Minutes of the December 2014 meeting of the Fort Smith Area Amateur Radio Club
Minutes of the FSAARC meeting Monday 12-15-14
The December 2014 meeting of the Ft. Smith Area Amateur Radio Club came to order at 7:00 p.m. with 3 current officers present. President Jimmie Lowrey W5JNL was out of town so the meeting was called to order by Vice-President Mike Cole W5TMC at 7:00 p.m. The meeting minutes for the November 2014 meeting were accepted and approved as posted on the FSAARC website, without additions or corrections. Jim Dickinson KE5INX motioned that the minutes be accepted as posted and the motion was seconded by John Samuels W5ATW. Chuck Johnson, N5JUD read the treasurer’s report and indicated that the club had a balance of $5,987.63. We are still due for a few Hamfest rebates from Yaesu and there were questions as to why these rebates had not been received/deposited. N5JUD offered that if they had been received, they have not been deposited into the club account. He thought that there was about $200.00 in rebates owed to the club. A motion to accept the treasurer’s report as read was made by Royce Rainwater KE5TC and was seconded by Art Sellers W3TZ. The motion carried unanimously. It was mentioned that dues for the calendar year 2015 are now due and that with your dues payment, a new application needs to be filled out with your current information including an email address which will allow you to receive Free List emails from the club from time to time. If you are a dues paying member and are not receiving Free List postings please see W5TMC or the webmaster David Treat W5DJT to make sure you are on the list. We then had everyone in attendance give their name, call sign and location to introduce themselves. We had 26 people in attendance at this meeting. W5TMC then asked Wayne Johnson W5OFN about a repeater report and there was nothing new. We still need to figure out where the 146.940 repeaters new home will be. We will need a new antenna and some new feedline for this repeater. W3TZ made mention of a location at Lancaster in Crawford County. W5TMC suggested that the repeater committee get together to discuss the 146.940 repeater and what to do with it. W5TMC suggested that committee members get Skype so we can all get together for committee meetings from our home QTHs instead of having meetings elsewhere. Rick Deaton K5RRD mentioned that there was nothing new from the van committee. We need to drive the van some to blow the cobwebs out and keep it running well. Jim Roughley K5JUC indicated that the club now has a WAS certificate which is hanging on the wall at the Sebastian County EOC. The club worked 44 states at Field Day. Ed Rowan AC5DC indicated that we had 11 people take VEC Exams on this past Saturday with 9 people passing their Technician test 1 passing the General Exam and 1 passing the Extra exam. No other old business. Call for new business. W5TMC gave the floor to KE5TC about the WW2OK for the USS Oklahoma special event stations commemorating Pearl Harbor Day. This was done in Muskogee, OK at the USS Batfish memorial sub. Next event will be the museum ships on the air. WW2OK worked some of the FSAARC club members from the special events station. K5JUC and Mike Bell K5JMB mentioned that Bill Priakos W5SJ will be working in the Caribbean as W5SJ/MM this coming week from a sailboat. We are hoping to make contacts with him from the boat. W5TMC advised that there will be a testing session in Poteau, OK on Saturday 1-17-15 possibly in the Poteau, OK Library. W5TMC indicated that we will be having the FSAARC Annual Banquet at Big Jake’s Restaurant at 1702 Fayetteville Road in Van Buren, AR Looking to have about 60 folks attending. Start showing up around 5:30 p.m. This will take place on Saturday January 17, 2015. There is an elevator there so you do not have to take stairs if this is an issue for you. No other new business. Mike Bell, K5JMB moved for adjournment seconded by W5OFN all were in favor. Meeting adjourned.
Submitted by: Jeff Ricketts, K5KDX F.S.A.A.R.C. Secretary 2014