk at meets often is more about hi-fi equipment, the price of audio triodes and transistor radios, than that of old tube radios. Member's requests for more meets have been fulfilled with meets happening monthly (except in winter). CHRS is participating in numerous vintage radio events like the Cliff House Wireless Commemoration and the Gavin Seminar exhibit. Members can make use of technical and appraisal services free of charge. The Society is partnered with other organizations to create a permanent exhibition site in the Presidio. And it is good.

For the future, I would like to see CHRS take a page from the book of another organization of which I am a member. Some of you have attended our annual Regional Meet at the Western Railway Museum near Fairfield. The museum is operated by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association, Inc. I have been a member of the Association since 1965 and have watched the museum grow from a cow pasture full of streetcars to what it is today. A brief bit of history: The Bay Area Electric Railroad Association has been in existence since 1947. It was formed to acquire and preserve rolling stock and artifacts from the West's rapidly diminishing electric railroad systems. It also fostered camaraderie amongst members by providing social meetings, excursions and the opportunity to acquire railroad memorabilia. Soon the membership realized that having various pieces of railroad equipment stored on sidings and in roundhouses throughout California would not do. A museum was needed and a search for a suitable location was started. After a few false starts, the present location was chosen because it was fairly close to the Bay Area. It was large enough for an operating museum, and was both affordable and adjacent to a former electric interurban railroad (the Sacramento Northern). Even then, the membership dreamed of re-electrifying and restoring the interurban line. The membership realized that, with the amount of work necessary to build an operating railroad museum, the Association should own the property. Otherwise, the landlord or government agency owning the land could force the removal of the equipment tracks etc. If you think that it is difficult moving a console radio, try moving a streetcar! (Incidentally, this did happen to another railroad museum organization.) The Association had few assets save for the railroad equipment. How were they to raise the funds to buy land for a museum? A few of the members formed a corporation in 1960 and purchased the property. The Association paid them back bit by bit until title was given to the Association. Then the work began. The equipment had to be moved to the site (not an easy task) and trackage and facilities had to be constructed. There was not much money, so the members had to do the work. And work they did! The site had an old gas station, a barn, a couple of residences, a bunch of jackrabbits and not much else. Gradually the meetings and excursions faded away so that the membership could focus on the museum.Visit the museum some time. Everything you see there; the landscaping, the tracks, the restored equipment, the bookstore, re-electrification and maintenance of the railroad, with the exception of some of the large buildings, was done by the membership. Members built the shop building. The Association is the new Visitor's Center's general contractor. Members who were qualified did much of the construction work. Much of what has been done was done when the membership was smaller than CHRS is now. Finally the opportunity to purchase the adjacent railroad right-of-way was offered to the Association and we raised $220,000 to purchase it. This was done without grants. Once the right-of-way was purchased and re-electrification was started, we were able to get grants. Still, the Association raises most of its own money. No one in the Association is paid. People work there because they believe in what they are doing. And they have done something good.

Why am I bringing this up? Because this is my vision of the future of CHRS. What is the difference between CHRS and BAERA? A CENTRAL FOCUS! CHRS members are mostly individually oriented. Why not? There is no goal we can strive to accomplish as a Society. We are individuals who are interested in vintage electronic equipment. With the Society providing a newsletter and a venue for exchange. We do a few outside events and exhibits to stay a legal non-profit corporation; period. What we lack is a central focus, a common goal. It is my hope that the Society can find a common ground a museum, so that the membership will work together to create something that none of us could do as individuals.

One of the first tasks to be done is that of creating a workable mission statement. This is the focal point of all future activities. This is what potential donors look at first. Our current motto should be changed from its individualistic attitude to a mission statement more reflective of an historical society. A possible statement could read something like this: "To foster the restoration and preservation of vintage electronics and the study of the history of early broadcasting by creation of a museum to increase public awareness of their electronic heritage".

How can this be accomplished? First of all, we will need pledges of time, talent, and treasure from our members. That is: a commitment by members to make it happen. By time, I mean people will have to commit a certain block of time, on a regular basis, for the creation and upkeep of a museum. No matter what site we get, there will be a lot of work required to make it into a museum. Once opened, it will have to be manned and people will have to be trained in its operation. By talent, I mean people will have to use their skills to make the museum function. Those with construction, maintenance and restoration skills will be needed for formation and upkeep of the plant and objects. People who have training in administration, public relations, law, advertising, archiving and grant writing will be needed. "People Persons" will be needed to serve as docents and to be there when the museum is open. By treasure, I mean two things. The first is items for the collection. We will need nice items to display; not just vintage electronics but accessories, books and magazines, brochures, signs, radio shows, display cases for the objects etc. Title to the objects can be given to the Society or retained by the owner. I also mean pledging the money necessary to make and sustain this project. It will be difficult to get grants in the beginning. We need to have a good track record and to have something to show the grant givers. Both objects and money can be bequeathed to the Society, but before that will happen, we will have to have something tangible for donors to see. It will take a lot of people to do all this. That is what a society is, a group of people united with a shared interest.

The ideal situation would be that the Society owns it's own site. The reasons are many. People are more willing to support an effort that they know will be permanent. A location owned by another is tenuous a best. A site owned by the Society justifies capital expenditures and retention of a greater portion of the income generated by the site. If the location is privately owned, one is subject to the whim of the landlord. Rent increases can be deadly! Money paid to the landlord is lost forever. If the government or a government agency owns the location, one is often just one vote away from oblivion. People who know the land is not ours, may be less interested in supporting something that could easily go out of existence; with little recompense for a great amount of donated time and effort. However, unless a good location can be found and some members are willing to front the money for site acquisition, we may have to rent a storefront location as a temporary (and I mean very temporary) location. At least with that, we can point to the location and show outsiders that we are willing to make the commitment. People like being with winners. Once we have shown others that we can accomplish something, they will jump on the bandwagon. More people means less work per person. The site must be located where there is a good flow of people. This project is not just for our egos. It must generate revenue and public interest. Although we may love radios, most people have only a passing interest. The site will have to be convenient and accessible to bring people in. The general public, in quantity will be needed to provide the revenue necessary to help maintain the site. While the membership can be counted upon to donate for special projects and acquisitions; they will tire of supporting the day to day operations.

When should we do this? Soon. The vintage radio hobby is starting to mature. The number of new objects being turned up becomes less each year, yet more people are getting interested in the hobby. Prices are going up and the hobby will someday become too expensive for many people. To sustain general or universal interest you need a group project. Our main function, hosting swap meets, may reach a plateau soon. Mature hobbies tend to become "auction" hobbies, either traditional or Internet. People wanting the "best" price sell a lot of radios and related material over the Internet. This is material that would have been sold by traditional methods including swap meets. If the quality and quantity of material decreases significantly at meets, combined with the problems of theft, fewer people may attend meets and they will start to decline. If the Society is going to survive, we are going to have to mature with the hobby and start working together to create a legacy for all of us. To accomplish this, will require a more formal governing organization. This should be addressed at an organizational meeting soon.

In my opinion, and all the opinions in this article are mine alone, the Presidio project should be of secondary importance. First, we would not own the land or building(s), which subjects our work to the whim of the GGNRA. Second, the location is small and remote and can not generate the revenue necessary to maintain and sustain it. Thirdly, we would be part of a committee of operators and therefore would have no societal identity. It would be a worthy project to support as a satellite project, once our own identity has been established. The carrot-and-stick approach used by the GGNRA could leave us holding the bag.

So, in deciding our future, do we want to become a respected Society which has a clear mission and have something to which we can point to with pride, or do we want to stay a provincial group that is mainly a front for a flea market? And it will be good, it could be great!