The following BGMRC members attended tonight’s meeting:
Eddie K4UN
Jim AE5M
Kevin AK4MC
Chris KL0UD
George W4IW
Bill K4WPM
Keith W4KTR
Bill KB2VRP
KB2VRP was a member previously some 15+ years ago, and rejoined tonight. Welcome back, Bill.
K4UN sought more people to volunteer for Powers Crossroads; most of those present signed up for at least some time during the festival. Anyone still wanting to sign up can e-mail .
W4IW will investigate what is needed to set up radio control links for the club’s 2m repeaters to replace the phone lines currently being used. The phone lines cost the club more than $700 each year. Besides the control links they are also supposed to provide autopatch capability, but it has been noted that this capability is not used enough anymore to justify the expense.
Coweta County 911 has asked whether BGMRC would like to set up a booth next to the mobile command post again at this year’s county fair. The fair runs Wednesday, Sept. 17 to Saturday, Sept. 27. The club will not be expected to man a booth every night of the fair, but volunteers will be needed for those nights the booth will be open.
K4WPM reminds BGMRC members of the need for volunteers to help with the Grizzard bike race on Sunday, Oct. 5. Three hams will ride with SAG wagon drivers and there will also be a command post. Contact .
K4UN mentioned the Boy Scouts Jamboree on the Air coming up October 18 and 19. It will be held at Mcintosh Reserve Park outside of Whitesburg. See this message for details and contact information.
It’s time to elect a new slate of officers for 2008-09. KL0UD said she is willing to serve another term as treasurer. AK4MC said he does not wish to continue as secretary. Persons interested in seeking election to a club office—president, vice-president, secretary or treasurer—may contact .
K4WPM raised the question of reorganizing BGMRC to become more flexible in the face of changes in members’ interests. Ideas discussed by those in attendance included changing the governing structure of the club, making club functions less formal and having more social functions as opposed to business meetings, and encouraging members to align into groups within the club to pursue their diverse interests relating to amateur radio, while still keeping these groups under the BGMRC banner.
Five members gathered at the Newnan-Coweta Public Safety Training Center tonight for our July meeting. They were:
Chris McGehee, KL0UD—BGMRC Treasurer (presiding)
Kevin McGehee, AK4MC—BGMRC Secretary
George Peck, W4IW
Bill Merritt, K4WPM
Jay Langley, N4NRL
Jay, N4NRL, talked about his upcoming Boy Scouts project, Jamboree On The Air, which will be held at Mcintosh Reserve Park near Whitesburg, third weekend in October. Scouts from several counties will be pursuing their radio merit badges with training and on-the-air operation. About 200 Scouts are expected to participate. Jay said he is keeping in touch with BGMRC members who were involved in last February’s teaching and testing event in Newnan.
Bill, K4WPM, reminded the members about the Lewis Grizzard bike race October 5. Bill says “three or four” hams will be needed to ride in SAG wagons (they will not be asked to drive their own cars for this) using mobile power and mag-mount or similar antenna, to help out.
Powers Crossroads is practically upon us and this is a very important activity for the BGMRC’s revenue stream. If you would like to help with preparations or during the event, but don’t know whom to contact, feel free to post to the reflector for information.
And of course, we need people willing to serve as club officers for 2008-09. If we don’t get volunteers, we’ll have to draft somebody.
There being no quorum, the meeting was not called to order and no business was done. Some items were talked about:
The March eating meeting will be held at Catfish Hollow Restaurant at Thomas Crossroads. Subject to change, the date and time are tentatively Tuesday, March 25 (two days after Easter) at 7:00 p.m. Members should contact if they have conflicts with this date.
The future of the weekly 2m BGMRC net on the 145.13 repeater every Sunday evening was a subject of discussion. It will no longer be possible to rely on a single "default" net control now that the Sunday net is no longer an ARES activity.
Despite having been told to stop charging the club for certain online services, BB&T continues to assess those charges. KL0UD will try one more time to put a stop to the charges, and to reverse those already assessed; the option of changing banks may have to be considered if this problem continues.
The Bill Gremillion Memorial Radio Club would like to thank the Senoia United Methodist Church for providing the location for this month's eating meeting.
Tonight's attendees:
W8PY Ellis, with LaRealia
W4KLW Kathy
K4UN Eddie
K4MJR Mandy
W4KTR Keith
KL0UD Chris
AK4MC Kevin
W4IW George
K4WPM Bill, with Pat
KE4CUJ Jean
WD4IIW Tom
N5XAL Alan
AE5M Jim, with Sue
Thanks to all for coming out, and especially to Tom and Jean for arranging the location and being our gracious hosts.
The October meeting of theBGMRC was scheduled tonight at 7:30 at the Newnan Coweta Public Safety Training Center on Greison Trail. However because only seven members attended and it was the understanding of the acting chair that eight are required for a quorum, the meeting was not called to order and there was no business acted upon. Informally, those in attendance discussed a few things that are or will become matters for the club to consider at the next meeting. BGMRC president Eddie Wilson K4UN was in Costa Rica and vice-president Jim May AE5M was out of town. Kevin McGehee AK4MC, secretary, was present to act as chair and Chris McGehee KL0UD, treasurer, was also in attendance. Also present:
Ellis W8PY
Bill K4WPM, brought cookies
Phillip KG4WSL
Sam KI4WNA
Scott (callsign pending)
Sam is a new member who joined BGMRC at the county fair where members of the club manned a booth next to the Coweta EMA communications van, and Scott passed for Technician at last Sunday's VE session and paid his dues tonight at the meeting.
Chris reminded everyone about the NIMS workshop in Fayetteville Thursday night. Any member wishing to attend this workshop who needs a ride should send a message to the BGMRC email reflector.
Bill announced that the planned new 911 center on Walt Sanders Memorial Drive -- in the building formerly housing the skating rink, across from the baseball and soccer fields -- is expected to be ready for operations to move in around the middle of next year. County EMA director Eddie Ball WB4QAU had told Bill the new building will have a room set aside for amateur radio, and this space would be available for BGMRC meetings.
Those present agreed that having another potluck for the December eating meeting sounded like a good idea, as these have been well-received in the past. Date and location have yet to be determined; Chris KL0UD will be seeing to the arrangements.
