The meeting was called to order at 19:30
The club officers and board members in attendance were:
- AA2MF – Richie (President)
- AB4YI – Carol (Vice President)
- W7WMS – Will (Treasurer)
- KF4TYA – Bruce (Secretary/Newsletter Editor)
- N4GD – Dee (Board Member/Repeater Maintenance Manager)
- KR4U – Dave (Club Station W4GAC Trustee)
- KI4UIP – John (Board Member)
All members introduced themselves
The presentation/program for this meeting was the two candidates for Club President to give their speeches.
Those two candidates are:
- Richie – AA2MF (incumbent)
- Tom – NY4I (challenger)
Richie – AA2MF gave a speech that highlighted his accomplishments as the current president of SPARC and what his vision is for the club in 2025. He also highlighted his extensive experiences from multiple facets. He ended by asking the club to allow him to continue what he has already started.
Tom – NY4I gave a speech that also highlighted his experience and qualifications. He further explained what his initial plan was for the future of SPARC. He ended his speech by asking for everyone’s vote and the opportunity to serve as President.
The 50/50 Jackpot of $38 was drawn and Pete, KB9LXM was the winner and awarded accordingly.
Paul, KA4IOX – Events/Activities Coordinator, told the membership of an upcoming event in November:
ARRL SSB Sweepstakes which is a 30-hour event from 11/16/24 @16:00 – 11/17/24
Setups will be under both W4TA & W4GAC, each participating operator will be assigned to a team, and remain on that team for the duration of the sweepstakes.
A sign-up sheet was provided for those who are interested
He also went over how each contact type works
Calling CQ
Search & Pounce
One station may only work one band at a time, (e.g.: W4TA (20-meters) & W4GAC (40-meters))
Pat, AAØO mentioned that SPARC Fest is scheduled for Saturday,11/9/24 at Freedom Lake Park, in Pinellas Park from 8:00 – 12:00. There will also be VE Testing at the SPARC Fest for those who wish to get their license or get an upgrade. I was further suggested that both the trailer and the storage room be searched for items that can be sold at the hamfest.
Election Results:
• Tom Schaefer, NY4I is the new Club President for 2025
• Bruce Solov, KF4TYA, who was the Acting Club Secretary, has secured one vote for a non-contested office. Bruce, KF4TYA is now the official Club Secretary.
Club Treasurer, Will, W7WMS gave the monthly Treasurer’s Report. He reported that the Club’s CD becomes due in November 2024. The membership approved the Treasurer’s Report by a majority vote.
David, KR4U, Club Station – W4GAC Trustee – reported that all equipment is working fine at this time. He further reported that the weather station on top of the trailer was damaged due to the recent storms. The antenna on the trailer blew off from the storm. Antennas on the trailer will be moved and the weather station will be repaired. He finally reported that there is no issues with the beam at this time.
Dee, N4GD reported that both the 2-meter and 440 repeaters are functioning properly at this time. He further stated that the 220 MHz preamp has been repaired and is pending re-installation.
Pat, AAØO, gave the VE Report for October 2024 and reported the following:
• One General upgrade
• One new Technician
• One new General
Club Treasurer, Will, W7WMS in his Membership Report, reported that there are two new members, and both were approved by a majority vote from the membership. Currently the membership stands at 132 members with 71 of them being ARRL members which is well above 50% requirement.
There was some discussion as to how the station was used for health and welfare communications during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Will, W7WMS advised that communication never failed and some members volunteered at the area shelters.
New Business
• New/additional lighting was suggested for the clubhouse
• The next Executive Board Meeting is to be held on 11/19/24 at 17:00
The Business Meeting was adjourned at 20:30
73’s
Respectfully Submitted,
Bruce H. Solov, K2BHS