BOARD MEETING MINUTES – January 12, 2022
BOARD MEETING MINUTES – January 12, 2022
Stillwater Amateur Radio Association
This was a Cisco Webex online meeting.
Roll Call of Officers – Present: Joe KCØOIO, Bob WØGAF, Rich ADØSN, Zack AAØU, Shel NØDRX, Dave N9JNQ, Brad VE3MXJ
President: Joe KCØOIO
The meeting was called to order at 6:35 pm.
Secretary’s Report – Dave N9JNQ
The December 2021 Board and January 2022 Membership Meeting minutes can be found posted to the club website.
Treasurer’s Report – Rich ADØSN
Beginning Total Balance: 012/01/2021 $18,225.84
- SARA
Balance: $6,468.50
Income:
Expenses:
Ending Balance: 12/31/2021 $6,262.45
- RBF
Balance: $11,757.34
Income: $0.00
Expenses: $0.00
Ending Balance: 12/31/2021 $11,757.34
Ending Total Balance: 12/31/2021 $18,019.79
Rich ADØSN reports that there are no changes to the report as reported at the January 2022 Membership meeting other than the receipt of approximately $80.00 in dues since the first of the year.
Rich noted that an audit needs to be done. It will be taken up under New Business.
Trustee’s Report – Shel NØDRX
Shel NØDRX reports that he has canceled the meeting room at Boutwells Landing for the February 2022 Membership Meeting. Shel assumes the club will get a credit from Boutwells for the cost of the room.
Reports of Committees/Work Groups:
Website: Collin KEØIYN & Bob WØGAF
Collin KEØIYN reports that the website seems to be working well and the SSL is managing itself just fine.
Activities & Events: Dave WØOXB
The Sweep White Elephant Exchange Party – Dave WØOXB notes that the annual Sweep gift exchange has been postponed again due to the need to be in-person.
Ice Station Special Event – This special event will take place Presidents’ Day weekend, February 19-21, 2022. Dave WØOXB reported that he has gotten notice on the ARRL website for special events that the event will now take place from home stations as opposed to out on the ice due to COVID concerns. Shel NØDRX has made a similar change to the QRZ.com website. Joe KCØOIO has put together a SignUpGenius signup site on the web for test purposes, and all that needs to be done now is to share a link with membership for the site.
Dave noted that last year the club had put together an informational program on Webex addressing how to operate a special event. Joe noted that such a program has been penciled in for an upcoming Eyeball session – February 10. Joe also noted that last-years presentation was recorded and is available to club members on the club’s YouTube channel. Dave also has a two-page sheet about how to operate that can once again be shared with membership.
Dave noted that the club did not seek a WØF call for CW operation as the club did not do so for last year’s operation, has not used the call when operating on the ice, and just did not have the time to acquire the call as it was just decided last week to shift from in-person operations to home stations due to COVID concerns. Dave noted that we should keep it in mind for next year as there are CW operators who may be interested in operating WØF.
The Board affirmed that Brad VE3MXJ could operate using the call WØJH/VE3. Brad reported that he had checked with Canadian authorities and was informed that using such a call in Canada was consistent with applicable regulations.
M.A.P: Dave WØOXB
Dave WØOXB reported that there a a few members who need some maintenance on their antennas, and a couple who want a new antenna installed, but due to the winter weather no action has been taken.
Meetings & Programs – Joe KCØOIO
Monthly Meeting at Boutwells -In person membership sessions have been canceled through February due to COVID. We will consider whether to go in-person for the March meeting at the February Board Meeting.
Joe KCØOIO asked for ideas for Membership Meeting programs for the months to come. Joe would like someone to take on the February program as he has facilitated the last two programs. Brad VE3MXJ suggested a “Show Your Shack” program, where members could show their shack using real-time streaming and/or photographs. Brad volunteered to provide a tour of his shack. Joe will promote the idea for the February Membership Meeting with members.
Joe suggested trying to get K4FMH Frank Howell, Professor Emeritus at Mississippi State University and Adjunct Professor at Emory University, as a presenter. Frank has been a presenter on the podcast ICQ, has been a co-Host of the QSO Radio Show on WTWW with Ted Randall as well as on the Amateur Radio Roundtable on WBCQ and w5kub.com. Frank was scheduled to present for the May 2021 Membership Meeting but had to cancel.
Tech Topic Thursday – Mike KFØCCL is looking for ideas for upcoming TTT presentations. Brian KB9TBB has graciously agreed to provide a presentation at the February 3, 2022, TTT on GridTracker.
Thursday Eyeball QSO Party – Eyeballs will be virtual via Webex through February due to COVID. We do still have reservations for the Stillwater Library meeting room through March 2022 beginning on March 10 (the first Thursday is the virtual TTT program). The January 20, 2022 virtual eyeball will be the roll out of the SARA POTA Challenge, presented by Bob WØGAF and Brian KB9TBB. February 10, 2022, will be the Ice-olation Station Warming House program.
Virtual Manhattan Project – A virtual Manhattan Project is scheduled for Friday January 28 and for Friday February 25, 2022.
Board Meetings – Virtual Board Meetings are scheduled for the Wednesdays following the Membership Meetings, February 16, March 16, April 13, and May 18, 2022.
Room Reservations – Dan KFØIYF
Dan KFØIYF will secure room reservations at the Stillwater Library for the upcoming Tech Class for Thursday nights March 3 through April 21, 2022. Bob WØGAF noted that will will have to decide whether to move forward with the classes at a later date when the course of COVID is more clear. If needed, we can cancel the reservations.
Joe KCØOIO noted that the Maple Grove Radio Club is offering online Tech classes. Greg KØGW has sent out a note on these upcoming classes.
VE Team – Shel NØDRX
Shel NØDRX reported that any upcoming VE session is dependent upon the implementation of the Tech class. He will hold off scheduling a testing session until we know whether the Tech class will be held. It was noted that the Tech question pool will be changing July 1, 2022.
Education and Training – Bob WØGAF
Joe KCØOIO and Bob WØGAF reported that the joint SARA/SEMARC Extra Class study group has been completed, with two participants (club member Craig WØGIB being one of them) having secured their Amateur Extra licenses, and two more are taking their tests in January. Thanks to Brian NØBM for is mentoring of the group. Brian attended most if not all of the sessions. It was a successful joint effort between the two clubs.
Bob is still looking at a SARA Tech class following the regular Spring schedule, when classes have roughly begun the last part of February/beginning of March. Bob is unaware at this time whether SkyWarn will be having an in-person training session or not. Bob will reach out to Dan KFØIYF about securing a room or rooms for the anticipated classes.
VE Team – Shel NØDRX
A VE session will be dependent upon the completion of the SARA Tech class and any possible graduates.
Newsletter – Pat WAØTDA, Dave WØOXB
The deadline for the February issue is the first week of February. Brad VE3MXJ has sent a possible article to Pat WAØTDA for publication, and Dave WØOXB suggested considering an article on Father Metcalf, the original holder of the callsign WØJH, and a Handihams volunteer.
Repeater – Henry KØHAS, Shel NØDRX, Doug N9TOW
The repeater is functioning fine at the moment. Nothing further to report.
Remote Bases Technical Committee – Pat WAØTDA
Pat WAØTDA reports that he spoke with Bill NØCIC this past week and Bill would like to hold off working further on the RFI issue on 40 meters at the WØEQO remote station until after the winter weather has lessened. All agreed that this was a good idea.
Unfinished Business
SARA Club Equipment Inventory – The trailer inventory will wait until the weather breaks.
New Business
Donation to POTA – Joe KCØOIO proposed that the Board consider a donation of $100.00 to the POTA.com group due to the fact that the club will be using its website extensively for implementation of the SARA POTA Challenge. A donation can be made on its website using PayPal.
Bob WØGAF made a motion that SARA make a $100.00 donation to POTA via its website PayPal link in recognition of SARA’s use of the site for its Challenge; the motion was seconded by Brad VE3MXJ; the motion passed unanimously.
Rich ADØSN will make the donation via PayPal on the POTA website. Shel suggested using the WØJH call as SARA has submitted many logs using the club call to the website.
Radio Upgrade for Field Station – Joe KCØOIO suggested that the Board consider selling the Kenwood TS-590 used by the club for Field Day and Special Events, and purchase an Icom IC-7300. Joe noted that the Kenwood is getting old, and members using the Kenwood and the Icom 7300 that the club currently has at the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event noted better audio of the Icom and commented on the Icom’s ease of operation. It was also noted that having two Icoms would improve compatibility of peripheral equipment, such as microphones. Joe noted that the club currently has one Icom 7300 used for events and one a the WØEQO remote station. It was noted that the Kenwood TS-590 is from the Remote Base cache, so the funds acquired would go back to the Remote Base Fund, and the Icom IC-7300 would be purchased from the Remote Base Fund.
Zack AAØU made a motion to sell the Kenwood TS-590 and use the funds to upgrade the club equipment; the motion was seconded by Shel NØDRX; the motion passed unanimously.
Joe KCØOIO made a motion to acquire an Icom IC-7300 to upgrade SARA’s equipment using Remote Base Funds; Dave N9JNQ seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously.
Joe will work with Rich ADØSN on choosing where to acquire the new radio.
Annual Audit – Keith AGØH agreed to perform the annual audit of the SARA books. Rich ADØSN will made the SARA books available to Keith.
SARA POTA Challenge – Bob WØGAF and Brian KB9TBB reported that the club has created a challenge for the calendar year of 2022 for members to compete on making Parks on the Air contacts, both as activators and hunters. The challenge is meant to encourage operating activities of club members.
Bob noted that park activation and hunting has become very popular since the ARRL initiated the National Parks on the Air program in 2016. SARA has began creating some award categories, and Bob and Brian will provide monthly updates throughout the year. They will also prepare an instruction sheet and will cover the challenge at the January 20, 2022, virtual Eyeball Session. To be a hunter, all you need to do it create an account at POTA.com. If you already have worked some POTA stations, you will most likely find them credited to you once you create and account. SARA will be using the POTA website for acquiring data on club members’ contacts, activations, etc. Brian noted that the club may hold group activations, with a hot dog feed as encouragement. Bob noted that the challenge will be low key, but that an award ceremony will be held at the end of the year.
Appointment of Trustee – Shel NØDRX agreed to continue in the position of SARA Trustee and accept an appointment for 2022.
Dave N9JNQ made a motion to reappoint Shel NØDRX as SARA Trustee; Rich ADØSN seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously.
Zack AAØU made a motion to adjoin the meeting; the motion was seconded by Dave N9JNQ; the motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:52 pm.