In the Silent Keys list in June RadCom I see another 4 G3 stations have died. Most months there are 4-6 who have died. My G3XBM call was issued in December 1967. Some date much earlier, probably just after WW2? If the G3s are a dying breed then those issued
between the wars must be even rarer. In 20 years there will be very few of us left. There is a real chance that our hobby will just die unless the younger generation is enthralled. I very much hope I am wrong.
Young people get excited by different things. As a youngster, amateur radio was the
only way to communicate around the world. TV was limited to Europe. Short-wave was magic: hearing Radio Australia with heavy QSB early in the morning was very exciting. These days young people can video conference for nothing with any part of the world. No, amateur radio is no longer magic as it was to me. Getting my G3 call was a passport to worldwide communications. This is no longer the case.
We are not alone: many churches seem to be totally unattractive to young people and the bulk of their congregations are old women. In time, these will die and these churches will die too. There are some exceptions.