BOARD MEETING MINUTES – March 13, 2024
BOARD MEETING MINUTES – March 13, 2024
Stillwater Amateur Radio Association
This was a Zoom online meeting.
Roll Call of Officers – Present: Joe KCØOIO, Bob WØGAF, Dave N9JNQ, Brad VE3MXJ, Shel NØDRX, Dave KØAIF; absent: Brian KØPU. A quorum was present.
President: Joe KCØOIO
The meeting was called to order at 6:36 PM by Joe KCØOIO.
Secretary’s Report – Dave N9JNQ
The February Board Meeting and Membership Meeting minutes and the March Membership Meeting minutes are up-to-date can be found posted to the club website. Dave N9JNQ will send the meeting minutes in a Windows or PDF format in the future to Board members.
Treasurer’s Report – Dave KØAIF
Beginning Total Balance: 02/01/2024 $17,752.68
Balance: $6,754.13
Income:
Expenses:
Ending Balance: 02/29/2024 $6,555.56
- RBF
Balance: $10,998.55
Income: $0.00
Expenses: $0.00
Ending Balance: 02/29/2024 $10,998.55
Ending Total Balance: 02/29/2024 $17,554.11
Dave KØAIF reported that he had to open a new PayPal account for the club’s use on its website for dues payments. The prior account used a personal tax ID rather than the club’s tax ID. At this point, the account is accepting payments, but not transferring them to the club bank account. Dave has a call into PayPal to rectify the issue. When he closed the old account, here was 28 cents left in the account, and PayPal will not transfer less than one dollar to a bank account. Thus, Dave donated the 28 cents to a PayPal-suggested charity.
Trustee’s Report – Shel NØDRX
Shel NØDRX reported that he filed the IRS 990N not-for-profit forms, which are actually due May 15. Also hanging fire is the annual Midphase payment for our website hosting. We usually pay it in April to take advantage of a discount rate. We will need to decide if we are going to continue with Midphase.
Reports of Standing Committees:
Activities & Events: Dave WØOXB & Bob WØGAF
Ice Station WØJH – Bob WØGAF reported that he has completed sending certificates to those who requested them so far.
Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event – Reservations for the shelter have been made with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the 2024 event and the reservations have been paid. Joe KCØOIO noted that this will be the 20th activation of the special event.
Father George Metcalf WØJH Special Event – As Dave WØOXB announced at the March Membership Meeting, he is in the process of trying to put together a new special event for the club. It would take place at the Belwin Conservancy Center in Afton, MN. Father George Metcalf was the original holder of the WØJH call sign, and is well known as the Army Chaplin for General George Patton. He is known for providing a prayer on order of Patton for good weather for a battle in the Battle of the Bulge. Fr. Metcalf was active in Handihams. When he passed, his call went to the 3M Mining Radio Club, who then offered it to SARA a few years later due to SARA’s connection to Handihams.
Dave has had a positive response from Belwin during an initial telephone conversation, and will be meeting with staff in April. Dave is looking for a volunteer to act as vice chair for the event. Brad VE3MXJ suggested that a email be sent to membership asking for someone to step forward.
Field Day 2024 – Tim KFØJEL and Ray KFØEKD are co-chairs of the event. There will be site planning in conjunction with the June 6 eyeball at Valley View Park. Joe KCØOIO noted that he saw the new ARRL logo for the event today on line – “Be Radio Active”.
2024 SARA POTA Challenge – Bob WØGAF has nothing new to report since the Membership Meeting.
On Air Activities – The on-air activities are doing fine.
Education and Training – Bob WØGAF
Bob WØGAF reports that Technician classes are up and running. Dan KEØIYF reported he had 14 folks at the second class.
Bob reports that three folks are participating in the Amateur Extra License study group. They have met regularly and have a schedule.
A General License License Class will take place in the fall.
Bob spoke to the Skywarn folks and it looks like next year the class will take at the Stillwater Public Library before the Technician License Class. The last couple of years the Skywarn class took place after the SARA classes had began. Moving Skywarn up may increase the chance that some of the participants will enroll in the SARA class.
VE Team – Shel NØDRX
The next VE session is scheduled for April 25, 2024. Shel NØDRX has secured and paid for a room at Boutwells for the session. Shel is considering the arrangement of the room to address increased numbers of participants. We have to address the chatter in the testing room.
Reports of Work Groups:
Website: Collin KEØIYN & Bob WØGAF
Last month Collin KEØIYN reported that our website host Midphase had announced that they are changing from the cPanel interface for management of the website to another panel type. There will be a short downtime for the club website, as well as the Minnesota POTA Day website, when the change is made. Collin has been in contact with Midphase, and was told that this would not change service at all. Collin is going to take their word for it.
Shel NØDRX asked whether Collin advises we continue with Midphase. Collin agreed that at this point we should renew Midphase. Shel reported that the discounted annual rate available before April 15 is in the $120.00 range.
Bob WØGAF made a motion to authorize payment of up to $150.00 to renew the Midphase web hosting service for the upcoming year; Brad VE3MXJ seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously.
Newsletter
Joe KCØOIO stated that we need to get those people who have been involved in the future of the newsletter together to discuss next steps.
Repeater – Shel N0DRX, Henry K0HAS, Doug N9TOW
We are still waiting to hear what the status of the power plant shutdown. We do have a connection through a club member to check on updates.
Remote Bases Technical Committee – Pat WAØTDA
Joe KCØOIO noted that the remote bases are operating fine. We are waiting for the weather to break to schedule a visit to WØJH to do some tweaking.
Member Assistance Programs
Joe KCØOIO noted that Shane WØNKA will be moving out of state for work and therefore we will be down one MAP volunteer.
Meetings & Programs – Dave N9JNQ, Zack AAØU, Mike N9MA
It was suggested that a program on the history of SARA might be favorably received. The committee will pursue the idea.
Radios in the Park
Joe KCØOIO reported that Radios in the Park will begin May 16, which will be New Ham Night at Valley View Park. Every third week Eyeball will be at Valley View, which will be May 16, June 6 & 27, July 18; August 6 & 29. June 6 will be the Field Day site recon night at Valley View Park. The other dates will take place at other parks around the area through September 12. There will be no Eyeball on Thursday July 4.
MN Parks On The Air Day June 8, 2024 – Joe KCØOIO reported that we are now in the promotional phase. Joe has secured a table at Midwinter Madness Hamfest on March 23 in Buffalo, MN. He is also considering attending and having a table at the Arrowhead/Superior Hamfest scheduled for May 4. If he does attend the latter, he may be activating some Wisconsin parks on the way home, if anyone is interested.
Unfinished Business:
SARA Club Equipment Inventory – The inventory is ongoing. Dave WØOXB is now in possession of the SARA crimp kit. We will need to add some of the new audio gear to the inventory, such as the mixer, camera, and new microphone, as well as the banners and tri-fold board.
Remote Base Relocation Purchases– Joe KCØOIO noted that we will be ironing out the last of the needs and modifications this spring when the weather improves. We will probably be looking at a set of coax jumpers as well as a RFI choke kit.
SARA Signals Newsletter – The club need to find a volunteer to push this issue along.
W0JH Repeater Manager Position – Joe KCØOIO has approached the recruit he and Shel NØDRX had discussed. The recruit was receptive, we are waiting for a final decision.
Club Banner – Joe KCØOIO that the two banners approved at the last Board meeting have been received, with one being displayed at the March Membership Meeting. They turned out well, especially for the minimal price paid. Joe suggested that perhaps the club should consider a banner especially designed for the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event. We do have permission to use some specific artwork that we received from a fellow ham after last year’s event. Joe invites any aspiring graphic artist to take a run with the idea.
Tabletop Display – Joe KCØOIO that the Tri-fold Tabletop Display has arrived. It now needs to he decorated with club information.
SARA Lanyards – Joe KCØOIO reported that the lanyards have arrived.
New Business
MNPOTA Meetup – Joe KCØOIO noted that last year SARA sponsored a MNPOTA day Meetup. Joe asked whether there was any interest in doing it again this year. If so, Joe would like someone else to shoulder the burden of planning, etc. It could take place on August 10, 2023. Brian KB9TBB was looking at securing a group campsite at Afton State Park this year. Bob WØGAF mentioned that many folks from outside the club attended the event in 2023. Joe noted that he had posted the event on a number of websites. More discussion will take place off-line about the possibility of event. Joe will discuss it with others and try to secure someone interested in taking the lead.
Bob WØGAF made a motion to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by Brad VE3MXJ; the motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:43 PM.