What does FOC do?

What does FOC do?
FOC encourages activity!
Merely becoming a member means that one has to be pretty active. It doesn't stop there, either: members are expected to be reasonably active on several bands through the year. Members also tend to be involved in events that promote activity amongst other amateurs, such as DXpeditions and special event stations. Amateur radio activity is one of the measures of a vigorous hobby and helps to ward off risks of losing precious spectrum to other organisations.
In addition to general activity, FOC organises two events during the year designed to create activity amongst its members:
The Marathon
Each year on the first full weekend in February the six main HF bands erupt in what for all the world you would think was a contest. It is indeed a contest, but with a difference! Here you'll find members contacting one-another and exchanging names, perhaps even stopping for a few minutes to chat about something of mutual interest before pressing on to the next QSO. And they give honest reports: none of the usual 599 business!
Each FOC member has a membership number and this is used rather than the usual serial number in the contact exchange. Each QSO counts one point, but if you get a particular station on five bands then there's a bonus. Get him on all six bands and there's an even bigger bonus. This means that you'll find members hopping around the bands like demented souls towards the end of the contest: a real test of operating skill.
The marathon has to be the most civilised contest in the entire world. Not that it isn't fiercely fought over, for it surely is, but just for the gentlemanly way in which it is conducted and the high standard of the operating.
The Bill Windle Memorial Trophy
This trophy is awarded annually to the member who makes contact with the highest number of other members in the year. Just about everyone takes part in this popular challenge and the top performers are likely to contact 75% or more of the membership in a single year.
When a new member comes on the air, he feels just like a DX station! All the existing members want to work him for a new one in the log. It's almost as exciting as a new DXCC counter, and with 500 members worldwide, approximately the same order of difficulty.
FOC encourages excellence!
FOC encourages excellence in everything it does, from the operating standards of its members through to the way in which it organises its events.
The Al Slater, G3FXB Memorial Award
This award is presented once a year to an individual group or society that has, in the judgement of the committee, made an outstanding contribution to the hobby that reflects the attitudes of Al Slater. Al's approach to amateur radio, indeed to many aspects of life itself, was something that others appreciate, look up to and seek to emulate.
CDXC was the proud recipient of this fine award in 1995.
FOC is a socially active club
In addition to meeting on the air, FOC members have a wide range of social events, ranging from two major dinners each year to mini events organised where two or more members are gathered. A unique element in this socialising is that the events are as much for other halves as for the radio amateurs themselves. Of course in some families, both husband and wife are amateurs and the club even has a few cases where both partners are members.
The annual Lords dinner
Held each year at the Lords cricket ground in London, this event is the highlight of the social calendar. Members travel from all over the world to the mecca of English Cricket: a natural venue for a club which was founded in Great Britain. The weekend is made complete by social events at members homes, pub lunches and presentations. The club callsign, G4FOC is invariably aired by members at the Lords grounds.
1997 marked the 50th anniversary of the Lords dinner. Take a look at some of the pictures from the 53rd dinner here.
The annual North American dinner
Only slightly less popular than Lords, this event has been held in the suburbs of Washington DC for many years. As with Lords, the weekend is embellished with visits to local amateurs. The marvellous hospitality of K3ZO and W3LPL is renowned amongst the many members who have attended this superb event. 1997 marked the 25th anniversary of the North American dinner.
And there's more...
There are annual dinners and social events in continental Europe, the west coast of USA, Florida, and the lovely floral town of Harrogate, North Yorkshire in the north of England, to name but a few.
Truly, FOC is a social club.
FOC keeps people in touch
Each month the club publishes a two page news-sheet with up to the minute information about what's going on.
A quarterly journal is also published containing articles of interest to members, results of the various competitions and reports on social gatherings etc. This high quality publication must be amongst the very best amateur radio publications anywhere in the world.
From time to time other publications are produced and mailed to all members.
FOC is friendship
Just as striking as the social element of the club is the deep friendship and comradeship that it offers. FOC members will always greet one another like old friends even though they may never have met in person. Of course they are indeed old friends, for amateur radio and the common interest of club members in CW means that they will already have had many a long chat on the air before they meet one another for an "eye-ball".
Like most societies, FOC is what its members make it. With members young and old, and with interests that span the entire spectrum of amateur radio, there remains none-the-less one common theme that brings these members together: a love of CW.