CQ, CQ, CALLING ALL HAMS!!!
Greetings from your Board of Directors! We are busy doing some Spring Cleaning of the GCARA Website dusting off and updating our bylaws and doing our due diligence on the repeater site upkeep.
Currently, we are still meeting on the ZOOM format on the fourth Tuesday of the month at a new time, 7:30 PM. We will announce our speakers at the first of the month by mail chimp and on the website, w4bug.org. Every effort will be made to keep you informed and up to date.
Charlie Artner, KN4VDW, has graciously offered to assume the responsibility of our website this past month. He will be updating and you may see some things change a little. Please check in from time to time and please comment as to what you find. We would love feedback.
John Cole, N1QFH, has done an outstanding job for us but asked for relief due to the many websites he now manages. I am indebted to John for his trailblazing efforts on our site and his dedication to keeping it fresh and updated for us, even though his time was limited. I hope that we will have the opportunity to work together again on club business. I found John to be very valuable assistance to my efforts to keep others informed and to keep our web resources secure. He is a fountain of knowledge and he was a good and patient instructor. I have appreciated all of John’s efforts and wish him the best as he helps out other people with their websites. Thanks, John.
We have a fully operational Remote HF station and it has been a Godsend for those who have Condo restrictions to outdoor antennas or need a radio but cannot afford it. It allows us to make long-distance contacts on many frequencies and has performed admirably when used. We wish to thank Joe McGee, NX4T who spearheaded this effort with the help of Ricky Eaton, KD4HDR, our Repeater Trustee, Al Flapan, AF4FA, of our repeater team, and Mike Sams who also jumped in to help with computer and router issues we were having. These gentlemen deserve a round of thanks so when you see them for talk to them online, please convey your appreciation. If you have not yet availed yourself touting the Remote HF station, please do and you will get HOOKED. It is so neat!
I want to congratulate our member in good standing, Allan Karden, N4ALK, on passing his EXTRA and getting his VE certification. I am beyond proud of this individual. When I first met this gentleman and his wife Anna-Jean, they were unlicensed and made the efforts necessary to get both of themselves licensed. I am certain that he will continue to be an asset to the club, as well as to hams in general. He has been so gracious and generous in supplying me with CW Cds, information, and general encouragement. Thank you, Allan.
Our Treasurer, Erik Olmer, W4EJO, has developed a very successful and efficient invoicing system along with Pay Pal availability, to make collecting dues and donations very easy for us to track. He is using a new accounting system, Money Minders, to track our budget and expenses and so far it looks like it will serve our needs for many years to come. Along with those efforts, Erik has also made the necessary submissions to the IRS to help us obtain 501 (c) (3) status that was started by our last Treasurer, Ricki Witte, KJ4FSJ. There have been many people working for the club behind the scenes to make things happen for the benefit of the club and I am so pleased and sprout of all of them. As we continue to build infrastructure, we can continue to make other dreams a possibility.
While we all genuinely miss our picnics and public Field Days, we are continuing our communication skill-building independently through many avenues. The ARRL affords many contesting opportunities, we have two major Field Days, one in Winter and one in Summer which we collaborate, plan and attend to, as well as our Remote HF Station. There are opportunities in AresRaces to get involved in and make a difference and I highly recommend that you seek out those resources and as well as support other clubs. We are just a cog in the wheel of communications and information is power. We need to stay ready for whatever comes our way in these “interesting and trying” times with our ever-changing weather problems and possible natural or man-made disasters. For warned is for armed.
Thank you all for your ongoing support of the GCARA and your contributions of time, talent, and funds that help propel us to greater heights in our hobby. Help develop another ham for an outstanding legacy for yourself.
May everyone enjoy all of the Holidays of Spring, no matter what ilk or creed. We can all feel blessed at the freedoms our country allows for enjoying our separate traditions in a peaceful way. Long live the USA!!!
Melanie Fernandez, KJ4VCT