[CTSARA] SARA 2013 Annual Report and Dues Notice

[Jon Perelstein]

This is the Stamford Amateur Radio Association annual report and dues
notice.  We are sending it to all registered members of SARA as well as
everyone registered on our Mailman reflector.  If you're registered on both
with different email addresses, you will receive more than one of these
emails.  If you do receive more than one, please feel free to register for
membership twice (and pay the dues twice), or alternatively you can just
ignore one of them.

******

Stamford Amateur Radio Association (SARA)
2013 Annual Report and 2014 Dues Notice

Thank you all for another good year.  No major storms or disasters this
year (<whew>), just another year of enjoying ham radio.

Highlights for 2013:

* We did another great job for the Bennett Cancer Center Hope-In-Motion
bike ride.  We also did great work at various events including the Cystic
Fibrosis Cycle for Life and the Bike4Bikes event - with prominent mention
in their newsletters that reach many hundreds/thousands of their dedicated
members.  We were not able to provide support to the Bloomin Metric this
year because it conflicted with the Bennett Cancer Center ride, but both
the Bennett people and the Bloomin Metric people are taking steps to make
sure that we can support both next year.

* Our Field Day score wasn’t quite as good as last year.  We put more
emphasis on digital than in previous years, but it did not deliver the QSOs
and points we expected.  We’re working on figuring out how to better use
digital for next year.

* Regardless of points, we had a great Field Day.  We had close to 80
visitors to the site, had front-page coverage in the Stamford Advocate
(with photos), had radio coverage on WSHU and on WPKN, had some of the best
food ever, and another great demo by Georgi Todorov K1GTT.  Thanks to
everyone who participated and special thanks to Terry W1TSM (our fearless
Field Day leader) and to Ernest KA1NGG (logistics - especially food).  I
would also like to take note of two rookies who really stepped up this
year: Steve Urso KB1YLQ (logistics) and Terry Papazidis WA1JBO
(set-up/take-down).

* We continue to have good attendance at the meetings with good programs.
 John WB1GRB continues to maintain an outstanding club website (
www.ctsara.org) with the best listing of local repeaters and the Mailman
reflector is a major avenue for communications to hams throughout the area.
 Our Facebook page (Stamford Amateur Radio Association) continues to get
more hits and members.  We hope to have an antenna construction project at
an upcoming meeting.

* As in past years, members (especially Terry W1TSM) have helped club
members put up antennas and configure equipment, and we’ve had both
informal and formal training sessions for digital and other technologies.

* Our installation of the new 2 meter repeater for Sterling Farms was
delayed - first because of a City problem (they needed to borrow our
antenna) and then in order to put the repeater on their backup UPS and
battery.  We think we have it right now, and we hope to have it installed
soon.

* Eight of our members are now members of Stamford CERT which is the
mechanism that the City has chosen to use for volunteer assistance in time
of emergencies.  Our CERT members are the backbone of communications within
Stamford CERT.  Thanks to their training of Stamford CERT members, Stamford
Police/Fire/EMS were seriously impressed with CERT's radio skills at a SAR
drill this past December.  Our CERT members are being asked to provide
communications training to other CERTs in the area.

As always, the club IS growing and there is always need for members to help
plan and run the various activities.

The Board wishes to thank all of you who participated in 2013.

*****

Membership is open to all licensed hams. Dues are $25 for the year, which
includes membership for you and members of your immediate family.  Dues are
$10 for matriculated students and hams that live outside a 50 mile radius
of Stamford.  New hams are welcome to be members at no charge for the year
in which they first become licensed.

In the past, club members have made donations in addition to dues to
support activities of SARA.  We are a 501(C)(3) corporation and your
donations qualify for tax deductions under the 501(c)(3) rules.

Dues to SARA help us to fund the following:

* Costs associated with our website (ctsara.org)
* Business registration and taxes
* Mailman reflector
* Insurance
* Operation of 4 repeater radios at 2 sites plus their care and maintenance
* Field day operation which includes equipment, supplies and four meals

In an effort to reduce SARA’s substantial cost for sending out bills we are
moving to electronic information and notification. In all the above
endeavors we try to spend your dues carefully and wisely and we appreciate
your understanding.

You can register for membership on-line at

http://www.ctsara.org/SARAdues.htm

or by printing out and mailing in the registration form below.  You do have
to send in your dues - we have not yet added on-line dues payment because
of the cost.



Last Name ______________________________________________  DUES  Standard  $25
____


First Name ______________________________________________       Student/Out
of area  $10 ____


City, State, Zip ___________________________________________  DONATION  $
______


Telephone (h) _____________________________ Total $ ______


Telephone (c) _____________________________


Call ____________________ Class _________________


Email _________________________________________

Please make checks payable to Stamford Amateur Radio Association, put your
name and call sign on the check, and mail to

Ernest Laug
33 Vincent Ave
Stamford, CT  06905

When you fill out your membership form please be assured that the
information you provide is for internal use only and is not circulated.