“May Day” is the first day of the 5th month. In much older times it was a day for celebrating Spring. Some not-so-friendly countries celebrate it as a day of military might and conquest.

Historically a radio call for help is “mayday!”, which is probably derived from the French m’aidez (“help me”) or m’aider (a short form of venez m’aider, “come [and] help me”) and has been in use since 1920 [Thanks, Wikipedia!].

I’m not sure about conquest, and we certainly are not in distress, so maybe we can say something different: May Day, the arrival of a new month, means that it’s time for the monthly meeting of the Decatur Amateur Radio Club.

The Decatur Amateur Radio Club will hold its monthly meeting for May on Tuesday evening, May 3rd, at 7:30pm in the basement auditorium of the Morgan County Courthouse in Decatur. Please arrive early at the lower entrance off of Lee Street. The building remains locked, and someone has to stay by the door to admit visitors.

Our program time for the evening will be the beginnings of our planning for the upcoming Field Day on June 25th and 26th. You are planning to come help out with Field Day this year, aren’t you? Then come learn how you can get involved!

There have been requests in the last couple of years about changing the regular meeting time from 7:30 to something earlier. Such a change will require an amendment to the club by-laws, which explicitly state the meeting day and time. Please watch your e-mail for a message asking your opinion about modifying the meeting time. Suggestions are welcome. When the club leadership senses the direction the members wish to proceed, an amendment to the by-laws will be proposed and voted upon. And we’re certain that everyone will not agree on a time, but we hope to find an equitable solution for the club going forward.

Here’s a reminder: the FCC has implemented a $35.00 fee for new and renewed licenses and vanity call signs, beginning on April 19th. If you’re doing one of those 3 things, the extra cost is a requirement, payable directly to the FCC. Check the ARRL website for a more detailed explanation.

And one more time, please don’t forget about paying your membership dues for this year. Bring your $20.00 (and $5.00 each for additional family members) and pay the treasurer for the year. Dues are annual, beginning in January and expiring in December. If you’d rather do it the old-fashioned postal way, mail a check to DARC, PO Box 9, Decatur, AL  35602-0009. And you can pay for multiple years if you wish (sorry, no volume discounts!).

The continuing reminder:  the roster of current club members is now online at www.HamClubOnline.com. Set up your free account and if you have paid your dues (and the Secretary has updated the database) you should see that you’re associated with the DARC. If there’s an issue, let me know.

See you on Tuesday evening!