Tri-County Amateur Radio Club Minutes of Meeting: 19 March 2022
A regular monthly meeting of the Tri-County Amateur Radio Club was held on Saturday, 19 March 2022 at 8:30 am EDT in Room 221 of the Finch Building at Davidson-Davie Community College, 297 DCC Road, Thomasville, with the president, W4DAE-David, being in the chair. The meeting was called to order at 8:31 am.
Members Attending: W4DAE, David; W8LWX, John; KJ4NUS, Steve; KJ4NUU, Vanda; KK4RR, Richard; NL7UP, MeLinda; KO4UWS, Frank; and KJ4UYR, Janice.
Guests: KA4JAH, Keith; KO4JHG, Jon; and KO4WXR, Fred.
Adoption of Agenda
A draft agenda, which had been distributed prior to commencement of the meeting, was adopted by unanimous consent.
Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting
By unanimous consent, reading of the minutes of the February 2022 meeting was waived and they were adopted.
Reports of Officers and Committees
Report of the Secretary. -- As of 18 March 2022, the club had 50 members, of whom 33 were in good standing and another 17 still owed dues for 2022.
Report of the Treasurer. -- For the month ending February 28, 2022, we still had $707.84 set aside as operating funds, out of our initial budget of $850. We had a total of $1,289.47 in "cash on hand," which includes the balances of our checking, savings, and PayPal accounts, plus any currency, coins, and checks awaiting deposit. By subtracting our operating fund reserves from cash on hand, we see that we had $581.63 in uncommitted resources as of 02/28/22. Through the second month of 2022, we had received $490 in dues and donations and had spent $155.54, resulting in year-to-date net income of $334.46.
Dues for 2022 became payable as of the date of the January meeting. Under our bylaws, any member who owes dues but has not paid within 90 days thereafter (i.e., by April 15, 2022) will be automatically dropped from the membership roster. Dues can be paid via PayPal on NC4AR.org, or by tendering cash or a check to the club treasurer. Any check must be made payable to Tri-County Amateur Radio Club.
Report of the Audit Committee. -- KJ4NUS provided the auditors' report of the club's 2021 financial activities. Results showed transactions were properly recorded, all expenditures were valid, and no shortage of funds existed. The committee recommended that $300 cash be deposited into the club's checking account. Four pages of supporting calculations were provided, with the intent that they would help future auditors to know how to do a similar review when required. The full report is part of the official treasury record and is available for inspection by any interested member.
Report of the President. -- W4DAE reported the following:
Members are reminded that our April meeting will not be held on the third Saturday of the month. Instead, it will be held on the second Saturday (April 9), at the usual time of 8:30 am and in the same place as the past several meetings (Room 221 of the Finch Building at Davidson-Davie Community College, 297 DCC Road, Thomasville). There will be no license exam session at the April meeting.
Our site for ARRL Field Day at the end of June, which has already been reserved by KK4RR, will be at Oak Hollow Lake in High Point -- the same as last year, except that it will be in the upper pavilion, nearer to the restrooms. KJ4NUS-Steve will organize a self-serve buffet table to feed the hungry masses in attendance without sticking anyone with hot grill duty on what is sometimes one of the hottest days of the year. Steve will be happy to take suggestions from any member regarding the food selections.
At the end of the summer season last year, we were fortunate to receive a donated air conditioner for the club repeater shack from N3NCN-Mark. The weather then turned cool enough that it made sense to defer installation until spring. W4DAE plans to install the unit whenever hot weather looks imminent.
Open Motions from Previous Meeting
There were no open motions from the previous meeting.
New Business
No new motions were considered.
Program and Announcements
NL7UP, whose QTH had been offered at the previous meeting as the site for any members wishing to participate in the NC QSO Party, reported that there were no takers. As a result, the entire sumptuous tableau of home-cooked victuals, including a twelve-pound pork roast and five pounds of potatoes, was consumed by NL7UP over the course of the following 5-7 days.
KK4RR announced the start of a new online class for Technician license exam preparation, beginning April 4 and continuing weekly thereafter. The class will consist of four three-hour sessions on consecutive Monday evenings. Anyone interested in taking the class, or in helping to teach it, should contact KK4RR, who is also hoping to organize something similar for a General-level exam prep class.
KK4RR also announced that the High Point Children's Museum, which is set to open this spring, has one room set up for an exhibit of old radio and Morse equipment. Richard had the idea of approaching the museum to propose a ham radio presence there and is putting together a committee to explore that idea. Any member with an interest, especially any member with a background in education, should contact KK4RR directly.
W4DAE added that we were recently contacted through NC4AR.org by an educator in Alleghany County, NC, who is in the process of setting up a ham radio station there for use by students. When the effort gets rolling, he may wish to prearrange schedules with hams in our area for VHF/UHF contacts by the students.
In advance of today's meeting, members were invited to bring any wayward equipment, radios, connectors, and other junk that might become treasure to another member, for another installment of own own little monthly swap meet. This has produced some joy in previous meetings. But apparently everyone held onto their own junk in March, as there were no offerings this time. In lieu of the swap meet, we held an "in-person net," allowing everyone present to chat a bit about themselves and their ham radio interests.
Adjournment
There being no further business on the agreed agenda, the meeting was adjourned without objection at 9:24 am.
* Family rate covers all members who, as of 20 Jan. 2024, live in same household; or any member and his or her spouse.
** Senior rate covers any member whose birthday is on or before 20 Jan. 1954.
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.