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ARRL Club News

Published by the American Radio Relay League ********************************************

April 18, 2023

Editor: Michael Walters, W8ZY <clubs@arrl.org>

IN THIS ISSUE

- World Amateur Radio Day
- Plano Amateur Radio Klub Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary
- East Bay Section Club Supports STEM Fairs
- Ham Bootcamp May 13th
- Club Commission Program Update
- SKYWARN Program Trains Texas Storm Spotters
- Club Development Webinar Series
- Submitting Info for this Newsletter
- How to Plan and Apply for an ARRL Hamfest or Convention
- Important Links

WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY

Today, 2023 World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) is celebrated, literally,
around the world!

WARD is held on April 18 every year and is celebrated by radio amateurs
and their national associations, which are organized as
member-societies of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). It
was on this day in 1925 that the IARU was formed in Paris. American
Radio Relay League (ARRL) Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim was its first
president.

The IARU announced that Human Security for All (HS4A) will be this
year's WARD theme. The day is being celebrated with a 2-week operating
event occurring April 11 - 25. Special event stations will be operating
from around the world, making two-way radio contacts to call attention
to the HS4A campaign. The United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security describes human security as "a more powerful, lasting approach to the
most difficult deficits in peace and development," such as poverty,
war, and natural disasters.

ARRL encourages all radio amateurs to take to the airwaves for WARD, to
enjoy our global friendship with other amateurs, and to show our skills
and capabilities to the public.

More information about 2023 World Amateur Radio Day is available at www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day <https://www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day>and www.iaru.org/on-the-air/world-amateur-radio-da <https://www.iaru.org/on-the-air/world-amateur-radio-day.>y.

PLANO AMATEUR RADIO KLUB CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

The Plano Amateur Radio Klub (PARK) is pleased to announce that they
will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2023 with a year full of
events and a Golden Jubilee dinner in July. Founders, Charter Members,
and past Presidents will be honored as well as five decades of
community service, education, emergency preparedness, and disaster
response. PARK was founded in 1973 by local hams Dick Sander, K5QNY,
and Bill Newland, WB5ETZ. Charter Members include Harry Johnson,
WA5YCM; Bill Swan, K5MWC; Jack Freeman, WA5EDK; Gerald Williamson,
W5SID; Ed Lawrence, WA5SWD; Bill Niles, K5MVB; Carole Allen, W5NQQ, and
Bill Allen, W5NQR. The club was established to bring together local
hams to serve the community and its organizations with communications
services - something it still does to this day. Affiliating later in
1973, PARK continues to be proudly affiliated with ARRL.

PARK volunteers have used their special skills to help local community organizations manage large events. In recent years, some of these
events included the Plano Turkey Trot, Meals on Wheels, the Plano
Balloon Festival, and even the sprawling Dallas Marathon, where members
from many clubs work together to provide a safe environment for the
public. Additionally, the club provides communication services for
Civil Defense; Red Cross; state, county, and city law enforcement
agencies, and other charitable organizations during times of emergency, distress, national disaster, or public interest. One notable event was assisting in canvassing remote East Texas for debris after the 2003
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

Many of the 1973 founding members were also the first members of Collin
County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (CC-ARES), which started its
development in 1975. Even today many club members are members of
CC-ARES that use club repeaters to relay vital storm spotter
information on the CC-ARES Weather Net, which is monitored by the
National Weather Service in Fort Worth. So, when weather announcers on
TV say that "storm spotters" are reporting quarter-sized hail, that
information very likely came from local hams volunteering their time
and equipment to the public interest.

All this year, the club will be celebrating 50 years of continuous
service with numerous amateur radio-related events and operations,
culminating with a Golden Jubilee Dinner in July to honor the club's
founders and past Presidents who shepherded the club through the past
five decades. The club has rolled out a 50th anniversary logo, adding a
golden 50 to the center of the club's traditional logo that features
Texas at its heart. Throughout the year, club members will be
activating the club's K5PRK call sign with a /50 suffix commemorating
the club's 50th anniversary. QSOs with K5PRK/50 will be acknowledged
with a special K5PRK/50 QSL card.

Club Secretary Johnnie Young, KG5CQO, noted, "We are lucky to have both
of the original founders still with us and have received excited
responses to the Jubilee Dinner." QSL cards and other 50th anniversary merchandise will be available.

Club President Tim Johnson, K5TCJ, said, "Amateur radio is more than
just a hobby, as popularly assumed. It is a public service organized
and dedicated to bringing people, training, and resources together to
provide a pool of trained and skilled communicators, technicians, and electronics experts in times of need. Indeed, during adverse weather conditions, amateur radio operators routinely provide vital real-time
weather observations, and in times of emergency when normal
communication is disrupted, amateur radio operators routinely step up
with their time and equipment to re-establish vital communications to
effected areas. We are honored and proud to serve our community and
look forward to continued service to our friends and neighbors."

Club Vice President Anthony Burokas, KB3DVS, noted, "The interesting
thing about amateur radio is that people get interested in it for many different reasons. Maybe they saw a demonstration at school, or someone
using it in a park to talk to someone else in another country. Or maybe
they are interested in the computer-based digital modes. Or public
service communications. It could well be the emphasis on
experimentation and building that is also popular in the 'Maker'
community these days." Anthony continued, "For many it's just having a conversation with someone else in a far-off land who, as a starting
point, also shares an interest in ham radio. Ham radio is so diverse
that it allows each individual to pursue the aspect of it that
interests them."

PARK is a public service organization with a special interest in ham
radio, communications, and technology. Club membership is open to
everyone. The club has an open general membership meeting every month.
Anyone interested can come and find out more about the hobby, how to
get their own amateur radio license, and club membership.

More information about PARK, its history, its service, and Golden
Jubilee activities can be found at www.k5prk.net
<http://www.k5prk.net/>.

By Dan Daniels, W5KKQ - Public Relations Director

EAST BAY SECTION CLUB SUPPORTS STEM FAIRS

The ARRL Affiliated Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club (MDARC) continued
its support of local STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
Mathematics) fairs. On March 10, 2023, five club members converged on
the Los Medanos College gymnasium in Pittsburg, California, to serve as
judges for the annual Contra Costa County Science & Engineering Fair.
There were 127 students showing off 110 projects (some were team
projects) in the categories of Behavioral, Biological, Engineering, Environmental, Math/Computer Science, and Physical Science. Eighth
grader Jonas Desyatnik won the $200 prize, funded by MDARC, for his
project that analyzed the power generation of sun-tracking solar
panels. His project also won first place in the Eighth Grade
Engineering category and thus qualified him to present his project at
the statewide California Science & Engineering Fair. He also won a US
Air Force award for excellence in engineering. Jonas does not have an
amateur radio license yet, but his father is Yuri Desyatnik, KI6DUA.

The MDARC judges were Larry Loomer, KI6LNB; Marilyn Warren; Mike
Warren, W6MEW; Larry Bradley, KK6QPE, and Terry Buxton, KK6KGX.

On Saturday, March 25, 2023, MDARC joined forces with the San Joaquin
Valley Section's ARRL Affiliated Stockton-Delta Amateur Radio Club,
W6SF, to showcase amateur radio and amateur television at the Lincoln
Unified School District's "World of S.T.E.A.M." Expo at Lincoln High
School in Stockton, California. Jim Tittle, K6SOE, staffed the digital
amateur television display that featured MDARC's repeater signal. K6SOE
also demonstrated this club's MDARC-1 Ford communications in the
parking lot. He was assisted by Fred Coe, WB6ASU, and past MDARC
President Larry Bradley, KK6QPE.

By Matthew G. Vurek, N4DLA, ACC East Bay Section

HAM BOOTCAMP MAY 13TH

The Nashua Area Radio Society will be holding an online Ham Bootcamp on Saturday May 13th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Time.

Ham Bootcamp is a program to help new, inactive, and prospective hams
gain the skills and information that they need to Get on The Air. It is
open to any interested Ham or Prospective Ham in the US and Canada and
there is no charge to attendees.

The morning session is geared toward operating on the VHF/UHF bands:

· Putting together a Station for Repeaters - How to pick an HT or
Mobile Radio and an Antenna

· Radio Programming Tutorial

· Making Contacts and Joining a Repeater Net

· Getting Started with Amateur Radio Satellites

· Getting started with Fox Hunting

The afternoon session is geared toward operating on the HF Bands:

· Putting together an HF Station for SSB, CW, and Digital

· Picking and putting up an HF Antenna, Feedlines, and Grounds

· Operating on the HF bands using SSB Voice

· Getting started with WSJT-X and FT8 Digital

There will also be breakout sessions where attendee can choose one of
the following topics:

· Learning CW

· Intro to EmComm

· Finding DX, Logging and QSLing

· Portable Operating

... and more! Registration is now open for the May 13th session. You
can get more information about Ham Bootcamp, including a link to
register at n1fd.org/bootcamp <http://n1fd.org/bootcamp> If you have
any questions, you can contact us at bootcamp@n1fd.org. Registration is required to receive the link to the web conference.

CLUB COMMISSION PROGRAM UPDATE

Clubs are using the Club Commission Program to generate income for the
club and promote ARRL membership across the country. From January 1
through March 31 of this year, various clubs generated 217 separate memberships, with 21 of them returning members, 59 new members, and 135 renewals. That translates to a total of $1,875 paid in commissions to
those clubs.

Development is under way to improve the process. As of now, the steps
are the same:

·Distribute the application forms to prospective and existing members.

·Collect the applications and fill out a Club Reconciliation Form.

·Send all the forms with the dues to ARRL.

Once the above steps are completed, the club will receive a commission
check from ARRL.

The necessary forms are located at Affiliated Club Benefits (arrl.org) <https://www.arrl.org/affiliated-club-benefits> under the Club
Commission Program link.

Consider having a quarterly event at a club meeting to discuss ARRL
membership, and offer this to members. Members can renew at any time
without losing time. If your renewal is normally in July and you renew
in May, the time is added to your July date.

In the spirit of ARRL's Year of the Volunteers, in 2023 we are offering
the following promotion to clubs using the Club Commission Program:

·For every five new members signed through the Club Commission Program
through the end of 2023, ARRL will give the club a copy of The ARRL
Handbook, which can be used as a promotion, a door prize, an auction
item at hamfests, or however you choose.

Keep reading ARRL Club News for additional information on how clubs are
using this program.

SKYWARN PROGRAM TRAINS TEXAS STORM SPOTTERS

A few dozen people came out to the Fletcher Warren Civic Center in
Greenville, Texas, to learn how to become certified storm spotters. As
part of the annual SKYWARN program, Bianca Garcia of the National
Weather Service (NWS) presented a seminar designed to provide details
on various threats posed by severe thunderstorms. She also presented information that highlights severe weather safety and how area
residents can report severe weather information to the NWS. Garcia said
that even with technology such as radar and satellite imaging, storm
spotters are vital and serve as the first line of defense. "You guys
are presenting that special set of human eyes for us on the ground,"
Garcia said.

The event was hosted by the Hunt County Office of Homeland
Security/Emergency Management and the Greenville Fire-Rescue
Department. Due to the pandemic, it was the first live presentation
conducted in Hunt County in 3 years. David Alexander, with the County
Office of Homeland Security/Emergency Management, said it was
encouraging to see about 45 people turn out, especially given the wild
weather conditions so far this year. "We feel like it is a very needed program," Alexander said. "You always find out something new."

Since late January, portions of Hunt and Rockwall counties and the
surrounding area of North Texas have experienced freezing cold
temperatures, followed by deadly flooding, which claimed the life of a
man recently in Hunt County. Garcia urged those in the audience to
always play it safe in regard to flood waters and never take chances by
trying to drive through. "Don't underestimate the power of water," she
said. "Flooding is the number one weather killer in the United States."

Garcia voiced similar concerns regarding other severe weather people
might encounter, such as hail, high winds, and tornadoes. "You are
storm spotters; you are not storm chasers," she said. "We want you to
be safe." Many of those in attendance were members of the Sabine Valley
Amateur Radio Association, which is activated by the NWS and emergency management agencies to serve as trained storm spotters. With that in
mind, the agency handed out three emergency scanner radios to those in
the audience and is presenting a 3-night course on how to become an
amateur radio operator.

By Brad Keller, Herald Banner, Greenville, Texas

CLUB DEVELOPMENT WEBINAR SERIES

The ARRL Learning Center kicked off the Club Development Webinar Series
with the first webinar on March 30. This event focused on the role of
the club secretary. More than 130 participants attended the session
presented by Mike Aimone, WA8AHZ. Mike is the Affiliated Club
Coordinator in Virginia and was joined by Kathy Lamont, KM4TAY. Both
have experience as the secretary of their club. If you were unable to
join the live webinar, the recording is available on the ARRL Learning
Center at learn.arrl.org <https://learn.arrl.org/>. Future webinars
will also be recorded and available in the Learning Center for members
to view.

The next webinar will take place on April 27 at 7 PM Eastern Time. The
subject of the next event is the role of the club treasurer. If you are interested in watching live, register at Club Development Series <https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TVwPqBBSS4KbXUTHV83xcA>.
Please join us, and feel free to pass this to others who may be
interested.

SUBMITTING INFO FOR THIS NEWSLETTER

ARRL Club News is for radio clubs to show how they are working in the
community and the hobby to advance amateur radio. If your club
completes a project, supports an event, does an EmComm activation, or
activates a park, we want to hear about it. You can submit your
newsletter article to us at clubs@arrl.org. We like to get them as text
or Word files instead of PDFs. If you have pictures, please submit them
with caption information, as well as the name and call sign of the photographer. We want to highlight the good work being done by the
clubs and show others in the community. Think of this as a chance to
show off your club and your programs.

HOW TO PLAN AND APPLY FOR AN ARRL HAMFEST OR CONVENTION

If your amateur radio club is planning to host a convention, hamfest,
tailgate, or swapfest, please consider applying for it to be an
ARRL-sanctioned event. To learn what it means to be an ARRL-sanctioned
event, and to get some ideas on how to prepare for and conduct a
hamfest or convention, visit www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events>.

To have your event sanctioned, complete the online application at www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application <http://www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application>.

The ARRL Hamfests and Conventions Calendar can be found online at www.arrl.org/hamfests <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>. In addition, the Convention and Hamfest Calendar that runs in QST each month also
presents information about upcoming events.

IMPORTANT LINKS

ARRL Home: www.arrl.org <http://www.arrl.org/>

Find an ARRL Affiliated Club: www.arrl.org/clubs
<http://www.arrl.org/clubs>

Find your ARRL Section: www.arrl.org/sections
<http://www.arrl.org/sections>

Find a license class in your area: www.arrl.org/class <http://www.arrl.org/class>

Find a license exam in your area: www.arrl.org/exam
<http://www.arrl.org/exam>

Find a hamfest or convention: www.arrl.org/hamfests <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>

Email ARRL Clubs: clubs@arrl.org

ARRL Club News is published every month (12 times each year). ARRL
members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member
Data Page at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out <https://home.arrl.org/action/My-Account/Opt-In-Out>. Archived issues
can be found at http://www.arrl.org/club-news

Copyright (c) 2023 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated.
Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is
permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution.
All other purposes require written permission.

<http://www.arrl.org/>

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