News from the Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club (SPARC)

Foundation for Amateur Radio (FAR)
Meeting Minutes
December 14, 2005

The meeting was held at the Fire and Emergency Services building in Landover, Maryland. President Mary Morris (N4TCI) called the meeting to order at 8:00m pm.

Since the secretary was absent, Al Brown (KZ3AB) agreed to record and publish the meeting minutes.

The people attending the meeting introduced themselves. They were:

Chip Weems W4PBG Historical Electronics Museum ARC
Don Kirby KR3A Calvert ARA
William Hatfield W3QX Montgomery ARC
Mary Morris N4TCI Mt. Vernon ARC
Al Brown KZ3AB Maryland Emergency Phone Net and Antietam Radio Association
John Chitwood K3RGB
Dan Blasberg KA8YPY Laurel ARC
Hugh Katz K3HU Voice of America ARC
W Page Pyne WA3EOP Cheese Hollow ARC and
Antietam Radio Association

President Mary Morris (N4TCI) distributed the November 9, 2005 meeting minutes. They were approved without any corrections.

-- Treasurer's Report: John Chitwood (K3RGB) submitted the treasurer's report.

* After the latest tally of expenses for FARFest 2005, the Foundation suffered a net loss of approximately $500.

* Unfulfilled Auto-Call magazine subscriptions will be returned by the end of the calendar year.

* The State of Maryland is unable to process our application for a sales tax exemption on future items to be purchased for FARFest because of various bureaucratic reasons. Resolution of this misunderstanding is in the works.

-- Executive Vice President's Report: William Hatfield (W3QX) reported that the Foundation is more financially stable now than it has been in several years.

In addition, Edward H Herbrechtsmeier (K3QX) is building a replacement web home page for the Foundation and Jason Foster (N3PRZ) will be working on the FARFest web page.

-- ARRL Report: Al Brown (KZ3AB), Assistant MDC Section Manager (ASM) reported that MDC Section Manager (SM) Tom Aberbethy (W3TOM) has been elected to the position of Atlantic Division Vice Director. A new MDC Section Manager is to be named.

-- FARFest: FAR VP for FARFest, Dan Blasberg (KA8YPY) announced that he is finalizing the design of the FARFest 2006 tickets. FARFest 2006 will be held Saturday and Sunday, September 9 and10 at the Montgomery County (MD) Agricultural Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

-- Survivor's Assistance: Dan Blasberg (KA8YPY) reported that Robert T Finger (W9GE) is handling the survivor's assistance program for the Foundation in Maryland. He is working to sell equipment from two estates and one amateur radio operator who is unable to use his equipment and wants to donate the proceeds to FAR scholarships.

Old Business

-- By-Laws: There has been no progress on modifying the by-laws.

-- Elections: Candidates for office:

President - Mary Morris (N4TCI)
Executive Vice President - William Hatfield (W3QX)
Vice President - Dan Blasberg (KA8YPY)
Vice President - Hugh Turnbull (W3ABC)
Vice President - Diane Zimmerman (AA3OF)
Secretary - No candidate
Treasurer - No candidate

(Note: John Chitwood (K3RGB) reluctantly accepted the position as temporary Treasurer and agreed to "do the work until a replacement was found and elected.")

The acting secretary, Al Brown (KZ3AB) cast one vote for the nominees and the slate of candidates was elected by an acclamation of the majority.

New Business:

-- There was no new business.

Announcements:

-- The Historical Electronics Museum Amateur Radio Club (HEMARC) will be conducting a Technician Class amateur radio course at the Historical Electronics Museum in Linthicum, Maryland for 10-12 weeks beginning on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 at 6:30 pm. There is no fee. For information, contact: Les (WR3X) at 410-787-0341 or via email at .

-- The NIMS IS-700 for Amateur Radio course is scheduled for Saturday, December 17 from 9 am to 1 pm. For info or to register, contact: .

--Hamfests---

* Maryland Mobileers Annual Hamfest. Sunday January 29th (Super Sunday) from 8 AM till Noon at the Odenton Volunteer Fire Department, 1425 Annapolis Road (Route 175) nine miles east of I-95. $5 Admission.

* Wednesday February 1 is the BARC Free Minifest. This is held in the Exhibition Hall of the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium MD. No charge to enter and buy or to sell but a hat is passed around amongst the sellers for a donation to the sponsor. Starts roughly 5 PM. Most activity in the 6:00 PM-7:30 PM time frame and the lonely vendors may be there until 8:00 or 9:00 PM.

* Feb 19 - Frostfest in Richmond, VA

* Feb 26 - Winterfest in Annandale, VA

* March 25-26 - The Greater Baltimore Hamboree at the Timonium Fairgrounds in Maryland


The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 pm.

The next Foundation for Amateur Radio meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at the Lee Center in Alexandria, Virginia.

Everyone is invited to attend.

Respectfully submitted,
s/E. Allen Brown
E. Allen Brown, KZ3AB
Acting Secretary