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January minutes

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Sat Jan 20 2024, 11:42pm

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Tri-County Amateur Radio Club
Minutes of Regular Business Meeting: 20 January 2024

A regular business meeting of the Tri-County Amateur Radio Club was held on Saturday, 20 January 2024 at 11:30 am EST at Tres Amigos restaurant, 108 Randolph Street, Thomasville, NC, with the president, NL7UP-MeLinda, being in the chair. The meeting was called to order at 11:30 am.

Members Attending: KX4CAM, Camille; W4DAE, David; KQ4KVC, Karl; W8LWX, John; KK4NWR, Amy; KF4QDS, John; WW4RB, Roger; WB2RFK, Ken; KK4RR, Richard; NL7UP, MeLinda; KJ4UYR, Janice; N2WOB, Susan; and KO4WXR, Fred.

Guests: None.

Adoption of Agenda

A draft agenda had been distributed prior to commencement of the meeting. Members were invited to propose changes or additions if desired. Without objection, the draft agenda was adopted.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting

Without objection, reading of the draft minutes of the December 2023 meeting was waived and they were adopted.

Reports of Officers and Committees

Report of the Secretary. -- As of 19 January 2024, the club had 41 members, of whom five were in good standing on 2024 dues. In addition to those five, dues were paid by many of the members in attendance just prior to this meeting.

Report of the Treasurer. -- For the month ending 31 December 2023, we still had $356.06 left over from our initial operating budget of $850. We had a total of $1,290.61 in "cash on hand," which includes the balances of our checking, savings, and PayPal accounts, any currency, coins, and checks awaiting deposit, plus (since this was the end of the year) the unused balance of our initial operating budget. Thus we entered 2024 with a net total of $1,290.61 in uncommitted resources. For the 2023 membership year, we received $595.19 in dues, donations, and interest, and spent $509.05, resulting in net income of $86.14 for the year.

These figures are in the same ballpark as 2022 and 2021. For example, uncommitted resources at the end of 2021 and 2022 stood at $1,030.01 and $1,244.47, respectively, compared to last year's $1,290.61. The club had a net loss of $227.97 in 2021 and net income of $289.46 in 2022, compared to last year's net income of $86.14.

These are summary figures. The entire CY2023 treasury report, presenting all details behind the summary figures, was posted in the Downloads area of NC4AR.org on 07 January 2024 where any club member may access it, and notice of the posting was e-mailed to all club members via the Groups.io mailer the same day.

Report of the President. -- NL7UP reiterated that there is now a functional link to the club's 145.290 MHz repeater on 445.975 MHz. All amateur radio operators, especially those in Thomasville who might otherwise have trouble using the club repeater, are invited to use this 445.975 MHz link to participate in the club's 8:00 pm net on Thursdays.

The president's personal TARP digital link is currently on hold because recent medical problems have prevented the president from working on it.

Any member wishing to operate any of the nine radios at NL7UP's personal shack is invited to do so, especially where the member is not yet licensed to operate on HF but wishes to try it out with NL7UP on hand as an Amateur Extra control operator. The member need only make arrangements with NL7UP in advance.

Report of the Quartermaster. -- KK4RR reported that the inventory of club-owned equipment has not changed since the end of 2022.

Open Motions from Previous Meeting(s)

Everybody's Day, 2024. -- At the August 2023 business meeting, a motion to arrange for the club's participation in the Thomasville Chamber of Commerce's annual Everbody's Day event in 2024 was tabled until this January meeting.

A committee, consisting of KF4QDS-John and WW4RB-Roger, was appointed by vote of the membership for the purpose of finding out what the club's participation would cost, deciding whether the club should participate, and, if so, taking such steps the committee deems necessary to participate, provided that any expenditures of club funds are duly authorized.

New Business

Initial operating budget for CY2024. -- W8LWX made the following motion to establish the club's initial 2024 operating budget:

BE IT RESOLVED, that the following expenditures are authorized as the club's initial operating budget for 2024:

a. For insurance, including liability insurance and insurance on club-owned equipment: actual cost, not to exceed $350;

b. For funeral-related expenses (which may include flowers for the funeral, food for the family, and a sympathy card) for death of a club member or of someone in a member's immediate family: actual cost, not to exceed $65.00 per death, up to $195 total;

c. For postage, paper, and other office/administrative supplies: actual cost, not to exceed $40;

d. For utilities and other repeater site expenses payable July 1, 2024, under the existing repeater site agreement, which is hereby renewed for the 2024-25 term: actual cost, not to exceed $130; and

e. For participation in on-air events, including ARRL Field Day 2024: actual cost, not to exceed $150,

representing a total initial operating budget of $865.

The motion was adopted by unanimous consent.

ARRL Field Day 2024. -- Membership appointed a 2024 ARRL Field Day committee, consisting of KF4QDS-John and KK4RR-Richard, to plan and execute the club's participation in ARRL Field Day, with authority to spend up to $100 for this purpose, from the fund established above for participation in on-air events.

Budget for Everybody's Day 2024. -- The 2024 Everybody's Day committee, appointed earlier in this meeting, was authorized by membership vote to spend up to $50 for the club's participation in this year's Everybody's Day event, from the fund established above for participation in on-air events.

Audit of CY2023 Treasury Report. -- The treasurer offered a motion to appoint an audit committee to review the CY2023 treasury report and report to the membership at the club's next regular business meeting; or, alternatively, a motion for membership to directly approve the CY2023 treasury report as posted on NC4AR.org and e-mailed to members on 07 January 2024. W4DAE proposed that the motion be tabled until the next business meeting. The motion to table was adopted.

Amendment of Bylaws. -- A motion to amend the club's bylaws to reduce the number of required formal business meetings, which had been submitted in writing at the December 2023 meeting, posted on NC4AR.org on 18 December 2023, and e-mailed to members on 18 December 2023, was adopted by unanimous vote.

The president emphasized that we'll still have lunch at Tres Amigos on the third Saturday of each month as before, with food, fellowship, and occasional presentations on ham radio topics. However, no club business will be conducted nor any votes taken except in January, June, and November (the three required business meetings), or whenever called as a "special" business meeting with 48-hour notice. It is expected that this will make our monthly gatherings more enjoyable for all.

Program and Announcements

There was no program.

Reminders

Weekly NC4AR net. -- KF4QDS-John, our net manager, reminds all members that we hold a weekly ragchew net every Thursday night at 8 pm on the club's 145.290 MHz repeater (-600 kHz offset, 88.5 Hz tone), which you can also reach on low power from Thomasville on 445.975 MHz. This is your club net -- please join in! Net controllers are KF4QDS-John, W4DAE-David, W8LWX-John, and KJ4UYR-Janice. If you'd like to be a net controller, contact KF4QDS.

Annual dues. -- Dues are due now! You can pay in person by handing cash or a check to the treasurer (W8LWX) or by mailing to W8LWX at his QTH (65 Park Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27127), or via the PayPal button on NC4AR.org. You don't need to have a PayPal account to use the PayPal button -- any major credit card will do. If payment is made by check, it must be made payable to Tri-County Amateur Radio Club. Checks made out in any other way cannot be deposited into our account.

The club treasurer has no authority to accept payment of dues for years other than the current one (2024). However, donations above and beyond our minimal club dues are always needed and will be enthusiastically received!

Any member who owes 2024 dues but hasn't paid them by 19 April 2024 will be automatically dropped from the roster.

Mailing list. -- The club mailing list on Groups.io is available for each and every member to use whenever he or she wishes to send out a radio-related announcement or information to all other club members. It's easy to do: just address the e-mail to members@nc4ar.groups.io and it will be automatically forwarded to all subscribed members. Just make sure the communication relates to ham radio (i.e., no politics, chain letters, advertising, religious proselytizing, etc.).

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 12:54 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
/s/ W8LWX-John
Secretary


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