GCARA May Meeting Recap and June 23 Field Day Preparations
What a wonderful evening! Thank you to everyone who attended our May meeting. The turnout was outstanding, resulting in one of the best-attended meetings we have had in recent memory. Seeing a packed room filled with members, guests, and new faces made for a truly special evening.
A packed house for our May GCARA meeting at Broward Health North.
A very special thank you goes to Shirley Ritchie, N4JKI, who shared a fascinating and heartfelt presentation about the life and legacy of her late husband, Chuck Ritchie, W4BUG, one of the founders of the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association. Through photographs, memories, and personal stories, Shirley gave us all a deeper appreciation of Chuck’s remarkable contributions to Amateur Radio and our club. The audience response and participation showed just how much his legacy continues to inspire our members today.
Shirley Ritchie, N4JKI, sharing memories of Chuck Ritchie, W4BUG, GCARA co-founder.
We were also honored to recognize two outstanding members with Life Membership Awards. Congratulations to Alan Karden, N4ALK, and Shirley Ritchie, N4JKI. Special thanks to Melanie Fernandez, KJ4VCT, for presenting the awards and helping make the ceremony so meaningful.
Life Member recognition presented by Melanie Fernandez, KJ4VCT.
The evening also included FCC license testing. We are pleased to welcome two newly licensed Amateur Radio operators who have already joined GCARA as members and are awaiting the issuance of their new call signs. Congratulations as well to Aurora Figueiredo, WD4AGF, on successfully upgrading to General Class.
Special thanks go to our Volunteer Examiner Team: Alan Karden, N4ALK, Jeff Stahl, K4BH, and Jerry Deitch, W4LST, whose dedication helps bring new operators into our hobby and supports advancement within Amateur Radio.
Many thanks to Jim Schwantes, KJ4GJB, and Diane Schwantes of HamReady for attending the meeting and presenting samples of our new club apparel and merchandise. The shirts were very well received, and their continued support of Amateur Radio and GCARA is greatly appreciated.
We would also like to thank Ricky Eaton, KD4HGR, for stepping in on short notice to chair the meeting. Due to a severe case of laryngitis, President Ben Echavarria, N7BBE, was unable to fully participate in the program and remained largely in the background throughout the evening. Thanks to Ricky’s leadership, the meeting ran smoothly and successfully.
Another exciting milestone was reached as GCARA officially took possession of its new club trailer, generously provided by Dirk Basting, N4AN, just in time for Field Day preparations. The trailer will provide much-needed storage and transportation capability for club equipment and activities.
Special thanks to Kenny Hollenbeck, KE4NC, for providing parking space for the trailer and for helping coordinate its placement and storage.
GCARA’s new trailer, ready to support Field Day and future club activities.
Field Day preparations are already well underway. We are pleased to announce that Kenny Hollenbeck, KE4NC, has volunteered to serve as Field Day Chair, helping coordinate this year’s activities and operations.
A special thank you also goes to Jean-Marie Basting and Cara Jackson, who have generously volunteered to lead our culinary team and will be working the grill throughout the event.
Our hospitality team continues to grow. Ricki Witte, KJ4FSJ, will once again contribute her famous chili, while Leonardo Baldi, K4ITA, has generously offered to provide his outstanding Italian pizza for Saturday evening dinner.
Thanks to these volunteers and many others working behind the scenes, this year’s Field Day is shaping up to be one of the best in GCARA history. If you would like to help with setup, operating, logging, hospitality, antenna installation, teardown, or any other aspect of Field Day, please contact Kenny Hollenbeck, KE4NC. Additional volunteers are always welcome.
We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to Broward Health North. Despite an unusually high demand for conference facilities, the hospital staff graciously made two conference rooms available on short notice, allowing us to accommodate the large turnout and ensuring the success of the evening. Their continued support of GCARA is greatly appreciated.
We would also like to thank Carol Sjursen, KJ4AWB, for taking and sharing the excellent photographs from the meeting. Her photos beautifully captured the spirit of the evening and helped preserve memories of a truly special event.
A special thank you also goes to our Public Information Officer, Tom Savoca, K9TJS, for creating an outstanding Facebook story featuring many additional photographs and highlights from the meeting. His efforts allowed members and friends to relive the evening and helped showcase the activities and fellowship that make GCARA such a special organization.
Looking Ahead – June 23 Meeting
Field Day is almost here!
Join us on Tuesday, June 23rd, as we make our final preparations for ARRL Field Day 2026. This meeting will cover last-minute planning, operating schedules, station setup, logistics, hospitality, and opportunities for members to participate in one of Amateur Radio’s biggest annual events.
We are also pleased to welcome Mike Sams, KF4ZW, who will present:
Introduction to AllStar
Mike will provide an overview of the rapidly growing AllStar network, explaining how Amateur Radio operators can connect repeaters and stations around the world using AllStar technology. Whether you are completely new to AllStar or interested in expanding your operating capabilities, this presentation will be an excellent introduction to the system and its many possibilities.
We hope to see everyone on June 23rd for an informative evening as we make the final preparations for what promises to be another outstanding GCARA Field Day.73,
Dirk Basting, N4AN
Treasurer
Gold Coast Amateur Radio Association
W4BUG.ORG
