QUARTER
CENTURY WIRELESS ASSOCIATION
CHAPTER 70
NATIONAL CAPITAL
REGION
OTTAWA ONTARIO CANADA
www.qcwa70.org
Minutes
of the
Chapter 70 dinner Meeting
held at
Robbie’s Spaghetti House
Nov 18th 2008
At 6:36 PM, President Dave Parks VE3AV welcomed a total of 44 members and
guests and introduced the members of the executive.
Present were:
Vice-President Dave
Conn VE3KL
Director Doug
Leach VE3XK
Director Bob
MacKenzie VA3RKM
Director Richard
Ferch VE3IAY/VE3KI
Treasurer Bryan
Rawlings VE3QN
Past President Joe
Parkinson VE3JG
Secretary Ken
Pulfer VE3PU
Guest speaker for the evening,
was Dave Green VE3TLY
Minutes of the Sept 16th dinner meeting: - Ken Pulfer VE3PU asked for approval of the
minutes of the Sept 2008 dinner meeting as posted on the Chapter 70 website.
Moved by Jim Dean VE3IQ, and
seconded by George Roach VE3BNO that
the minutes be adopted as posted. Carried.
Secretary’s
Report: - Ken VE3PU briefly summarized correspondence
during the past two months. After the
September dinner meeting, a Journal
report was prepared and sent to QCWA Headquarters, accompanied by a picture of
Joan Powell and Pat Brewer staffing the QCWA booth at the OARC Carp Hamfest. HQ
General Manager Chuck Walbridge, K1IGD advised
that the report would likely be used in the winter issue of the Journal.
Correspondence with
headquarters is done by e-mail, and a lot of it originates from messages on the
HQ reflector. The secretary receives notices from HQ regularly – some are
redirected to the chapter 70 executive, and some, of general interest, are sent
out to the full Chapter 70 membership.
Treasurer’s report: - Bryan Rawlings VE3QN presented a
verbal report on revenues and expenditures for the September – November
period. He then sought approval for the
following draft 2009 budget proposal.
2009 Budget Proposal
30 October 2008
Revenues1
Membership
Dues Accrued (24 members) $ 360
Membership
Dues (51 members @ $15/ea)2 $ 765
Bank
Interest $ 0
Surplus
carried forward from 2008 (est) $ 450
Total = $ 1575
Expenses
Secretarial
and Office Expenses $ 75
Web
Site Hosting $ 1253
In
Memoriam donations (est 3 x
$25/ea) $ 75
Charitable
Contributions
QCWA
Scholarship Fund $
1354
CNIB
Amateur Radio Program $
100
Defence
of Amateur Radio Fund $
100
Undefined $
250
$ 585
Speaker
& Guest Meals (4 @ $35/ea) $ 140
Purchase
of Pins $
375
Cards $ 25
Bank
Charges $ 10
Total
= $ 1410
Membership Fees Accrued
2010
Memberships (7 members) $ 105
2011
Memberships (1 member) $ 15
Total = $ 120
Moved by Joe Parkinson VE3JG and seconded by Marg Heaslip VE3EQE that the Budget be approved. Carried.
Electronic QSLing: - Bryan VE3QN also gave a brief PowerPoint presentation
describing how, because of increasing postal costs, the exchange of QSL cards
is being replaced in recent years by a trend towards the use of e-mail for
verification of contacts and exchange of electronic cards. He described two
systems in common use - the Log Book of
the World and eQSL, together with
a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
DXCC Honor
Roll: Doug VE3XK showed members present a DXCC Honor Roll plaque
earned by Bert Barry VE3QAA. At the
present time 329 current entities (“countries”) on the DXCC list are required
for the Honor Roll
Guests: - Two guests for the evening were introduced. Bob VA3RKM introduced well known DXer
and contester, Vlad
Milutinovic VE3JM. Also present for the first time was Murray Pierce VE3IFP
Illness and SK Report: - Richard VE3KI advised that, aside from Don Dashney VE3RM who was recovering from a recent operation, there
was no sick and ailing amongst Chapter 70 members to report. He did mention
however that well known valley amateur Baxter
Smith VE3BFX was a recent silent key.
Doug VE3XK reported
on the health of Neil Carleton VE3NCE,
who gave a talk to a Chapter 70 dinner meeting some time ago about the radio
club at R. Tait McKenzie Public School in Almonte. Neil is recovering from a successful operation for a brain
tumor.
Silent Key Estates: - Bob VA3RKM discussed
activities undertaken to dispose of equipment left by recent non-member Silent
Keys. He pointed out that there was a list on the Chapter 70 web site of
equipment available for purchase. He
also reminded those present that The Quarter Century Wireless Association urges
all its members to maintain an inventory of their amateur radio equipment. This
will aid in the future disposal of the equipment of a Silent Key. A Station
Inventory Form for this purpose may be downloaded from the Chapter 70
web site.
QCWA International report from Joan
Powell VE3ZC: - Joan reported on the Board of Directors
meeting that recently took place after the Convention at Virginia Beach.
She then mentioned the support she was receiving Chapter 70 members
in helping her to carry out her new responsibilities, including chairing the
External Relations committee of the board. The next QCWA directors meeting will
be held at the Dayton Hamvention in May 2009.
She also informed members that an agreement had been reached
between QCWA and Radio Amateurs of Canada to carry each others advertisements
in their respective publications.
Finally she reminded members of the availability of QCWA
scholarships for licensed amateurs entering university.
Report from the ITU: - Ken VE3PU gave a very brief summary of progress made on items of interest
to amateur radio at the recent ITU meetings that he had attended in Geneva.
Nomination Committee Report: - Past President Joe Parkinson VE3JG reported on the work of the
nominations committee. With the stepping down of President Dave Parks at the
end of 2008, there was a need to find a replacement. The committee’s
recommendations were as follows:
Incoming
President: Bob
MacKenzie VA3RKM
Director: (to replace VA3RKM) Dick Bonnycastle VE3FUA
Past President: Dave Parks VE3AV
Since there were no other nominations, the above positions will be
filled by acclamation as of January 1, 2009.
Members welcomed the new members of the executive with a round of
applause.
Dave
wished the new members of the executive success, and thanked those who have
served during the past two years.
New member pins: - Doug VE3XK presented
pins to recently joined members John
Hewitt VE3PUX and Gary Hyatt VE3MJT.
Chapter 70
Net: - Doug VE3XK once again urged members to participate in the
weekly Chapter 70 net which takes place on 147.03 MHz, with negative 600 kHz
offset, at 7:30 on Monday evenings. All participants are welcome.
Mugs: -There
still remain 72 mugs, and anyone interested can purchase
one for $ 6.00
After
Dinner Presentation: -
After the dinner, Chapter 70 vice president Dave Conn VE3KL
introduced Dave Green VE3TLY, the
guest speaker for the evening.
Dave spoke on the topic of Microcontrollers and
Amateur Radio.
Dave’s talk was based on
a project undertaken by members of the Ottawa Amateur Radio Club during the
past year. In a PowerPoint presentation, he gave a broad overview of
microcontroller technology and the OARC club project objectives and
achievements, using the relatively inexpensive and readily
available PICAXE microcontroller. At the conclusion of his talk, Dave was thanked by Doug VE3XK.
Door prizes
and 50-50 draw:
Doug, VE3XK,
conducted the selection of winning tickets for the door prizes and for the 50-50
draw. The winner of the 50-50 draw was Betty
Newkirk VE3ZBB.
Final Remarks:
Before closing the meeting, the chair announced
that the next dinner meeting is to be held on Feb 17, 2009.
The meeting adjourned at 9:12 pm.