[W1SMH] New Year News SMHARC

[Ray Cord]

 Hello AllFirst of all, on behalf of the Officers & members of the Sturdy Memorial Hospital Amateur Radio Club,We would like to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year. I am sure for a lot of different reasonswe are all glad to see 2020 behind us. 
As we enter 2021 we are faced with a few challenges that must be met;
First and foremost, we must make temporary repairs to our K1SMH Club Repeater Tower.As you know the Tower top section folded over in a snow/wind storm in early Decemberrendering the antenna unusable and taking the repeater off the air. (See photo below)These temporary repairs while expensive, will only be temporary to get the repeater back on the air,until the weather gets better. Permanent repairs will include possible replacement of the top section and 
putting up a new antenna and coax  depending on the conditions found during the temporary repairs

Next, it is a new fiscal year for the Club which means dues are due. Obviously, this year our meager dues 
will not fund the Tower repair project. While we are exploring cost sharing with the hospital, they will not payfor antennas and coax so we need to build up a fund to pay for the project.For this reason we are launching a Fund Raising effort that we are asking members and non members 
alike to donate.Dues are $25.00 per year {$20.00 for retired members) Checks may be made out to SMHARC andmailed to Ray Cord K2TGX   316.South Worcester St. Norton, Ma. 02766.  You may include your donation 
to the Repeater Tower Fund in this check. Please indicate on the bottom of the check how much is dues and 
how much is donation. Those members who joined and  paid dues during the fourth quarter of 2020 have 
had their dues carried forward to this year as a courtesy. We will certainly be glad to accept additional donationsfrom them. As an additional incentive to donate, any member that donates $100.00 or more will have their dues 
paid for this year. 
For non members or those who prefer electronic funds processing , Rich N1ATM and Don KD0IHJ are working to create a link on the Club website,www.sturdyradioclub.org.  Although the website does talk about donations, the 
auto pay weblink is not working now at the time of this letter. They hope to have iy up soon.
Unfortunately, SMHARC is not a IRS registered charity so donations are not Tax deductible but will be made 
from the goodness of your heart.
We appreciate any and all help for this project 
Respectfully submitted 
 
Ray K2TGXSecretary/TreasurerSMHARC
316 South Worcester StNorton, Ma.02766
508-726-1054 cell