Meeting called to order at: 7:39 PM
Number of members in attendance: 21
Committee reports: Charles is doing experiments with the repeaters- he’s taken both repeaters, East and West (pointed north), and both are on at the same time on the same frequency. One is running on a different PL, this helps us gets better coverage, PLs are 114.9W, 100E. If you want to run IRLP on 2M, you may be able to use the West (Charles needs to double check it and will let everyone know).
Volunteering Opportunities:
– 5/16: ConnJam and the Tree Festival
Tree Festival: meeting at 9:30 at Cranbury Park. We will be using simplex, and helping to park cars and run logistics. Norwalk Tree Association is very appreciative and we have gotten noticed by the powers that be and they are very happy that we help out every year. This is not a high impact job, just directing cars where to go, but we need people to be spread out across all of Cranbury Park. We need more volunteers with HTs. Food and rides in bucket trucks may be provided. Rain or shine. You’ll be there until 1 or 2pm.
5/16: ConnJam: Connecticut Boy Scout Jamboree. Hugo will be running CW education booth. There will be seven shifts, 50 minutes per shift, and seventy potential new hams. This will be in Orange. (Start/end time?) A few more volunteers won’t hurt.
– 5/31: Bloomin’ Metric: A bit more involved than either of the previous event. 2500 bikers riding for charity will ride from Sherwood Island to Bethel and Danbury, and back down. We need operators in sag wagons (repair wagons) to provide comms while those driving the cars pick up injured riders, broken down bikes, and report any problems that might arise on the road. We need mobile radios since HTs don’t have the necessary power to be operational in the boonies (where the event goes). If you don’t have one we do have some loaners. It goes from 7 in the morning until 3 pm. The ride itself could be uneventful, or it could have a great deal of mishaps. So we’d better be over-prepared than under. You’ll get free food and a t-shirt. You’re actually under emergency operation, and it’s really fun!
-5/30 Innovation Day: Showcase of Makers and Wilton students’ STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math)-related accomplishments. There will also be DIY-related booths and exhibits, among other fascinating stuff. We have a booth! We will set up an antenna and run from 11 -3, and we’ll get people on the air by running a GOTA station. We need people to help set up. Setup can be that Friday from 3-6 to set up the antenna, or that Saturday from 9-11. We will probably want to do Friday, since fewer people will be setting up, and fewer people will be in the way. We need volunteers to help set up the antenna and also to run the station. Jeff is the chair, so tell either him or Sam if you are coming. Tim will also be giving a presentation on engineering as a career.
– 5/19 Skywarn training in Bridgeport.
– 6/6 American Legion 9th Annual Weekend at the Post/Touch-A-Truck. There will be police/FD displays, entertainment, retiring of the flag, etc. They would like us to set up a station, information booth, or otherwise have a presence at their event. From 10 – 7 in County Street across from NHS. Marty will talk to Toy about the possibility of spearheading the event.
– August picnic – we need a new host for our picnic! If you feel like donating your lawn, please let us know!
General Announcements:
Field Day. Brand new idea: let’s have it in our Comms Center! Lots easier to set up, possibility of two beams, no setting up in the middle of the park, air conditioning, no skeeters, and fresh baked brownies! We’d operate under 3F or 4F. Obviously Field Day has a lot of facets, but one is emergency operating, and this is where we would operate from in an emergency. We can run VFH, packet, etc.
Motion made to have Field Day in the Comms Center by Sam; motion passed by 16, one obstension. Field Day 2015 will be at the Communications Center. Planning meetings will be held on Thursday nights starting 5/21 and going on from there. If you would like to participate in these meetings, come on out at 7:30 on Thursday 5/21.
Minutes from last month approved at 8:15 pm.
Preliminary budget for FD food: $800. Passed by 17.
New Business: Comms Center will now be open on Thursdays from 6:30 to 9. Come on out!
A word on the volunteering: everyone who is at the meeting participates on a lot of things. Only four people from the club showed up for the smoke detector installation from the fire department, and that’s not acceptable. Fire Marshall Chris Hanson pulled Sam aside and told him that he was disappointed at the lack of turnout. Considering the fire department has given us the de-con trailer, generator and our comms center, hopefully we’ll get a good number of people volunteering for the upcoming events. Get your volunteering hours in; get involved with the club, we like you! A lot of people haven’t been doing that, and if we don’t see your name on the list, we’ll be calling you specifically to ask for your help at events.
Wilton CERT is doing a Technician class; ten people are signed up for the class, they’ve had three classes so far and they’ve been going well. Hopefully this will generate a couple of new members for the club.
Meeting adjourned at 8:46 pm.
