Greetings! November has finally arrived, and with it the General Election. And we all know how important this election is in so many ways. Please exercise your privilege as an American citizen and go cast your vote for the candidates of your choice.

The first Tuesday of November is also Election Day for the Decatur Amateur Radio Club. We will decide who will be the club officers for the coming year. Since it’s also the General Election day, and ballots are counted at the Morgan County Courthouse, it’s not really a good idea to try to meet there. So the location of the regular monthly meeting has been changed this time. Instead of using the courthouse basement, we will assemble at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 6:30 on Tuesday evening, November 5th. The church is located on the corner of Danville Road and Modaus Road in Decatur. The address is 2006 Modaus Rd SW, Decatur, AL 35601.

Please come early! And please do not show up at the courthouse. There will be a lot of people (including law enforcement) there, and you’ll have a lot of explaining to do while you enjoy the nice November night air in the parking lot or in other locations that are less comfortable.

The meeting will not be streamed on Microsoft Teams this month.

We will also be starting some planning for next year, including preliminary plans for the Winter Field Day in late January. Come out and give your constructive input and volunteer!

Please continue to spread the word to fellow hams or those who are wanting to take a test for a new or upgraded license that the Decatur club is still scheduling license testing every month on the first Saturday of each month. The testing sessions will be held in the Decatur Public Library on 6th Avenue NE (Highway 31) at 1:00. Please bring ID (especially your FRN, which is required on the license application) and your $15 fee. And, most importantly, PLEASE send an email to DecaturHamTest@w4atd.org so we can have the testing materials prepared and available for you. December 7th is our next scheduled testing date. PLEASE NOTE: WE ALWAYS NEED VOLUNTEER EXAMINERS TO HELP WITH THE TESTING PROGRAM! If you want to help in some way (Extra class license is normally required), please let us know! And if you send an email and do not get a timely response, please let the secretary know.

Remember to check out the roster of current club members, 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 us know.

And it’s not too early to pay your dues for 2025. It’s only $20.00 for the year (14 months if you pay now. What a deal!). If you have family members who would qualify for membership, they are only $5.00 each. See one of the officers at the meeting, or mail your dues to DARC, PO Box 9, Decatur, AL  35602-0009.

See you on Tuesday evening, November 5th, 2024, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Decatur at 6:30! Don’t be late!