MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES – May 13, 2023
MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES – May 13, 2023
Stillwater Amateur Radio Association
The Membership Meeting took place at Boutwells Landing, Stillwater, MN, and was streamed via Zoom for virtual attendees.
President: Joe KCØOIO
The meeting was called to order by Joe KCØOIO.
Program:
The Flex Radio in Detail – presented by Mike Walker VE3MW.
Business Session:
Joe KCØOIO then called the Business Session to order.
Secretary’s Report: Dave N9JNQ
The general minutes from the Membership and Board meetings are posted on the SARA website. Please report any corrections or additions to: Secretary@radioham.org.
Treasurer’s Report: Rich ADØSN
Beginning Total Balance: 04/01/2023 $18,884.78
- SARA
Balance: $7,355.82
Income:
Expenses:
Ending Balance: 04/30/2023 $6,856.44
- RBF
Balance: $12,028.34
Income: $0.00
Expenses: $0.00
Ending Balance: 08/31/2023 $12,028.34
Ending Total Balance: 04/30/2023 $19,384.16
Activities & Events
Tech Topic Thursdays/Eyeballs
Summers in the Park will take place from May 18 through September 14. New Ham Night will take place at Valley View Park on May 18. Eyeballs will also take place at Valley View Park on June 8 (Field Day site planning), June 29, July 20, August 10, and August 31. Other weeks will be at local parks through the St. Croix Valley area, watch the weekly email bulletin for location and confirmation.
Board Meetings
The Board meeting will take place Wednesday May 17, 2023, at 6:30 PM via Zoom. All are welcome to join in.
Special Events
Tri-State Activation – Joe KCØOIO reported that the White Rock, SD event is tentative, it could be pushed into 2024.
Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald Special Event – The Edmund Fitzgerald special event will take place November 3 though 6, 2023 at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Those who have not attended are encouraged to talk with veterans of the event to learn more about it.
Field Day 2023 – Joe KCØOIO reported that Field Day will take place June 24 and 25, 2023. We will not be operating overnight. It will take place at Valley View Park north of the prison. We will have two stations operating, a SSB station and a CW/digital station, along with a “get on the air” station.
SARA POTA Challenge – Joe KCØOIO reported on the standings for the month of April. We have four legends led by Dave W0OXB, Shane W0NKA in second behind by 100, followed by Shel N0DRX and Dave K0AIF. Forty-four members are participating so far in the Challenge.
Activations are led by Elliot KE0N at 90, followed by Brian KB9TTB at 44, and Brad VE3MXJ at 16.
Club totals: 12,658 hunter QSOs; 201 activations by club members; 82 parks activated; and 10,222 activator QSOs.
All stats are available throughout the challenge on the SARA club website, and Bob will post these most recent statistics shortly. To participate, all you need to do is register with POTA on its website; the club will take care of the rest, getting the data of your contacts off of the website.
SARA POTA Activity Day – Joe KCØOIO reported that the SARA POTA Activity Day will take place June 10, 2023. It will start with a breakfast in Stillwater, MN and end with a dinner at the Acapulco Mexican Restaurant also in Stillwater. It will have activations in multiple parks, with multiple operators, as well as roves. Some will set up in one park for the day so that other activators can come through and activate another park.
August POTA Meet-up – Joe KCØOIO reported the August POTA meet-up will take place on August 12, 2023. POTA meet-ups are quite popular these days, a good method to get local POTA folks together. It will take place at Wild River State Park in Almelund, MN. We have reserved the picnic shelter, there will be meats supplied, otherwise bring a dish to share. We are inviting any and all POTA folks throughout central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin.
Education and Training
Technician License Class – The Technician License Class has concluded. Joe KC0OIO was happy to report that everyone that took the class passed their test. Some actually upgrade as well.
As noted above, May 18 will be New Ham Night at Valley View Park in Oak Park Heights. We have been holding this event since 2015. An added feature this year will be a couple of folks we were licensed last year discussing their first year of operation.
Skywarn Class – The Skywarn class took place last weekend and had over 60 participants. They were accepting folks who had not preregistered as there are often no-shows, so keep that in mind for next year.
Member Support/Assistance Initiatives: M.A.P. & New Ham Resource Group (NHRG) & More
•M.A.P is readily available for antenna projects and member-to-member assistance. Keep in mind that M.A.P. is available for more than just antenna raisings, contact Dave WØOXB with any issues you may have. At the moment Dave reports that there are up to five antenna raisings on the calendar.
•New Ham Resource Group, found at newhamhelp@radioham.org, is SARA’s outreach & mentoring program providing technical support and loaner equipment. Remember gear is available for loan for those without a means to get on the air and is available to all members, not just new hams.
Groups.io – Remember that the SARA email reflector group is now online at https://groups.io/g/StillwaterMNAmateurRadioAssoc. This reflector is available to SARA members only, so you should apply at the groups.io site and you will be given access by the site moderator.
SARA Discord Server – The “Stillwater Amateur Radio Association” Discord server is available exclusively for SARA members. The admin team is Brian KB9TBB, Shane WØNKA, and Collin KEØIYN. The SARA Discord Server is open to all current SARA members. To join, click on this link: https://discord.gg/Z9A8NsCCXh
DX News: Mike NØODK
Get the latest DX news by subscribing to the ARRL DX News www.arrl.org/contest. Also check out www.ng3k.com for DX. For contests try the WA7BNM Contest Calendar contestcalendar.com, it always current.
Remote Stations: Pat WAØTDA
Pat WA0TDA reported that remote station WØEQO is now off the air and has been decommissioned in anticipation for its move to Hayward, WI. It was taken off the air due to damage to the antenna from recent storms, and Pat is going to tear things down. Pat will be cleaning up the tower computer that has been used on the station for many years for the move. Another option for the club is securing one of the new small remote operation computers for the new location. The other remote stations are running well.
Newsletter: Pat WAØTDA & Dave WØOXB
The newsletter will be taking the summer off. Members can watch the weekly bulletin, the groups.io and discord server for club news and updates during the summer.
ARES and Public Service:
John W3QLC is the Washington County ARES Emergency Coordinator. If you are interested in participating in ARES, please let Joe know. More particulars can be obtained from www.mnwashcoares.org.
Joe KC0OIO reports that ARES provided support for Lake St. Croix Beach during this year’s spring high water on the St. Croix River.
The Prairie Island REP Event will take place next month, with the FEMA-graded exercise taking place June 28. Go online to get your REP training before then event.
Program Committee:
Joe KCØOIO asked that any program ideas be passed on the the committee members Dave N9JNQ, Zack AA0U, or Mike N0MA.
ARRL Section Conference October 14, 2023:
The ARRL Section Conference to be held October 14 with possible hours of 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The tentative location is the Best Buy Corporate Headquarters located in the Interstate 494 and Penn Avenue area. There will be forums, vendors, and possibly a box lunch provided. The planning team has been meeting each week, with Bob WØGAF as the SARA representative for the event. As a sponsoring club, SARA will have the opportunity to have a table at the event to tout the club.
Club Business:
Local Activities: The monthly SEMARC Membership Meeting will be held Tuesday May 30, 2023 at 7:00 PM at the Zion Lutheran Church, 8100 Belden Blvd, Cottage Grove, MN. There will be a presentation on drones.
Wearables: Do not forget that SARA-labeled hats, shirts, jackets, and other wearables are available from www.hamthreads.com. SARA members will receive a discount on all orders. There is a new design on the jacket, so remember to update your wardrobe!
New Business:
None to report.
50/50 Raffle:
The sale of raffle tickets brought in $36.00. Greg KDØEAP was the winner of $18.00, which he generously donated $13.00 back to the club. Thank you Greg!
Mary KDØPKY made a motion to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by Randy KDØVKB; the motion passed unanimously. The business meeting was therein adjourned.
Meeting attendance: __; Virtual: __