Hi Gang,
Wow.. this has really been a year of "change" for sure. The year started out with not only me taking over the reins and completing the term for Frank Piper, KI8GW as Section Manger, but we had a new Affiliated Clubs Coordinator, Sandy Mackey, N8YS and a new Official Observer Coordinator, John Perone, W8RXX stepping in as well.
* January also saw some changes in the Ohio Section Journal with the introduction of a new, web based newsletter in addition to the text version one. This new web based newsletter is able to include pictures and graphics as well as hyperlinks to important items in the articles. It’s a much improved newsletter that allows the reader to interact with it to make the articles much more interesting for the readers.
* February the Section Manager (me) finally got to shed off the cane that I had to use after I broke my leg in a fall back at Thanksgiving. Now I finally had something to be thankful for since I didn’t get any Thanksgiving dinner that day.
* The month of March saw new promotional items being introduced by the Section Manager. It started with an idea from my wife telling me that we needed to add some promotional items to get people to visit the ARRL table at hamfests. It eventually spread out to have a "mug" on me which is a coffee mug filled with candy and a gift card.
* The month of April Ohio got to cheer on one of its own, Jay Slough, K4ZLE as the winner of the April QST Cover Plaque award for his article "A 10 Meter Moxon Antenna."
- It also saw our Ohio PRB-1 Law standing its own ground and winning an appeal at the 6th Appellate District Court. The town of Swanton once again loses its case.
- There was also reflection in April, as that this was the 40th anniversary of the April 3rd / 4th tornado outbreak that destroyed the town of Xenia (1974). It is still remembered to this day as the largest outbreak of tornadoes in the history of this country.
* The month of May started party time, as that the ARRL celebrated their 100th birthday this past year starting at the Dayton Hamvention. The party had all the hoopla that you could imagine, including birthday cake for everyone who attended the Hamvention that Sunday morning. The Ohio Section shown bright at the Hamvention once again this year by manning the one and only ARRL sponsored Section booth.
* June for the Ohio Section was very busy with our Cabinet members traveling well over 2,000 miles to visit as many Field Day sites as all of us could get to in that 24 hour time frame. I know personally I checked in to more than 25 sites that weekend.
- We did experience a couple of small tornadoes this year, but luckily none of them did any real extensive damage to anyone or anyone’s property. We were very lucky this year. No major weather events that caused any loss of life.
* July started off with a bang with the 4th of July being celebrated, as well as a course change in our ARES program with a new Section Emergency Coordinator, Stan Broadway, N8BHL being appointed.
- With job and family responsibilities changing we said goodbye to our recently appointed Affiliated Clubs Coordinator - Sandy Mackey, N8YS and with that we were very lucky to quickly find a very qualified new volunteer to take over where she left off, John Myers, KD8MQ.
- And, if you have forgotten, July of course was the 100th birthday Convention in Hartford Connecticut that celebrated Amateur Radio in every way imaginable.
- Those that were lucky enough to be able to attend stated that it was the best birthday party that they ever attended. One of Ohio’s own - Tom Sly, WB8LCD was a guest speaker as well.
- We also experienced a change in the guard at the Division level in July as long time Director, Jim Weaver, K8JE retired. By succession Dale Williams, WA8EFK moved up to Director and a newbie, Tom Delaney, W8WTD was then appointed to the Vice Directorship replacing Dale in that position.
- Happening at the national level at this time was U.S. House Bill - HR 4969. This is the "Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014." If the measure would pass it would require the FCC, within 120 days of the Bill’s passage, to amend the Part 97 Amateur Service rules to apply PRB-1 coverage to include homeowners’ association regulations and deed restrictions, often referred to as "covenants, conditions, and restrictions" (CC&Rs). This Bill would give the Amateur equal rights afforded us by PRB-1, that is to say "Reasonable Accommodations" would have to be granted the Amateur to be able to use his/her Amateur Radio station.
* In August the Ohio Section had its conference along with the always successful Columbus Hamfest where the top newsletters in Ohio were acknowledged in the ARRL Ohio Section Newsletter Contest. We also celebrated the newest inductee of the Allan Severson Award when I presented it to Frank Piper, KI8GW. I also presented Jackie Piper, KC8ESO with the Section Manager’s "Special Appreciation" award.
* September came barreling in with a wager between the ARRL President and myself. The challenge was just for bragging rights only, but I really felt I had the advantage over Kay on this one. Wow.. Ohio State was blown out of the water by Kay’s Virginia Tech Football team. So, with tongue in cheek I had to concede.. Virginia Tech was the better team that day.
* October was met with and fantastic Simulated Emergency Test (SET) around the state. FUN was had by everyone that participated. The month also had its sadness too, as Rick Swain, KK8O our former OOC became a silent key.
- JOTA was also a huge success this year. There were a number of Scouts on the air because of the extra efforts from our Assistant Section Manager for Scouting - Scott Hixon, KC8ITN this year.
- The Village of Swanton once again is on the attack against our Ohio PRB-1 law. They now petitioned the Ohio Supreme Court to look at their case. Our Section Government Liaison, Nick Pittner, K8NAP feels that our law will stand, but we need to be ever diligent in making sure that it does stay put.
* November came in like a lion with the "Gales of November" with massive amounts of snow in the north eastern side of our state and buried the western corner of New York (Buffalo). Ohio’s ARES went on standby in case we were needed to assist with communications in this area. There was also another wager on a football game. This time it was with my counterpart up in Michigan. This time (like last year) I was successful when Ohio State dominated Michigan. This wager was for bragging rights only, but I am 2 for 2 on the OSU/Michigan games!!
* December has now come in with Connie Hamilton, N8IO deciding to retire from the Assistant Section Manager’s position and the appointment of Lyn Alfman, N8IMW to replace Connie in the South East Section. We’ve also found our ARES program being activated once again for a natural gas well leak in the south east section that has over 50 families evacuated. This situation was touchy enough that I even called the Section Manager in West Virginia to put their ARES program on standby, just in case. Luckily, everything is turning out to be good and we may be able to stand down all activities before Christmas.
The Section Cabinet has been very busy this year attending club meetings, public service events and hamfests all over the state.
We have a very active ARES program and our Section Emergency Coordinator - Stan, N8BHL is growing and encouraging everyone to have "fun" while providing a very valuable "service" to the community our served agencies.
Our Technical Coordinator - Jim Yoder, W8ERW has been busy working with a number of folks around the state with interference and technical problems that hams have.
Our Official Observer Coordinator - John Perone, W8RXX has been working hard at enhancing the Amateur Auxiliary with a number of new OO’s, including me, out there listening and encouraging proper operator techniques. He is also working with a number of you in helping document incidents where there is a lack of discipline with a very small amount of you out there.
Our Affiliated Clubs Coordinator - John Myers, KD8MQ has been extremely busy encouraging new clubs to "affiliate" with the ARRL and not stopping there we have also seen an increase in Special Services Clubs as well. We aren’t where we want to be, but we are growing and that’s what counts.
Our Section Traffic Manager - David Maynard, WA3EZN has been very active on the various nets and recording and reporting the hours we spend passing important messages in and out of the state.
Our Public Information Coordinator - John Ross, KD8IDJ has been busy with the newsletter contest and promoting Amateur Radio around the state.
Our Section Government Liaison - Nick Pittner, K8NAP is busy with our on-going legal actions with our new antenna law as well as the newest Bill that is going to be introduced into the House of Representatives in Mid-January that will take over where HR-4969 left off.
And then there are our Assistant Section Managers - Lyn Alfman, N8IMW; Kitty Hevener, W8TDA; Fritz Tender, WD8E; Bob Johnson, K3RC and Bob Winston, W2THU. They are strategically located around the state to assure everyone is represented. They are all hard working and ready to help you with your concerns.
We also have 2 very special Assistant Section Managers that take care of our Education and Scouting - Anthony Luscre, K8ZT and Scott Hixon, KC8ITN. Both of them have been very active this year with their individual programs. We are starting to see the fruits of this with more activity starting in classrooms and in the scouting programs.
As you can see, we have a lot going on in the state of Ohio at any given time. Yes, we are the biggest Section of the 71 Sections, and I hope this little snapshot gives you some idea of just how much activity is really happening here. I’m very proud of our people and the programs that we have. I think you’ll have to agree with me that Ohio is one very active state!!
Now, on a personal note. I want to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a very prosperous New Year. Even though 2014 was a year for "change", we are very blessed to have a great core of folks who are willing and able to step up to the challenges and make things even better than before.
2015 has the promise of being a fantastic year for Amateur Radio and the Ohio Section. I will do my very best to make it the best year for the Ohio Section ever!
73, Scott, N8SY
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