Section news

Tom Sly, WB8LCD

Wow. Hamvention. Memorial Day weekend. My weeklong vacation with family. Tempus Fugit! Well, I’m back now and ready to hit the ground running for Field Day weekend. I’ll probably not run quite as far as I did last year, I plan to stay in the central part of the state and maybe some in the northeast. (Don’t worry, next year the price of gas will probably be back down around $1.99 a gallon and I’ll be willing to burn it with reckless abandon!) (Also, Don’t forget, I’ve got a Black Belt in sarcasm…) In other news, I’ve heard from ARRL that I have run “unopposed” for another term as Ohio Section Manager (OSM), therefore I have been re- elected for the term October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2024. As I stepped in effective January 1, 2021, we were right in the middle of the COVID Pandemic – unusual times to be sure. Shortly after that, in June of 2021, the unexpected death of my business partner of 40+ years really added some stress to my life. Covid is now in the rear view mirror and my business life is returning to a more “normal” situation. I’m looking forward to serving as OSM with quite a bit less stress and more attention to detail. Through this past year and a half, I’ve had an entirely different view of Amateur Radio activity in OHIO and I’ve met some truly spectacular Hams from all over the state. This is really an exciting time in our hobby, and a critical time for all of us to bring Ham Radio back to the forefront as a leader in making people aware of and understanding of the technology that is all around us. I’ve told you before, and I’ll repeat it again here, I am fascinated by history, and the historical figures who have brought us to where we are today. I want to share two quotes with you that pretty much exemplify my attitude towards my job as Section Manager - Winston Churchill: “Sometimes doing your best is not good enough. Sometimes you must do what is required.” Thomas Edison: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” These quotes can be applied in almost any situation. If you are a Father, you could probably be a better father. If you are an employee, you could be a better employee. If your are an Amateur Radio Operator – you could be a better ham. No matter where in life you find yourself, attitude is everything! One of the really neat things about being a Ham in the OH Section – there are a lot of Hams that have this attitude in everything they do! So I’m excited. I’m excited about being involved with a bunch of really fantastic people and working with them to push our hobby forward. We have a lot of advantages here in the Ohio Section, first off, we’ve got the most Hams of any ARRL Section. (We’re number 5 as to the highest Ham population of the 50 states) We’ve probably got as many, or more Hamfests and Conventions on an annual basis as any other state, including Hamvention – one of the largest in the WORLD! I’ll have to do some checking, but I’ll bet we have more clubs in the Ohio Section than any other section, and again we’re probably pretty close to the top on a state by state basis too. So this is how I approach it. I want to know what you think. What can we do in the OH Section that will keep us head and shoulders above the rest? And, let me know what you are personally willing to do. Ham Radio is a TEAM sport – and we’re all on the same team! I hope to hear you on the air soon,