SM014 – Clubs, Clubs, Clubs, Clubs, Clubs, and Clubs

November 8, 2021

Amateur radio clubs are the lifeblood of the hobby. You know it, I know it, and now ARRL headquarters knows it. In this issue, we talk about everything club related, including a national ARRL Foundation club funding initiative that was announced here in Oklahoma at the Enid Hamfest for the VERY first time!!!!!!!! If you’re not in a club, find-a-club  https://ok.arrl.org/clubs/, make a club by contacting Jim Shideler  mailto:W5JCS@arrl.net, get your club affiliated with ARRL by contacting Mark Kleine  mailto:N5HZR@arrl.org, and document past club activities by sharing with ARRL HQ at  mailto:clubs@arrl.org.  

Clubs: ARRL Club Funding

West Gulf Division Director John Stratton N5AUS announced, for the first time, at the ARRL forum during the Enid hamfest on Saturday that the ARRL Foundation would be making about $500,000 available for grants to ARRL affiliated clubs. Clubs would be able to write proposals to receive grant funding to help with their region’s projects, programs, and activities. The current timeline is to have an online proposal system up and running in the March 2022 timeframe. This will not be a “first come, first served” program. ARRL clubs will upload their project request, and the foundation will select proposals based on the submitted program information. So, start a club; get your club affiliated, and have a proposal ready when the project opens in about six months.

Clubs: ARRL Affiliation

Our Oklahoma Affiliated Club Coordinator, Jim Shideler W5JCS, can help you find a club, start a club, or help your club become affiliated. We currently have 38 clubs listed at  https://ok.arrl.org/clubs/. Look for a club near you, or verify that your club is on the list. Send Jim an email at W5JCS@arrl.net if you need club assistance. Start the progress now, so your club is eligible for the newly announced club funding initiative.

Clubs: Enid Hamfest

One of the great things that clubs get to do is invite the world to their area by hosting a hamfest. This weekend the Enid Amateur Radio Club W5HTK held their annual hamfest. West Gulf Division Director John Stratton N5AUS made the trip to talk about the many significant changes happening at ARRL Headquarters. About 300 hams and potential hams visited the Hoover building to watch forums, meet with fellow hams, buy and sell radio gear, eat hot dogs, hamburgers, or tacos, and discuss radios, antennas, and a whole lot more. The flea market tables sold out in early October, and there were vendors from Kansas and Oklahoma. Congratulations to the Enid Amateur Radio Club for a job well done. Many thanks to Jim WA5ZBW, James KI5OEB, and Bill W5EIY, and the whole crew for their efforts. They passed out flyers that advertised the 2022 event. Mark your calendars for November 5th, 2022, at a larger, better location in downtown Enid! See you there!

Clubs: Club Testimonial

I saw the following announcement on Facebook, and it reminded me of my first Ham Club Meeting experience in 1985. It occurred to me that most of us have had this experience, and we need to make sure the new folks get the same chance. So, for you experienced hams, when you see someone new at a club event, track them down and say “Hello.” 

For the new folks in the hobby, listen to Harold Scoggins K5HES…

ADVICE FOR NEW HAMS…LIKE ME

Find a local club and join! I attended my very first Ham Radio Club meeting tonight and I can’t wait for the next one. I knew I had found a home when one member after another came up to greet me. Being the new kid, I sat quietly as the club president went down the agenda and other members added their input. However, as I sat there and looked around the room, I realized that there must have been over 500 years of radio experience around me. Classes prepared me to pass the test and manuals helped me set up my radio, but this is where I’m going to receive a real education in Ham Radio, in the trenches from operators who have earned their stripes over many years. As I was driving home I realized that not only am I going to gain valuable radio knowledge, but I have also made some new friends. Don’t sit around after you pass your test and wonder why you got into this hobby. Take the next step and join a club, you will not regret it. I am the newest member of the Lawton Fort Sill Amateur Radio Club.

Clubs: Club Activity

This time of year always seems to be brimming with club activities. Walks, runs, bike events, scouting events, picnics, and demonstrations have popped up on Facebook, Twitter, and club newsletters. In the past few months, I’ve seen activities from all around the state. The ARRL is reviving the ARRL Club Newsletter and would like to hear stories from clubs about recent activities. And, since Oklahoma has so many active clubs, I would like to showcase these activities to the rest of the country. So, look back at the last few months, find a picture of some recent events, write up some details of what happened, and send that to clubs@arrl.org. (Don’t forget to CC your favorite OK Section manager at n5hzr@arrl.org.) Then, wait for the club newsletter to appear in your email inbox!!!

Clubs: Club Analysis Tool

The Oklahoma Section wants to help amateur radio clubs and members to review their operations, document their efforts, and share their responses. Clubs in Oklahoma are very diverse, and a club in the panhandle will have very different needs than one in Edmond, Tulsa, or McAlester. However, we have many things in common, and we would like to help you and your club document its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. To help with this effort, I have created a Club Analysis Tool that leaders, members, and others can use to input these concepts on the ARES website at  https://ok.arrl.org/clubtool/. Then, Affiliated Club Coordinator Jim Shideler W5JCS and I will work to share your successes, fulfill your needs, take advantage of your opportunities, and plan to work around your threats. You don’t need to log in or create an account. All input is anonymous. So, give your responses today.

You can find ARRL Oklahoma Section all over the web at:

JOIN/RENEW ARRL NOW —  http://arrl.org/join/

73, de N5HZR — Stand by, more follows…