Minutes of the SARA Meeting

SARA MEETING MINUTES - June 14, 2006

Call to Order:  Meeting was held in the SEC clubhouse and called to order at 7:33 PM by President Vern Leavitt.  

Ed Wood thanked all for their help during his presidency this past year, and was in turn thanked by the membership for his service.

Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the May 10 meeting were accepted as posted on the web site and by email.

Treasurer’s report: As of May 3 the bank account stood at $4000.35, transactions since include some dues received, and $140 was paid out to ARRL-VEC for the recent exam session (representing cash receipts previously deposited and reported). Details are on the report passed out and attached to these minutes in the Secretary’s files. The present bank balance is $3594.38.

Report on Incorporation: Legal report, re 501 (c) (3) filing: President Vern Leavitt has dropped in to see Rick Penner twice and found him there once; Secretary Bear Albrecht met with him once. The status is still “we’re working on it”.

ARES/LEPC report, Jon Spargo: 

1. Glenn Mauger has gotten the repeater cavities installed. 
2. National Weather Service no longer includes Socorro alerts on either of the nearest outlets, Ruidoso nor Albuquerque, and if we can demonstrate that we have sufficiently and consistently good reception they will put it back on. Every Wednesday between 11 AM and 12 noon they transmit a “practice alert tone”. If we can receive that regularly, for two or three consecutive weeks, that will suffice. The antenna already installed at the police dispatch center needs to be realigned for Albuquerque and the signal strength compared to that from Ruidoso, and then the weather radio obtained from Radio Shack, and the test done. Plans are being made to pursue this. 
3. A test was run with the Vertex 7000 repeater in the trailer, and even with the antenna in a poor location it worked between Luis Lopez and San Acacia.

Field Day discussions and actions: 

1. Kalman Oravecz- the TARA transmitter and vertical antenna will be used at Clarke Field, and he would like to get it set up and checked out ahead of time, and also give the batteries a discharge/charge cycle. Seth Price will help with that and act as the TARA (KC5ORO) control operator. 
2. A motion was made to authorize the president/cook to spend up to $75 on food and related expenses for the Saturday evening meal. Motion passed.
3. Dave Johnson reported that at least 6 people plan to show up and operate the Datil Well Campground station (W5AQA). 
4. Dave Finley will do a press release about both stations.

Other:  Kalman Oravecz showed a just-arrived QST article by Seth Price. He also showed the newsletter that Dave Johnson has started producing.

Hamfest: 

• Final decision on the date needs to be made. Bill Brundage checked with “Radcom Rick”, who is OK with all three choices, October 21 and 28, and November 4. 
• Jon Spargo checked with the new Section Emergency Coordinator (state ARES head), and he is OK with all three for having the state ARES meeting. 
• The Fire Academy already had October 28 on the schedule and there are some problems there with the other choices. 
• Motion was made, seconded, and passed to go ahead with the 28th. 
• Glenn Mauger will notify ARRL of the date 
• Dave Johnson asks that if possible the flyer be out in time for the Duke City Hamfest. Dave Finley has done flyers in the past and will make a preliminary flyer based on the old ones. 
• Regarding the customary Friday evening dinner, Socorro Springs has offered to put us on the patio, and there are no other arrangements pending at present. Consensus was to decide later, and in the preliminary flyer just say there will be a dinner. Discussion on the flyer ensued. 
• Tables & chairs -- Dave Johnson will check to see what Tech has available. 
• There was some discussion of funding the mailing, and whether to use bulk or first class. The City has usually had funds allocated for the newsletter though it didn’t happen last year; this will be looked into for this year. Expenditures last year for postage was $1383; other items included $1039 for radio prizes, $116 for donuts, tickets, etc., $245 to Chartwell’s for coffee, $20 to ship a prize.

New Business: 

Newsletter produced by Dave Johnson was well received, and he reported on the cost to produce and mail it which is about $7.74 per year. Some copies can be sent via campus mail, and some distributed electronically, either by email or through the web site, but with dues running currently, and for some years, at $10 per year, there is not much left. Dave Johnson therefore moved that membership be raised to $15 per year, or $20 for a family membership, effective 1 January 2007; the motion was seconded and, after discussion, carried.

The subject of offering a lifetime membership was brought up and briefly discussed; no action was taken.

Dave Johnson asked for an allocation of $50 for mailing one edition of the newsletter to all Socorro County hams; a motion was made, seconded, and carried.

Further on the newsletter, Dave Johnson invites input, and (per policy established some time ago) will accept ham-related ads from members (equipment for sale, for instance).

Good of the Organization: President Vern Leavitt solicited ideas for enhancing the club, the membership, the experience; email Vern with ideas. Bill Brundage suggests activities that appeal to potential members, and Dave Johnson volunteered to put together a survey form which will go out with the newsletter and be on the web site.