[South Florida DX Association] SFDXA - JANUARY 2010 MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

[Ray Smolenski]

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

You are invited to join us at the next meeting of the South Florida DX
Association will be held on WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 6, at the Florida
Medical Center auditorium, 5000 West Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderdale Lakes,
FL (adjacent to the Florida Turnpike). Members and guests typically gather
for an informal fixed-price ($7) dinner beginning at 6:00pm. The dinner is
followed by our bi-monthly meeting which begins at 7:33pm.

The meeting program this month will feature a visual presentation of a very
recent and highly acclaimed DXpedition. In addition, we are currently
seeking to have one of the team leaders join us to personally narrate the
visual presentation at our meeting. Details will be provided in a separate
email announcement to be issued early next week in advance of our meeting.

I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday evening.




REMINDERS

Full & DX Associate members: If you have not already done so, please mail
your completed 2010 SFDXA Election Ballot (in the Ballot Envelope that you
recently received) to Rich Pratt (K4XF) to be received no later than January
4.

All members: If you have not already done so, please return your completed
2010 Membership Renewal Form (in the Renewal Form envelope that you recently
received) together with your check (payable to SFDXA) to Bruce Phegley
(W4OV) as soon as possible.




PASSING THE GAVEL     

As I conclude my third and final year as SFDXA president, I wish to express
my sincere thanks to both past and present Board members, committee
chairpersons and volunteers with whom I have been privileged to serve. As we
end this year and begin another, let us take a few moments to reflect upon
what we have collectively achieved by constructively working together over
these past 3 years.

MEETING ACTIVITIES
Every dinner program for the past 3 years featured one or more speakers or a
DX video.
Attendees were able to personally meet several renowned DXpeditioners at our
meetings.

MEMBERSHIP GROWTH
Reversing an earlier decline, total paid 2009 membership stands at a 3-year
high of 52.
The percentage of Full members has risen to 62%.

MEMBER PARTICIPATION
The average number of attendees at our bi-monthly dinner meetings continues
to grow.
The number of members actively engaged in committee activities continues to
increase.

CLUB OPERATIONS
Members unanimously approved a major revision of our 12-year old By-Laws.
Nominees were successfully recruited for all 2010 SFDXA officer and director
positions.

DXCC PARTICIPATION
Our club station received its DXCC membership certificate.
Our club station's DXCC total has rapidly risen and now stands near 200
countries.

TREASURY
Our club treasury now stands at its highest level in more than 3 years.
A reserve fund was established to annually provide financial assistance to
DXpeditions.

EQUIPMENT UPGRADES
Members voted to support a matching fund plan to upgrade the SFDXA HF
station in 2010.
A controller with voice message annunciation was installed at the SFDXA
2-meter repeater.

MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS
The weekly SFDXA 2-meter net was restarted and remains active.
The SFDXA website was upgraded.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
DX University was established and all six (6) instructional classes were
well attended.
Special event HF operations were held at Hillsboro Lighthouse and
Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge.

In order to maintain this momentum, your continued participation in SFDXA
activities is essential. I encourage each of you to actively support my
successor and the new Board as the SFDXA moves onward and upward in 2010 and
beyond.


Happy New Year!

Ray - N4RU
SFDXA President