The major goals of the TelecomPioneers are their charitable, social and fellowship activities among fellow TelecomPioneers. Through their charitable efforts, they also contribute a great deal to their communities.

The Telephone Pioneer QSO Party originated as a way to promote fellowship among TelecomPioneers, who are also amateur radio operators. Since the telecommunications industry is a technical industry and sponsors the TelecomPioneers, it was natural that many TelecomPioneers amateur radio operators wanted to extend that fellowship through pioneering and amateur radio.  The first Telephone Pioneer QSO Party was held in 1964, sponsored by one of the chapters affiliated with Western Electric. It retains the name Telephone Pioneers after the name change to TelecomPioneers.

The Telephone Pioneer QSO Party has become an annual organized event that brought together hundreds of TelecomPioneers, to meet “on the air” each first weekend in December. The operators try to make as many contacts as they can with each other in the 34 hours of the event. They exchange information with each other such as the year they became a pioneer, their TelecomPioneer Chapter and their name. We have amateur radio operators from the majority of the chapters participating every year in the United States and Canada.

Amateur Radio Operators describe a “QSO Party” as way to make contacts with old friends and make new ones with a common interest. A side benefit to the Telephone Pioneer QSO Party is that many times, other non-TelecomPioneers operators will break in and ask, “What is a Telephone Pioneer?” We then take time to explain what a Telephone Pioneer is, and how we get together every year on the first weekend in December. So there are several benefits, it brings together fellow TelecomPioneers and provides publicity about pioneering to the general public.

The Telephone Pioneer QSO Party is open to all amateur radio operators who are TelecomPioneers either through their TelecomPioneer organization or the Independent Telephone Pioneer Association (ITPA).

The George S. Ladd Pioneer Radio Club in the Golden Gate Chapter 138 sponsors the event. We encourage all active and retired employees to become a TelecomPioneer and participate in our event. 

For announcements, rules and other information see http://members.aol.com/tpqso

Jim Muiter Golden Gate Chapter 138