[FARReps] MINUTES FEBRUARY 2008 DRAFT

[w3qx at qsl.net]

via Bill Dobson for Morris Brown:


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THE FOUNDATION FOR AMATEUR RADIO, INC.



Draft Minutes of Meeting



13 February 2008





             The February, 2008 meeting of the Foundation for Amateur 
Radio, Inc. was called to order by President Dan Blasberg, KA8YPY, at 
8:01 P.M., 13 February 2008 at the Prince George's County 
Cranford-Graves Fire Services Building, Webster Street, Landover, MD 
20784.  A quorum was present.



             Attendees at the meeting were:



                   Dan Blasberg, KA8YPY                Laurel ARC

                   Ed Brown, KA3ZPE                      Maryland 
State Council of REACT Teams, Inc.

 
Prince George's County REACT Team, Inc.

                   John Chitwood, K3RGB                Historical 
Electronics Museum ARC

                   William Hatfield, W3QX                 Montgomery ARC

                   Gary Hendrickson, W3DTN           Historical 
Electronics Museum ARC

                   Diane Zimmerman, AA3OF            Laurel ARC



             Bill Dobson, N3WD, Secretary, was absent.  Dan Blasberg, 
KA8YPY, asked if someone could take notes of the proceedings.  Ed 
Brown, KA3ZPE, volunteered to do so.



The minutes of the previous meeting (12 December 2007) were read and 
approved as corrected (three minor typos were corrected).



             Dan, KA8YPY, asked for the Treasurer's Report.  John 
Chitwood, K3RGB, Acting Treasurer, noted that he did not have any 
prepared financial statements available since he had been otherwise 
occupied lately.  The financial report will be presented at the April 
meeting. The motion was passed to accept the Treasurer's Report as 
presented.



             William Hatfield, W3QX, Executive Vice President, 
reported that the idea, discussed at the previous meeting, of making 
a monetary donation to the Armed Forces Retirement Home Amateur Radio 
Club (AFRH ARC), upon reflection, had been deemed unadvisable since 
there was no way to ensure the funds actually could be steered to the 
AFRH ARC.  In lieu thereof, some means of recognizing and raising the 
visibility of the AFRC ARC would be more productive.



             William Hatfield, W3QX, reported also that the FAR 
website now was managed by Heller Information Services, Inc. and that 
added features should be forthcoming.  The domain name will not 
change.  A general discussion ensued.  A lot of behind-the-scenes 
work will be required to better organize the site, i.e., alignment of 
the site with FAR objectives such as growing the membership, pushing 
scholarships, downloads of published products, inclusion of a 
scholarship application form download counter, use of website 
analytics, etc.  John Chitwood, K3RGB, noted that some AutoCall 
contents could be put on the web site.  Ed Brown, KA3ZPE, noted that 
personal privacy concerns must be taken into consideration.  After 
discussion, Diane Zimmerman, AA3OF, moved "that the Foundation 
establish a committee to deal with web site matters."  The motion was 
passed with one abstention.



             Dan Blasberg, KA8YPY, asked for the ARRL report.  There was none.



             Diane Zimmerman, AA3OF, reported on scholarship 
activities.  She reported the receipt of a letter from the Phil-Mont 
Mobile Radio Club, a scholarship sponsor, with a check for $4000 to 
fund two scholarship grants, and read the letter to the attendees. 
William Hatfield, W3QX, asked if the names of scholarship winners 
could be published.  After a brief discussion, the consensus was that 
individuals' names could be published with the individuals' consent.



             General announcements were made.  Dan Blasberg, KA8YPY, 
reported that he was awaiting a call from the Laurel Racetrack 
concerning the use of that location for a tailgate hamfest on the 
traditional FARFEST date.  William Hatfield, W3QX, asked if the 
hamfest committee was a standing committee.  Dan, KA3YPY, observed 
that the hamfest committee should be reestablished.  After a brief 
discussion, William, W3QX, moved "to establish a standing events 
committee".  The motion was passed.



             Diane Zimmerman, AA3OF, reported that she will address 
the Laurel ARC on 27 Feb on the activities of the Laurel VEC.  All 
are invited.



             TMARC will meet on 17 Feb at the Historical Electronics 
Museum at Linthicum, MD.  This will be its first meeting since its 
reorganization.



             The tailgate section at the Timonium Hamfest (29-20 
March) will be reconfigured:  the tailgate section and the general 
parking area will switch locations.



             The Annandale Hamfest, sponsored by the Vienna Wireless 
Society, will take place on 24 Feb.



             The Antietam Radio Association Hamfest will take place on 
4 May in the vicinity of Hagerstown, MD.



             Ed Brown, KA3ZPE, reported on the status of the Prince 
George's County REACT Team's GMRS repeater.



             William Hatfield, W3QX, reported that the Montgomery 
Amateur Club (MARC) is undergoing its biggest maintenance and upgrade 
effort in the last five years.  By mid-summer, MARC expects that the 
long-awaited west receive site will be operational.



             After further miscellaneous discussion, the meeting 
adjourned at 8:59 P.M.







 
Respectfully submitted,

            







 
Morris E. Brown, Jr.

                                                                         KA3ZPE


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