The chapter held a breakfast meeting at the QTH of Bill Perkins, KC4D, in Lynchburg.

Guests

Glen Sage - W4GHS

After a grounds tour, good fellowship and conversation, and a buffet meal, President Buddy Smith, W4YE, called the meeting to order at 12:20 p.m.

Glen – W4GHS, Virginia Section Manager, encouraged the membership to use our extensive years of experience to seek out and aid new hams to help solve problems and encourage activity.  Especially singled out were the new hams (Techs) who are primarily repeater users to help them with correct procedures and usage.

Treasurer’s Report

The Treasurer’s Report showed a balance of $271.41

A Chapter Banner was discussed since the National has made them available again.  Will look into it – cost, delivery time, etc.

The Tidewater Chapter 119 was pointed out to be one the most active in Virginia and an invitation was made to participate in their Sunday morning net at 8:00 am local time on 3.947 MHz.

Buddy gave a brief history of QCWA

Gene – W2CP, offered some ideas – to meet more frequently; to locate a central meeting place; get a net started; and update the website.  Buddy will check on the web site and see what needs to be done.  It may require a new webmaster (see P.P.S. below).  Locations such as the Liberty Station and Fork & Spoon in Bedford will be checked for possible centralized meeting locations.

Buddy announced the results of the National elections.

The W5KL Scholarship, in honor of Buddy’s father, was presented to a YL in Missouri who is planning on attending MIT.

Stan – K4UK, reported on the Family Day activities at the Bedford D-Day Memorial.  As part of the program a display was set-up and students were shown how to send their name in Morse code using an oscillator.  A station was provided and individuals were encouraged to send messages to relatives and friends.  A discussion of how radio messages were handled during WWII and present day was provided for the visitors.  There were 21 radiograms sent.  There is an appeal for WWII radio equipment (workable or not) to show and compare the equipment used during that time.  Discussion over simplifying the activities because too much was being covered in a small space.  It was pointed out that ham radio for “kids” info was available from ARRL.  

The lack and difficulty of getting activities information in the newspapers was discussed.  Larry, WA2OLP, pointed out that he regularly sends information to the Lynchburg-Bedford-Smith Mountain Lake newspapers.

It was announced that the Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club is sponsoring the “Blue Ridge Bonanza.”  It is similar to the Route 66 activity.  With the help of several other radio clubs, stations will be positioned the entire length of the Blue Ridge parkway from Shenandoah Valley to its end in western North Carolina.  QSL cards will be available for contacts made and a special certificate is being created for those who work all the sites.

Meeting adjourned at 1:15 am

Respectfully submitted,

Bill Svec, WA4BKW
Secretary-Treasurer
wsvec@infionline.net

P.S.

If you attended the picnic at Bill’s QTH, be sure to drop him a note and thank him and his wife for being such wonderful hosts and opening up their home for us.  If you didn’t have a good time, you were trying too hard not to.  Bill, on behalf of Chapter 202, thanks for a wonderful Saturday afternoon.  You even did a magnificent job with weather.

I still have several people who have not paid their dues for 2006. We are not in dire straits, but it dosen’t leave us much room if something came up, and although we are using e-mail a lot more, there are those that still have no e-mail access and these kind of operating costs will erode any kind growing balance.  If you haven’t done so, mail your check in to me so that you can become current.

P.P.S. From the QCWA Chapter 202 Webmaster

While OBIE has become less active due to work and other schedule conflicts, he is still working to keep the Chapter 202 webpages current.  All Chapter 202 members are encouraged to submit articles of interest, links to other websites that would be in the interest of Chapter 202 members, and photos of members as well as news of members that is suitable to publish on the website.  Please make your submissions by snail mail to:

OBIE, WA4DOX
P.O. Box 185
Pilot, VA 24138

Or make your submissions by e-mail to the address at the bottom of this page:

Thanks and 73,

OBIE, WA4DOX
QCWA Chapter 202 Webmaster