Minutes of the SARA Meeting

SARA MEETING MINUTES - May 9, 2007 (approved June 13, 2007)

Call to Order:  The meeting was held in the Emergency Operations Center , 198 Neel Avenue , Socorro, and called to order by President Vern Leavitt at 7:30 PM. 

Guests were Dave Love, and Doug Scott and Joel Domschot.

Dr. Dave Love of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources gave an excellent presentation on earthquakes.

Announcements: 

• There will be a hamfest in Plano , Texas on May 30.

Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the April meeting were accepted with one spelling correction (Cerrillos, not Cerros).

Treasurer’s report:  the checkbook balance last month was $3673.38; $65 was received for dues, giving a new balance of $3727.38 of which $280.08 is earmarked for TARA .  SARA funds therefore amount to $3447.30.

Elections:  All of the officers have volunteered to stay on except for the Secretary.  Dave Johnson volunteered for that position, and all were accepted by acclimation.

New Business:

• Paul Choc has offered the club a new DB222 antenna (list price $327, plus $100 for shipping) for the repeater on M Mountain.  He asks that if we accept it we provide him with a letter acknowledging the donation.  After some discussion Jim Oty made a motion that we accept the antenna and install it on M Mountain, and bring down the present antenna and install it at the EOC.  After further discussion the motion was passed.

• Bill Brundage volunteered to retune the cavities, hopefully while the antenna work is going on.

• Doug Scott of the Socorro Gun Club said that the club is going to do a major cleanup of the shooting range on July 14 (backup date July 20), and may need some radio assistance.  After the cleanup (7:30 AM to 2:00 PM) there will be a tailgate swap meet, free to all participants, and with a fee for others.  Glenn Mauger suggested taking the trailer out.

• ARES & LEPC report, Jon Spargo:  the Emergency Operation Plan is nearing draft completion, and soon will be ready for submission to the State for its scrutiny.

• As to the Weather Radio transmitter that we have been working toward for a long time, there is a likely source of funding in the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation.  They recently donated a new fire truck to the City of Belen .  They like to work with 501(c)(3) organizations, so Jon asked if the club would like to do this.  Glenn Mauger suggested that the Civil Air Patrol, which he says is also a 501(c)(3), might like to be involved as well.

• Kalman Oravecz reported on the recent VE test session; there were six applicants, of which five were successful upgrades to General, and the other a new Tech.

• Field Day:  Discussions included whether to occupy Clarke Field again, or instead to set up at the Plaza, using the gazebo and/or the dirt parking lot on the northeast corner.  Bill Brundage will head up the inquiry as to practicality, and was authorized to put in a deposit of $50 for Clarke Field if that is determined to be the better approach.

• The annual club report to ARRL was just submitted today, and will be immediately updated to reflect the change of Secretary.

• Hamfest:  The application for ARRL sanction has been sent, and Vern will follow up to make sure it is in.

• There was a proposal from the President that we initiate some process to name the newsletter, but Dave Johnson said it already has a name and the matter was dropped.

Adjournment:  The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 PM.

 Eric Bear Albrecht W5VZB
Secretary