President’s Message – Feb2025

President’s Message – Feb2025

I have it on good authority that the groundhog is blind and that he will not see his shadow on February 2nd. SO, we can all plan on good weather from now on. Lots of opportunities for POTA! I unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) will soon be at sea for 2 weeks and then on the “real” west coast for 9 days. Patty and I are sailing through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles and then motor touring the scorced earth between there and San Franciso. Leaving on 2/21 and returning on 3/18. Our vice presidnet, Frank W2XYZ will be in charge while I’m gone.

Unless you had your head buried in the sand, you know that TARC, partnerned with the Ft. Myers ARC, had a very successful ARISS contact from Pine View School with the ISS on January 28th. All the preparation and practicing with the gear and the students paid off big time. Read the aricle in this edition of the Communciator for all the details.

We now have a vacancy on the Board of Directors. By unanimous vote the board recommends the removal of Chris K4PTS from the board for non participation. He has not been seen or heard from since the December election. Please consider being a director and put your name forward by expressing your interest as a candidate to the board by email to: bod@tamiamiarc.org. We will open the floor for nominations at the February 12, 2025 membership meeting and hold an election at that time to elect a replacement director to the board.

There are two other vacancies that need a volunteer. Patti N4IGI will not be doing the planning and hosting for the TARC annual Holiday Party in December. She has done 4 staight parties and it is time for someone else to take over. For ARRL Field Day this summer we will need an event manager to help with the planning and preparations, and to be onsite for the event. Frank W2XYZ will be abroard on an extended vacation and Jim N7JIM will be away on vacation for the field day weekend. Jim needs an understudy to work with him to get ready for the event, and then to be present during the event to direct actvities. If you are interested in helping with either of these jobs please email the board: bod@tamiamiarc.org.

The Communicator needs a new editor. I’ve done the January and February publications as a website page. This is not as asthetic or pleasant as the look and feel of a published .pdf document that we are all so used to having. I won’t be here for the March publication date so, unless someone takes over as editor, there most likely will not be a Communcator newsletter in March. TARC has published a monthly newsletter in one form or another since its inception in 1960. It will be a shame to see 64 years of tradtion fall by the wayside. We have almost 200 members in this great club. I find it hard to believe that no one can take over as editor to deliever a quality publication on the first day of each month.

Last but not least, Saturday, March 1st, 1 pm is the Third Annual TARC BBQ&G picnic. We have the same pavilion reserved at Oscar Sherer State Park in Nokomis as in previous years. Our grill masters Jim N7JIM and Chip W0OS are already planning the menu of meats for the event. Sides and deserts are pot luck items from picnic goers. Please get in your reservations early so that the amount of meat purchased and cooked will match the number in attendance. The cost is $12 pp and there is a $5 per car entry fee collected at the entrance to the park. Reservations can be made online at: https://tamiamiarc.org/store/?model_number=bbq001