[SMCARA] Upcoming Events for SMCARA

[Daniel Metcalf]

All,

The Executive Committee held a meeting on Thursday evening and here are
a few things I would like to report on from that meeting.

First, Upcoming Meeting Topics:

Jan: Show and Tell - We are going to set up tables at the museum and
allow those interested to show off the part of Amateur Radio that they
are currently experimenting with. We would like to use this meeting as a
means to drum up interest for the upcoming classes so inviting of
non-Ham friends is encouraged also inviting of Hams that may not be all
that active is encouraged as well.

Feb: "You and your VHF transceiver and antenna" speaker: TBD
The idea here is that we are looking to start the classes mid February
if we can get the logistics worked out and this would be a great topic
for those just coming into the hobby and a refresher for those of us who
have been here for a while.

March: "You and your HF Transceiver" speaker: Tom Clarke
The thought here is that the General and Extra Upgrade classes are
closing out and there may be questions as to the features of some of the
modern HF transceivers. Again it can also be a reminder for those of us
who have been here a while.

April: "You and your HF Antenna" speaker: Dan Metcalf
We wanted to have a presentation to discuss the several readily
available antennas that are one easy to build and two easy to get on the
air. This too is directed at those who are just getting on the HF
bands. 

May: "Field Day Final Prep" speaker: TBD (Field Day Coordinator)
	and 
     "Solar Setup" speaker: TBD

June: No Meeting because of Field Day 2015

July: Elections and Presentation on the Vision of the new leadership for
the club. speakers: TBD

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Second, We are planning two "Make and Takes" for the months of March and
April.

March: Revisit of the pneumatic Antenna Launcher
April: Basic Dipole Construction

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Third, The Club Station: 

We would like to activate the club station each Saturday in the Month of
January as kind of a open house to allow those interested in getting
hands on time under the guidance of an experienced Ham. I will have the
laptop ready for digital modes and there are several contests through
the month to participate in. I envision teams of two or three so that
turns can be taken between operating and public relations.  

We are also looking to activate the club station for a brief time (12:30
to 3pm) each Saturday after the classes let out so the students can come
over to the club station and get some hands on experience. We invite all
to participate especially those who received your license and have not
been on the air in a while.  

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Lastly, The Retention Plan:

Over the past several year we have aided several hundred in either
getting their Technician License or upgrading to General or Extra Class
and we have lost many of them to inactivity or at least we never really
hear many of them on the air. 

This go round we are limiting the class sizes to 10 each and we are
looking for 10 individuals who would be willing to act as Elmers. The
idea here is to assign a new Technician to an Elmer. The Elmer is the
new Technician's sounding board for any questions they may have
pertaining to Amateur Radio. Also the Elmer is there to encourage the
new Technician to stay engaged by participating in some aspect of
Amateur Radio at least weekly. 

If you are interested in assisting us in implementing this plan please
let us know. We will be publishing the class schedule as soon as we
finish locking down some of the logistics but our tentative start date
is the morning of Feb 14. We will keep you posted as this is finalized.


Thanks for your support and please HAVE FUN!
--
Dan Metcalf - KB3UUN
c. 301 769 1111