DELARA NEWS is the monthly publication of the Delaware Amateur Radio Association, Delaware OH.
December 2020 VOL 39 Number 12
Welcome
This is the official newsletter of a great ham radio club! Our DELARA family appreciates what
you’re doing with the hobby! Why not take a few minutes and write out what interests you in
our hobby! We have room for your article always! Send it to Stan [at] standi.com by the end of
the month.
The Prez’s Shack
Is it over yet??
Like most of you, our family is busy with holiday stuff- there are multiple rehearsals for the
Christmas music programs, shopping and decorating. Is it the same for you all- we’re kind of
casting a wary eye around the corner- “What’s next??” I almost feel like we’re all in the
Groundhog movie- at 11:59:59 when we’re all looking for 12:01 2021 and the way out of this
mess, the clock instead is going to tick over 11:59:61 and 2020 will just keep on going. One of
the songs we’re singing is “Have yourself a merry little Christmas”, and I warped our singer’s
brain by changing one little word to make the whole some appropriate for this year:
“Through the years we all will be together, if the ~state~ allows…” It’ll be fun to see if she slips and
sings that in one of the services.
Well, we are actually celebrating the season and what it really means, and we hope you are able
to capture the real feelings of love and warmth that the season brings.
This has been a good year for DELARA, I think. Especially with the chaos and disarray of 2020
our club has come together more closely than it ever has. Thanks to Ken, we were quickly able
to shift our programs and meetings onto Zoom. Not only did we have good speakers, but we
were able to see each other! We were able to do a good ‘split’ meeting, with about even halves
of membership in the room or on Zoom. We didn’t have the radio activities that we usually do,
and we lost out on our boatanchor night (but we can make it up!)
The characteristic that most closely describes DELARA is “family” - and thanks to Mike, W8MDC
(Our next President!!) and Bob, W8ERD, we did something really important: we used the radio
to stay in touch and help each other to learn and just weather the storm. Mike started the
“DELARA Informal Net” and has been there ~every night, seven days a week~ to host a varying
group in chatting about many different subjects. Add to that the Wednesday evening Zoom
meeting which again allows us all to just chat and learn more about each other. Then, Bob and
Larry, AC8YE, picked up the digital side of things, first preparing for the October SET (Simulated
Emergency test) by practicing ~every night~ for three weeks leading up to SET. But they haven’t
stopped there- the digital practice net is still going strong on Tuesday and Thursday evenings,
making converts to the digital side of amateur radio! All of that has been in addition to the
regular Monday Night Net and the club meetings. I can’t say enough good things about how our
club has joined more closely together!
So for the past several months I have been land-grabbing the palatial Presidential Office Suite
and Spa filling in after Tim found gainful employment in the south. But it’s time- the $19.95 U-
Haul is backed up to the door, and my four shoe boxes of stuff will be transported back to the
Upper Radnor Suburbs (just beyond the subway connector to downtown Radnor) where I
belong. I’ll be more than happy to help Mike take over the controls of this organization- it is,
indeed, in very good condition!
Happy holidays to you all, Merry Christmas, and let’s all hope the clock actually takes us to 2021.
Stan, N8BHL
VP DELARA
Time for Dues
DELARA is a pretty remarkable
organization! In addition to being a
close-knit and supporting family of
radio amateurs, DELARA is an ARRL
affiliated “Special Service Club.”
We do charge dues for
membership, they are used to fund
several projects, the web activity
and newsletter, food for Field Day,
and improvements to the club
station at the Delaware Red Cross
Chapter.
Dues have stayed the same for a
couple years, after they were
actually ~reduced~.
Dues for licensed hams are $20 for
full voting membership. Non-voting
spouse or family membership is an
additional $2 for each family
member. Non-voting associate
membership is $5.00.
It’s easy to do- go to the “Pay My
Dues” page on this website. Don’t
forget to enter your callsign!
And IF YOU HAVE PAID 4th
QUARTER OF THIS YEAR- you’re
covered for 2021!
And thank you for making the club
great!