IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ!!!

I am announcing a change to the monthly reporting requirement for the ARES appointees.  In a temporary agreement between the VA Section and ARRL HQ, we are beta testing a new quarterly-based reporting system for all EC’s, DEC’s, and ASEC’s plus yours truly.  The rationale I submitted to ARRL was that it takes too long each month to chase down the reports and consolidate the information. The information reported is used by ARRL in support of defending frequency spectrum, show how amateur radio operators support emergency communications, etc.  My feelings are whether the information is sent to them monthly or quarterly, they will get the information needed.  By going to a quarterly reporting system we will save a couple of hundred manhours during the year working on these reports in the VA Section alone.

ARRL will be looking closely at this test so it is imperative that ALL EC’s, DEC’s, and ASEC’s submit their reports in a timely basis.  This report is REQUIRED to be accomplished by each of these classes of appointees.  EC’s and DEC’s may delegate this tasking to a designated assistant, and I wholeheartedly recommend that each EC and DEC have a designated primary assistant for items such as this tasking, to complete the report, but each jurisdiction MUST submit a report each cycle as well as each district and each ASEC.

The next *REQUIRED* EC, DEC, and ASEC report with be in January 2010.  This report MUST contain the data for October, November, and December 2009.  EC’s may start submitting their quarterly report on 26 December through January 4^th. This is the required reporting schedule for January’s report cycle:

EC reports due to the DEC between the 26^th of December 2009 and not later than the 4^th of January 2010.

DEC reports due to the ASEC not later than the 8^th of January 2010.

ASEC reports due to the SEC not later than the 10^th of January 2010.

ASEC’s without district assignments are to required to submit a narrative report of their activities for the         month.

Section Traffic Manager and ASEC-EMNETS – I attach your special format monthly reports to the SEC report and submit as received.  Thanks for the inputs.

SEC report due to the SM and ARRL HQ not later than the 13^th of January 2010 for the previous calendar quarter.

Leaders that are filling multiple positions are required to fill out a report for each position, starting with the lowest echelon position and working up.  The online report system is designed to build from low to high to calculate the data automatically.

I understand that the reporting is not a fun aspect of the hobby but it is a required tasking of all of the above-listed appointees.  I proposed this test with ARRL HQ to alleviate the bulk of the time it takes to do the reporting in the course of the year now I need your support to show them that it can work out.  I suggested to them that if this test is successful that it be taken nation-wide where we can save thousands of manhours annually across the nation by cutting back on these reporting requirements.  The test will only run for two three-month cycles so we need to give this our best shot.

Thank you for your support of EMCOMM in the Commonwealth!

73,

Joe Safranek
K4JJS
Section Emergency Coordinator
ARES/RACES of Virginia Deployment Officer
Virginia Section, American Radio Relay League
Email: k4jjs@arrl.net

On September 20, 2009, Virginia lost a wonderful man, a great amateur radio operator, and a good friend, Terry Hebert, KG4GLS, of  the Virginia Department of Emergency Management's Emergency Operations Center in Richmond. Terry was an asset to the amateur radio community in the Commonwealth and we shall miss him dearly.  The following photos and narrative were copied from a booket that was passed out at the memorial service held for him on Saturday, September 26, 2009.

Terry met and married Brenda Shelburne and started a family of his own in 1971, and was a truly wonderful father for his son Travis and daughter Kendall. He was involved in every activity his children took fancy to, from little league coach to Chief of the Indian Guides & Princesses to Troop Leader of Boy Scouts. He stayed active in the church and community, and never failed to put his children first and do everything he could to be active in their lives. During this time he also fulfilled one of his dreams when he became the proud captain of his own sailboat.

Love found Terry a second time when he married Julie Ritch in 1992. After working in the insurance industry for a number of years, Terry left the corporate maelstrom to found his own painting and restoration company, successful until he suffered an unexpected accident that forced him to withdraw from the venture. While recovering, he used this time to immerse himself in his interests: amateur radio and volunteering with the American Red Cross. Terry was able to incorporate his passion for communications, helping others, and emergency services by launching a new career at the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. He looked forward to retiring to their home in Lewes, Delaware, and to continue his adventures traveling the world with Julie.

Terry’s qualities as a father were only exceeded by his qualities as a grandfather. He touched the lives of Cody and Zach Bruington in a way that words cannot justify. He opened his heart and home to CiCi and Daniel Shirey. All of his grandchildren will always love their ‘Poppy’ and cherish his memory.

To anyone who knew Terry, they would know how quickly at ease they felt around him. He could strike up a conversation with anyone, in any country, and make a lasting friend in minutes. Whether it was friends, family, neighbors, or those in need, his generosity knew no bounds, and he was never happier than when he could help another person or when he got a laugh. He was a wonderful, nurturing, and loving husband, father, and grandfather, an unforgettable and unwavering friend, and an inspiration to those who were blessed to have known him."

A favorite verse of Terry's was added:

 - Robert Frost"

Terry was involved in many aspects of amateur radio from ARES and RACES activities to his support of the Amateur Radio Communications Auxiliary (ARCA) at the State EOC, to other such projects as working with the Virginia Section of the ARRL in crafting the Memorandum of Understanding between VDEM and VA ARRL and many other items. Those of us that had the pleasure of working with him will sadly miss him.

To the Hebert Family we say 'thank you' for sharing this man with us.

 Now that you have crossed the bar on your journey sailing through eternity we wish you "Fair Winds and Following Seas, Cap'n."

Congratulations to Bill Howell, WB4UYA, on his appointment as District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) for District 7, First Colony. Bill fills the void created when the previous DEC, Joe Imburgia, KI4LXT, was promoted to Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator (ASEC) for Districts 5, 7, 8, and 9.

Bill became interested in Amateur radio as a teenager, although his new-found hobby got off to a slow start. “There was no Elmer I could make contact with. As a matter of fact, I don’t think there were any hams in my small town of Lexington, Virginia,” says Bill of his early days of aspiring to become a ham. However, his interest somewhat influenced his choice of study at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) – Electrical Engineering. In 1969, Bill concluded that the time had come for a ham license. Starting at the Novice level, he soon obtained the Advanced ticket and finally the Extra. Somewhere along the way, he became inactive, but thanks to a life membership in the ARRL, his continued subscription to QST magazine kept him in touch with the hobby.

After retirement, Bill became active again. His major interests are teaching, construction, and emergency operations. The latter interest was somewhat forcibly encouraged by his two hurricane evacuations experiences. The first one ran Bill and his team out of the Outer Banks and resulted in a six hour crawl back to the Peninsula. The second, Floyd, chased them from Shallotte, NC to Charlotte, NC. That one was more serious as Bill could not leave until his mother-in-law completed dialysis in Shallotte. In both cases there were two cars and they lost contact with each other.

While Bill has been through several hurricanes providing shelter communications, his first major emergency support came with Hurricane Isabel. When Katrina struck two years later, he felt compelled to offer communications support. He served in Hancock County, Mississippi, where Katrina came ashore, and saw the complete devastation it caused.

“These experiences have impressed upon me the absolute necessity for disaster planning. This largely means training and preparation for loss of commercial power and communications, and was a prime factor in leading me to accept the DEC post,” says Bill. Assisting him in this mission is Ken Parker, KI4MKD, who was recently appointed Assistant District Emergency Coordinator (ADEC) for District 7.

Congratulations to Joe, Bill, and Ken on their new positions. They collectively bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to Virginia ARES/RACES leadership, and their service to the community is greatly appreciated.

From the ARRL website

The Hiram Percy Maxim Birthday celebration is back! This year, the ARRL is honoring the 140th anniversary of the birth of the League's first president and cofounder. Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, was born September 2, 1869 and died February 17, 1936, in a Colorado hospital of complications stemming from a throat infection; his widow died just nine days later.

The operating event is open to all amateurs, and the goal is straightforward: Find the stations adding /140 to their call signs, and contact as many as possible during the event period, September 2-9. Who is eligible to sign /140? ARRL members who hold ARRL appointments, ARRL elected volunteers (such as ARRL Directors and Section Managers), ARRL Life Members, ARRL Headquarters staff and VEs, AECs, QSL bureau workers and awards managers (who are ARRL members). The complete list of eligible positions can be found on page 20 of the September 2009 issue of QST. If you work at least 25 /140 stations, an attractive certificate can be yours! The certificate can be endorsed in increments of 25 QSOs, up to 100.

Time Period: 0000 UTC September 2 until 2400 UTC September 9.

Exchange: All stations signing /140 send RS(T), their appointment and their name; others send RS(T) and their name.

Eligibility: All amateur stations may participate. ARRL Life Members, and those persons holding ARRL appointments, elected positions or ARRL HQ staff, may add /140 to their call signs for the duration of the celebration. Volunteer Examiners, Assistant Emergency Coordinators, QSL Bureau workers, Registered Instructors and Awards Managers who are ARRL members are also invited to participate.

Miscellaneous: /140 stations may be contacted on any band or mode for credit. You can work a station once per band and mode. Repeater contacts are valid for credit, but please be considerate of the users during a repeater's busy periods. All /140 stations are encouraged to be as active as possible on local repeaters and nets. The certificate is available for making at least 25 contacts with /140 stations, with endorsement increments of 25, and a maximum endorsement of 100. To receive the award, send in a log extract with the date, time, band, call sign worked and exchange for each /140 contact. Include your name, call sign and address, and tell us how many /140 stations you worked. Mail everything to HPM/140 Celebration, c/o W1AW, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111-1494. You can also send in your entry on a disk or CD in regular text format. All entries must be accompanied by a check or money order for $5 (US) payable to ARRL. Please make sure your entry is postmarked by October 9, 2009.