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ARRL Club News

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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April 16, 2024

Editor: Michael Walters, W8ZY <clubs@arrl.org>

IN THIS ISSUE

- Start Your Field Day Planning
- Club Grant Program to Return
- Upcoming Club Anniversary and Special Event
- NY Hams Provide Pumpkin Patrol
- Submitting Info for this Newsletter
- How to Plan and Apply for an ARRL Hamfest or Convention
- Important Links

==> START YOUR FIELD DAY PLANNING

The 2024 ARRL Field Day is June 22 and 23 and is always one of the
biggest operating events of the year. Many clubs across the country say
that Field Day is their most popular event for a variety reasons. Some
clubs treat it as a contest (even though no one wins Field Day). It is
a great chance to see what contesting is like with much less pressure.
Some clubs make it a training event for emergency operations by setting
up in a different location and trying to communicate with antennas
using power that is temporary. Other clubs hold a family gathering for
members and guests to get together and have fun around the radios. It
is also a fantastic opportunity to show off the capabilities of ham
radio to the public. Invite the mayor, the fire chief, the police
chief, or other local agencies to come by. Get them on the air to make
a contact or two. And do not forget the GOTA station. Give new or shy
hams the chance to operate HF.

ARRL resources are available online at field-day.arrl.org
<http://FIELD-DAY.ARRL.ORG>. Do not forget to check out the ARRL Store
for Field Day swag to help make the weekend fun. Get a t-shirt, a hat,
or other merchandise to commemorate the event. Also, make sure to put
your club's Field Day site on the Field Day Station Locator at Field
Day Station Locator (arrl.org)
<https://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator>.

Field Day is something different to all hams, but the important part is
that you have fun and "Be Radio Active." Be sure to read the "Club
Station" column in the June issue of QST (the digital edition is
available May 3) for some tips on how clubs can make Field Day their
own.

==> CLUB GRANT PROGRAM TO RETURN

The ARRL Foundation Club Grant Program
<https://www.arrl.org/club-grant-program> is returning for 2024. After
receiving additional funding from Amateur Radio Digital Communications
(ARDC), the next round of grants will be available later this year.
More than $500,000 in grants have been awarded to clubs across the
country. This program centers around club projects that are
transformational in nature (i.e., projects that have the greatest
impact on the local community). Previously successful grants
concentrated on the recruitment and training of new hams, STEM
programs, emergency preparedness, and amateur radio technology
development. ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL, said,
"ARRL is proud to partner with ARDC to administer the Club Grant
Program. These grants offer an opportunity to have a significant impact
on amateur radio's future."

More information will be announced on all ARRL news outlets in the
coming weeks. Now is the time for your club to consider if you have a
project that could qualify for a grant. Start thinking just how your
club can impact amateur radio, today and in the future. Grants will be
available for up to $25,000 and will include reporting and media
requirements. Stay tuned for additional information, and get ready for
the next round of the Club Grant Program.

==> UPCOMING CLUB ANNIVERSARY AND SPECIAL EVENT

The West Palm Beach Amateur Radio Group, W4HAW, is celebrating its 85th
anniversary with an open house and special event station. The open
house will be held at the Cox Science Center and Aquariaum in West Palm
Beach on Saturday, April 27 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The public is
invited to attend.

One of the event highlights is a special event station using the club
amateur radio call sign. The day will also feature an overview of
amateur radio and the benefits that amateur radio activity provides to
hams and the community at large. There will also be an emphasis on
hurricane preparedness. Guests from the National Weather Service, Palm
Beach County, The American Red Cross, and others will be in attendance
to share information on how to stay safe during a hurricane.

The club's event will also be part of the annual Florida QSO Party, so
be on the lookout for the club's call sign in the pileups. Visit the
club website at www.wpbarg.com <http://www.wpbarg.com/> to learn more.

By Ed Efchak, WX2R

==> NY HAMS PROVIDE PUMPKIN PATROL

The Fort Herkimer Amateur Radio Association (FHARA), in cooperation
with the New York State Police (NYSP), completed a two-night operation
on October 30 and 31, 2023, to provide visual observations of
overpasses on the New York State Thruway within Herkimer County. This
was the 33rd year that FHARA has participated. In the past, objects
have been thrown off the overpasses onto unexpecting vehicles. For many
years, Citizens Band radio operators (who started this event) became
the eyes of the NYSP. Soon after, ham radio groups began running the
event. In 2023, FHARA staffed 14 locations and set up our disaster
action response trailer at the Indian Castle Travel Plaza. Here, we
distributed literature and explained to patrons the reason for and
importance of us being there. We also informed them that there was a
large group of ham operators watching out for them across the state.
Thankfully, there were no reported incidents.

By FHARA President Don Peterson, KD2ILO

==> SUBMITTING INFO FOR THIS NEWSLETTER

ARRL Club News is for radio clubs to show how they are working in the
community and the hobby to advance amateur radio. If your club
completes a project, supports an event, does an EmComm activation, or
activates a park, we want to hear about it. You can submit your
newsletter article to us at clubs@arrl.org. We like to get them as text
or Word files instead of PDFs. If you have pictures, please submit them
with caption information, as well as the name and call sign of the
photographer. We want to highlight the good work being done by the
clubs and show others in the community. Think of this as a chance to
show off your club and your programs.

==> HOW TO PLAN AND APPLY FOR AN ARRL HAMFEST OR CONVENTION

If your amateur radio club is planning to host a convention, hamfest,
tailgate, or swapfest, please consider applying for it to be an
ARRL-sanctioned event. To learn what it means to be an ARRL-sanctioned
event, and to get some ideas on how to prepare for and conduct a
hamfest or convention, visit www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events
<http://www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events>.

To have your event sanctioned, complete the online application at
www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application>.

The ARRL Hamfests and Conventions Calendar can be found online at
www.arrl.org/hamfests <http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>. In addition, the
Convention and Hamfest Calendar that runs in QST each month also
presents information about upcoming events.

==> IMPORTANT LINKS

ARRL Home: www.arrl.org <http://www.arrl.org/>

Find an ARRL Affiliated Club: www.arrl.org/clubs
<http://www.arrl.org/clubs>

Find your ARRL Section: www.arrl.org/sections
<http://www.arrl.org/sections>

Find a license class in your area: www.arrl.org/class
<http://www.arrl.org/class>

Find a license exam in your area: www.arrl.org/exam
<http://www.arrl.org/exam>

Find a hamfest or convention: www.arrl.org/hamfests
<http://www.arrl.org/hamfests>

Email ARRL Clubs: clubs@arrl.org

ARRL Club News is published every month (12 times each year). ARRL
members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member
Data Page at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out
<https://home.arrl.org/action/My-Account/Opt-In-Out>. Archived issues
can be found at http://www.arrl.org/club-news

Copyright (c) 2024 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated.
Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is
permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution.
All other purposes require written permission.

<http://www.arrl.org/>