The Columbia Amateur Radio Association (CARA, K3CUJ) is pleased to announce that the annual CARA Fest is on Sunday, 1 October 2023 at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, Maryland. We are emailing all the local club POCs and editors listed with ARRL to request your help in spreading the word. The key information is pasted below for your convenience, and our flyer is attached if you would like to share it.
CARA is also pleased to provide indoor tables for our fellow clubs to spread awareness of their activities, free of charge. If you have not already been in touch with us to coordinate an information table, you may book a complimentary table on the Tickets page of the CARA Fest website, let me know and I will put you in touch with our coordinator.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Thank you in advance for your support!
It’s a wrap! And it was a great hamfest. Weather was perfect and attendees were clearly in the mood to get out and find some great gear. Besides some new vendors, the Berryville Hamfest featured a new program called TechTalk all morning — short learning sessions for novices and experience hams alike. Topics included: getting your first license, operating QRP, ham and astronomy, lightning and your home, and a dramatic demo of Scott KE4WMF’s VW Rover.
There was a truly impressive showing of SVARC club members who came both days to set up, manage, and clean up. Thank you, each and every one.
John WD4GEK was the first to get his pictures out so you don’t have to wait to get a taste for the great day we had. To check out his album CLICK HERE.
Please see below original request for specific information regarding times and locations followed by “update”Final Call.” In addition, ham operators volunteering are asked to bring a fully charged HT (just in case and to communicate between us at both sites. We will use the W4RKC repeater, 146.820 MHz, – (minus) offset, PL 146.2. As a backup we will use the K4QJZ repeater, 145.210 MHz, – (minus) offset, PL 141.3.
Original Request:
VDEM is requesting volunteers to support parking operations at the funeral of Deputy Chief Chester T. Lauck on Monday, May 1st. Chief Lauck was the Emergency Management Coordinator for Frederick County.
He was also a member of the SVARC and my Frederick County POC for WINFRED ARES.
They are looking for 14-30 volunteers to assist with parking efforts (directing traffic flow, etc.). The need is for two shifts at different locations in Winchester, VA.
Team 1 will be at the church from 0800 – 1300 for a shift of about 5 hours.
Team 2 will be at the cemetery from 1130 – 1530 for a shift of about 4 hours.
We had about 50 members and guests at the Christmas party in December — if you weren’t there, we missed you, and you missed a very fun visit from Santa. He seemed to know exactly who had been naught or nice during the year! Thanks to John and Frances Royo for being our official photographers.
Club members are invited to bring your family and come celebrate the season with us on Saturday, December 17, 2022, starting at 5:30 at the Boy Scout Center (107 Youth Development Ct, Winchester, VA 22602). We’ll have a social time and eat between 6 and 6:15.
Shaffer’s will cater our buffet meal again with a fabulous menu of: ham with pineapple sauce, sliced roasted turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing balls, country green beans, cranberry salad, rolls, Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese frosting, cherry pie, and coconut cream pie. The total cost with tax, delivery, and gratuity is about $20 each, and the club is picking up all but $10 each. There is no charge for members or members’ children under fifteen.
If you haven’t already, let Elizabeth Cottrell W4EHC know if you can go and how many in your party. She needs a final count by December 7. CLICK HERE to email her.
Silent Auction Fundraiser
Words SILENT AUCTION composed of wooden dices. Auction gavel on the table in the background. Closeup
Duane Martin KK4BZ is organizing a silent auction as a club fundraiser. He’s looking for good quality donated items, large or small. This doesn’t have to be just amateur radio items — just something someone else might be willing to bid on. Please email Duane for more information or to let him know you have something to donate.
Support your club and get to know other members and their families. Hope to see you on December 17.
Meetings at the clubhouse, and remote via Zoom.app. Members will receive the zoom link by email. If you aren’t a member and want the Zoom link, please use the CONTACT FORM on this website to request it or email request to secretary [at] svarc.us
WANT TO JOIN SVARC?CLICK HERE to get more membership information and CLICK HERE to download the club membership application and use this website’s CONTACT page if you have questions.
We meet on the first and third Thursday of each month at 7:30pm. Gathering begins about 6:30 pm for conversation.
The next Berryville Hamfest will be held on Sunday August 4, 2024 at the Clarke County Fairgrounds in Berryville, VA—always the first Sunday in August. Get on the Hamfest Email list for updates: https://berryvillehamfest.com.