[K3PZN-List] CARAFest and 2012 Maryland State ARRL Convention this Sunday

[n3sb at qis.net]

CARAFest and 2012 Maryland State ARRL Convention this Sunday

Please join us at the Howard County Fair Grounds this Sunday for the
CARAFest and our 2012 Maryland State ARRL Convention.  Gates open to the
public at 8 am and information may be found at the following link:  <
http://www.carafest.org/>.  In addition to tailgating and vendors, there
will be FREE license exams given by the Laurel Amateur Radio Club Volunteer
Examiners beginning at 9 am.

The schedule for the 2012 Maryland State ARRL Convention and speakers is as
follows:

9 am: The speaker from ARRL Headquarters will be their Assistant Emergency
Manager Ken Bailey, K1FUG.  Ken´s presentation will discuss what ARRL does
for emergency communications at HQ, then will describe popular digital
modes used in emergency communications.  While the League does not endorse
any particular mode, he will discuss how N-BEMS can be used as a simple and
inexpensive means of communicating during emergencies.


10 am: The ARRL Forum will be hosted by Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar,
N3LLR, and Vice Director Tom Abernethy, W3TOM.  During the forum they will
discuss current issues being dealt with by the Board of Directors and take
questions.

Also giving a short presentation during the Forum will be Assistant Section
Manager Wanda Montgomery, KA3AHI, and newly appointed Section Manager Jim
Montgomery, WB3KAS.

Wanda has been very involved in Prince George´s County with the local
Health Department and six hospitals in creating a close working
relationship with Amateur Radio.   She has agreed to take on the task of
helping to implement similar programs in the rest of the MDC Section by
working with health care administrators and local ARES® groups. She will
discuss steps needed to get this program started.

Jim Montgomery, our new SEC, just finished an ARESMAT Exercise in Prince
George´s County.  He will explain the benefits of such a program and the
relationships that must be formed to be successful in the rest of the
Section.  There may be a proposal/plan in the wings to help ECs move in
this direction.

11 am: Bi-annual T-MARC meeting will be held to elect officers and  
board members
and to discuss current issues, including aligning the T-MARC band plan for
440 MHz repeaters with neighboring jurisdictions and the ARRL Band Plan.