BOARD MEETING MINUTES – October 6, 2021
BOARD MEETING MINUTES – October 6, 2021
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; Absent: Dave N9JNQ, Doug N9TOW
President: Joe KCØOIO
The meeting was called to order at approximately 6:30 pm.
Secretary’s Report – Dave N9JNQ
The September 2021 Board and Membership Meeting minutes can be found posted to the club website.
Treasurer’s Report – Rich ADØSN
Beginning Total Balance: 09/01/2021 $17,821.44
- SARA
Balance: $6,064.10
Income:
Expenses:
Ending Balance: 09/30/2021 $6,089.55
- RBF
Balance: $11,757.34
Income: $0.00
Expenses: $0.00
Ending Balance: 09/30/2021 $11,757.34
Ending Total Balance: 09/30/2021 $17,846.89
Rich ADØSN reports that $200.00 of the income in the club account represents dues payments made during the September membership meeting. The remaining income is from the 50/50 raffle and the donation of the raffle proceeds. The expenses in the club account are related to the White Rock Special Event, and include the a cost of $87.00 for fuel and $120.00 for the driving team.
Trustee’s Report – Shel NØDRX
Shel NØDRX reports that he has submitted the annual repeater report, which is due in October and was submitted in late September.
Shel has finished the responses to the White Rock Tri-State Special Event QSL requests. Shel sent the last three requests to Bob W0GAF, and has not received any further requests in the past three weeks.
Reports of Committees/Work Groups:
Website: Collin KEØIYN & Bob WØGAF
Collin KEØIYN emailed Joe KCØOIO to report that he has been monitoring the website to make sure that the security certificates are updated automatically and has found no problem (yet). Joe has asked that he updated the website WorkPress to version 5.8.
Bob WØGAF reports that he made changes to the pricing for membership dues reflecting PayPal costs. Shel NØDRX has been looking at making changes to the membership form on the website, but advises that we wait on that a bit later as it is not time sensitive.
Activities & Events: Dave WØOXB
Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event – Joe KCØOIO reported that there are 16 participants signed up so far to go to Split Rock Lighthouse for the event. Dave KØAIF has volunteered to pull the trailer up to the event. Brian NØBM has expressed an interest in doing remote CW and/or FT8 from home. Keith AGØH is interested in doing CW from home, and Greg KØGW will be doing CW portable. Joe is putting together a sign-up list using SignUpGenius for membership who may want to participate from home using digital modes. The open times will be for Saturday and Sunday.
It was noted that using SignUpGenius and providing the ability to participate in the event using digital modes from home or other location other than Split Rock Lighthouse would allow more of the members to participate. Many members may not be available to participate for an entire weekend, which includes travel, so this makes the event ore accessible to membership. Greg noted that there is little likelihood that there will be any digital modes used at Split Rock, certainly no CW, so there will not be an issue of two operators using the same mode and the WØJH callsign. In the unlikely event that there was a digital operator at Split Rock, the operator at the actual event would have priority.
To work with a couple members who are looking to save on the cost of a room (looking for roommates) at the Mariner Motel in Silver Bay, MN, it was suggested that the room with the three beds usually reserved by Shel NØDRX and used by the club as a “hospitality suite” be used for that purpose. Brian NØBJE volunteered to give up his single and bunk with one of the members looking for a roomie. Brian proposes that the club pay the difference between his single and the cost of the larger room. The club can continue to use the room as a hospitality suite.
Bob WØGAF made a motion that the club assist in the financing of the hospitality suite at the Mariner Motel by whatever arrangement Brian can make with a proposed bunk-mate. Seconded by Zack AAØU. Motion passes unanimously.
Shel will secure the room number for Brian. Brian will check with the identified member to determine his interest.
White Rock Special Event – Shel NØDRX reports that all QSL certificates were processed in two batches. Bob WØGAF reports that he used a new computer and new version of the software to produce the certificates, and all went well. Bob said he issued 57 certificates for 67 QSOs, the difference representing a number of multiple contacts.
M.A.P: Dave WØOXB
Joe KCØOIO noted that Dave WØOXB is out-of-town, but he understands that antenna work has been quiet lately.
Ham Resource Group – Brian NØBJE & Mark KEØQQN
Brian NØBJE reports that the high demand items lately have been the HF rigs, tuners, and baluns. Although the two HTs still remain in demand.
SARA Groups.io Forum
Joe KCØOIO reported that the forum is being used and works as it should. SEMARC has noted the value of the forum set up by SARA and is putting together as site of its own. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Meetings & Programs – Joe KCØOIO
Monthly Meeting at Boutwell’s – The September Membership Meeting went well, with 20 to 25 attendees, in-person and online. The front desk COVID check-in process at the front desk at Boutwell’s Landing went well from all reports. The video/Webex stream of the meeting seemed to go alright, although the audio was suspect, as Joe KCØOIO suspected would be the case.
In order to address the audio problems, Joe put together a mixer and two wireless receivers for use at the next membership meeting. One will be used by the speaker; the other will be located in the room to pick up audience audio. Joe provided documentation of the $161.41 cost for the system.
Greg KØGW will be our October Membership Meeting presenter, with the topic “Why I am an ARRL Member.” Greg will put the new system through its paces as he will be taking an oral survey during his presentation.
Shel NØDRX moved that SARA reimburse Joe the $161.41 for the cost of the audio equipment. Rich ADØSN seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
Rich stated that is is a great thing to have the Webex option for meeting attendance as there are members who may not attend for a number of reasons, such as winter driving conditions. Thanks to Joe for his quick action on solving this problem.
Thursday Eyeball QSO Party – Joe KCØOIO reported that the outside Thursday Eyeballs that have been run since April have been successful. the last one is scheduled for October 7, 2021. They will then move indoors in the Stillwater Library on the Thursdays Dan KF0IYF has secured for the club: October 14, 21, & 28; November 11 & 18; and December 9. There will be no eyeball on Thanksgiving Thursday. The library conference room was otherwise booked for the first Thursday of each month, which is a great time to continue Tech Topic Thursdays.
Tech Topic Thursday – Our first Tech Topic Thursday will be held Thursday of November 4, 2021, via Webex, due to the lack of a conference room at the library. Using Webex will also allow for individuals unable to attend in person to participate, and will make it easier to obtain speakers who would otherwise be unavailable to the club due to distant location. Joe KCØOIO plans to reach out to Bob Heil K9EID for the November program.
Mike KFØCCL is now settled in at his new digs and is ready, willing, and able to once again helm the Tech Topic Thursday ship. Thanks to Mike for his willingness to take on this responsibility. Shel NØDRX had shared an email from DX Engineering with Mike and Joe which suggested a virtual speaker, Tim Duffy K3LR, who has a few presentations in the can.
Room Reservations – Dan KEØIYF
As noted above, Dan KEØIYF has secured the Stillwater Public Library for the following dates: October 14, 21, 28; November 11, 18 (no eyeball on Thanksgiving, the 25th); and December 9.
Education and Training – Bob WØGAF
Bob WØGAF reports five people are interested in the Extra Class study group, but are having trouble agreeing to a day and time of the week that they are all available. One member cannot make Mondays. Bob has exchanged emails with suggestions, such as meeting on alternative nights so that all interested parties would be able to attend some of the sessions, and is encouraging the group to finalize a plan. Next step will be securing a location. Joe KCØOIO suggested Woodbury Central Park, which is an indoor facility. Webex is another suggested option, although Bob or Joe would need to host the meeting. Joe has an Extra license manual that he made available to Bob if needed.
Bob has also been connecting with an individual who contacted the club about obtaining a Tech license. He plans to provide her with practice tests so she can self-study, and when she is ready work with her to find a testing site. Brian NØBJE has current Tech license study guides that Bob would provide.
It was discussed and agreed that Tech classes would resume on the regular Spring schedule as in years past.
VE Team – Shel NØDRX
No planning until the spring to coincide with the Tech class.
Newsletter – Pat WAØTDA, Dave WØOXB
Joe KCØOIO notes that this month’s Newsletter was a bit thin. We really need additional authors and content, we can not rely on just Joe, Pat, Shel, and Dave to churn out material.
Repeater – Henry KØHAS, Shel NØDRX, Doug N9TOW
Nothing to report.
Remote Bases Technical Committee – Pat WAØTDA
Pat WAØTDA has provided an update in this month’s Newsletter. The WØEQO remote station still has some trouble shooting to be done, but is running fine at 75 watts.
Unfinished Business
SARA Club Equipment Inventory – Dave N9JNQ is not in attendance, will report on the inventory next month.
New Business
New Filemaker Pro Software for certificate production – As Bob WØGAF noted earlier, he recently acquired a new Mac to replace an old one that could no longer implement a security update. He then needed to acquire an updated version of Filemaker Pro, a database software, to process the White Rock certificates as the new computer would not run the old software. The software cost Bob $197.00. Bob requested that the club reimburse him $100.00 of that cost (the difference representing that he most likely will use the software at times for personal use).
Joe KCØOIO moved that Bob be reimbursed from the SARA club account in the amount of $100.00 for the new Filemaker Pro software. Shel NØDRX seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.
New Tuner for the Ham Resource Group – Brian NØBJE noted that he donated an LDG IT-100 automatic antenna tuner that was surplus to his needs to the Ham Resource Group. It has become a component to the Yaesu FT-718 HF rig package for loan. Thank you Brian for the generosity.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:25 pm on the motion of Bob WØGAF, seconded by Rich ADØSN, passed unanimously.