As the holder of the ROA callsign M0ROA I occasionally have a CW QSO with Rolf Marschener/DL9CM, a leading light in the German ROA and a principle organiser of MRD (Marine Radio Day).
We were chatting on the key today and he told me the German ROA had its annual meeting last week, its 60th birthday. What a pity no-one thought of forming our own association back then in the 1950s! If it’s this good now, think how much we must have missed by not doing anything until Paul Durkin thought of it.
On the plus side, Rolf tells me their membership is only 200, so I modestly let slip we have over 360. Not bad, considering we’re a smaller country and not so well-organised as the Germans are about these things.
Dave Ellis.