Tri-County Amateur Radio Club Minutes of Meeting: 11 Jan. 2020
A regular monthly meeting of the Tri-County Amateur Radio Club was held on Saturday, 11 January 2020, at 8:30 am EST at Loflin's Restaurant, 108 Randolph Street, in Thomasville, NC, the president, W4DAE-David, being in the chair. The meeting was called to order at 8:32 am.
Members Attending: W4DAE-David; KW4IL-Bart; W8LWX-John; KF4NEF-Gerald; N4AGL-Anthony; K4JO-Wayne; KJ4NUS-Steve; KJ4NUU-Vanda; KX4QP-Donald; WB2RFK-Ken; KK4RR-Richard; KW4SM-Carol; KG4TAH-Tony; and KJ4UYR-Janice.
Guests: KJ4YEY, Nancy Hedrick; Rodney Harris; and Steve Harris.
Â
A draft agenda, distributed prior to commencement of the meeting, was adopted by unanimous consent.
Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting
Reading of the minutes of the December 2019 meeting was waived and they were adopted without change or objection.
Reports of Officers and Committees
Report of the Treasurer. -- The treasurer's report was provided by W8LWX, Secretary-Treasurer. The balance at the end of the previous meeting was $1,030.58. Since then, an extra $2.10 was found in the cash bag and added to the books, and dues of $50 were paid by 4 members for 2020, resulting in a balance of $1,082.68 as of 01/10/20, with all bills paid. Payment of 2020 dues by all remaining members would produce about $600 more.
Report of the Secretary. -- The secretary's report was also provided by W8LWX. Since the previous meeting, one new member has joined (KN4DGM, Evan Waisner of Asheboro) and one former member has rejoined (WO8L, Rick Cochran of Pfafftown). We currently have 40 members, of whom 7 were in good standing for 2020 as of 01/10/20 (including one life member) and 33 owed dues for 2020 as of that time. Of those, 7 paid their 2020 dues just before, or during, the meeting.
Report of the President. -- The president, W4DAE, gave an opening report for 2020 based on his January letter to the member mailing list. He also demonstrated the new "Member's Binder," a 3-ring notebook he'll bring to every meeting for use by all members present. The binder contains a calendar of ham radio events (club-sponsored and otherwise) throughout the year, along with other useful and interesting items regarding the club. All members are encouraged to write other events into the calendar as they see fit, which may include other hamfests or even their own birthdays.
W4DAE also announced the appointment of a Repeater Committee consisting of KK4RR-Richard (chairman), N4AGL-Anthony, and KF4NEF-Gerald. Any questions or suggestions regarding the club's repeater should be directed to KK4RR.
Report of the Quartermaster. -- KK4RR reported that the club has not acquired any additional equipment since his last report but has obtained several books which have been marked to indicate club ownership and are being kept at the club shack.
Report of the Repeater Committee. -- The president invited KK4RR to provide the committee's report.
The secretary moved that the meeting go into executive session, given the sensitive and confidential nature of the business to be discussed. The motion was adopted. [Matters discussed in executive session are recorded in the secretary's official minutes for viewing by any member upon request but are not made public. In these minutes, such discussion is surrounded by double square brackets. All members have an obligation to hold such information in strict confidence.]
[[
]]
Auditing Committee. -- KJ4NUS-Steve provided the final report of the Auditing Committee, covering 2018-19 treasury activity. A motion to accept the report was adopted without objection.
Open Motions from December 2019 Meeting
There were no unresolved motions from the previous meeting.
New Business
Operating budget. -- W8LWX moved for approval of an initial 2020 operating budget of $298 to cover repeater insurance up to $96, SERA dues up to $42, funeral-related expenditures arising from death of a club member or of someone in a member's immediate family of up to $100 ($50 max. per incident), and up to $60 for postage, paper, and other office/administrative supplies. The motion was adopted.
Club bank account. -- W8LWX moved to authorize the treasurer to obtain an EIN number from IRS, listing himself as "responsible party," and to use that number to establish a checking account in the club's own name. The motion was adopted.
PayPal. -- W8LWX moved to authorize the treasurer to arrange for the use of PayPal, linked to the club's checking account, for electronic payment of donations and dues. The motion was adopted without objection.
The full text of these three motions was distributed to members prior to the meeting and is attached to the official copy of these minutes.
Winter Field Day, Jan. 25 -26; and NC QSO Party, Mar. 1. -- KK4RR moved that the club's (or interested members') participation in each of these events take place at the club shack at his QTH and that food be on a "bring-your-own" basis or funded by on-the-spot collections from participants. The motion was adopted without objection.
Program and Announcements
Club shack. -- KK4RR reported that, as a result of the Tech training courses that he and KK4ZIU-Bill have conducted at the club shack, there are four new hams in the area. The next Tech training session is scheduled to begin February 27, 2020.
The following were announced by W4DAE:
"Share Your Shack/Show and Tell." -- This is a new program for 2020 to enliven our monthly meetings. Club members are invited and encouraged to share information about their own shacks and gear, or bring something in for a show-and-tell at the meeting. Or, if you've recently purchased a new piece of equipment and have an opinion about it, do a product review on it at the meeting. Contact W4DAE with your ideas.
To kick it off in January, W4DAE brought his "shack in a box" -- a Yaesu FT-8900 quad-bander fully contained within a watertight ammo box -- and demonstrated it for all present.
Live net (in-person roundtable). -- At future meetings, we'll try to conduct a sort of "live net," going around the table to give each person a few minutes to say what's on his or her mind or talk on a topic suggested by the "net controller." There was too much administrative business at this meeting to allow time for it but we'll try next time.
Hamfests. -- The Winston-Salem FirstFest was going on during the same morning as this meeting.
License exam session in Thomasville. -- The next amateur radio license exam session at the Thomasville Public Library will be on Saturday, January 18, 2020, at 9:30 am.
* Family rate covers all members who, as of 18 Jan. 2025, live in same household; or any member and his or her spouse.
** Senior rate covers any member whose birthday is on or before 18 Jan. 1955.
Membership confers full voting rights only on licensed amateur radio operators. Unlicensed members cannot vote or serve as officers but have all other club privileges.
Saturday Apr. 19 at 11:30