President’s Message – June 2016

Let me start by announcing that, due to Andy KD3RF continuing to recover from his recent procedure, the Board has appointed Kathy KC3FBY to fill the remainder of Andy’s term as Secretary prior to beginning her own. Kathy was voted in by the membership for the next term (due to start in July), but has been appointed to the position a few months early. Congratulations, Kathy, and thank you for your service!
WARC’s Field Day preparations are gaining steam, but there’s still work to be done! Doc W3GAD and Mark AA3K are focused on making this Field Day another successful event, and your help and cooperation is necessary to accomplish that. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating: If you’ve never been to Field Day, you should try to attend. It’s one of those ‘Bucket List’ things that should every ham should experience at least once, and most find themselves repeating the process annually! With all the rain we’ve seen since the beginning of April, hopefully Mother Nature will be fresh out by the time the last weekend in June rolls around…
We’re heading towards the bottom of sunspot Cycle 24, but there’s still activity on the bands, even if it’s a bit hit-and-miss and noise levels continue to creep up. Since I’ve reinstalled the mobile rig, I’ve been more active recently myself, and have taken advantage of reasonably good conditions to work some DX. As the low point nears, how do you plan to wait it out? Will you take advantage of the lull to brush up on your operating skills, perhaps build up your CW proficiency? Maybe you’ll use the time to upgrade your antenna farm or organize your shack? Or will you maintain the same level of activity, a sort of “Damn the torpedoes” approach?
This month’s meeting presentation will be dedicated to Field Day prep and tying up most of the loose ends, as this our last gathering before the event. There is plenty of help still needed, so we look forward to your participation. See you there!
de Tony, W3FLH
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