The CVARC picnic at Conejo Community Park on Sunday August 15th was well attended and a lot of fun. We definitely want to do this again. Everyone seemed to enjoy the opportunity to relax and socialize. To keep the picnic simple, it was a pot luck affair with families bringing a main dish for themselves and a side dish or dessert to share with others. That worked out well. One thought for the next picnic is for CVARC to provide barbeque hamburgers and hot dogs. If you have any thoughts on this idea, let Rory Eikland, KG6HCU, know.

Hugh Bosma's "International Horse Shoes" game was a big hit. None of us knew what International Horse Shoes was all about prior to the picnic, but it was a lot of fun with the game in constant use. Greg Lane, K7SDW, organized the T-Hunt, hiding a small 2 meter transmitter under a bridge at the park. For many of us it was the first time that we had participated in a T-Hunt. The winner of the event was the person who found the transmitter in the shortest amount of time. The results of the T-Hunt are shown below:

• 1st Rob W6RH
• 2nd Steve AE6NX
• 3rd Ben AE6NY
• 4th Kevin KG6BCL
• 5th Roy KE6UMW
• 6th Alan K6PSP
• Slow Learners: The rest of us!

Pictures taken by Alan Masson, K6PSP, and myself at the CVARC Picnic are up on the CVARC web under the Pictures tab. I also found some 2002 Field Day pictures which I put up under the Field Day tab.

Neil Waybright, KG6QEL, pointed out that the "\" that was used on occasion would prevent people running Netscape, Mozilla, Firebird or Opera browsers from properly viewing the web site. Changing the "\" to a "/" throughout corrected this problem. I have know for a long time that there was a problem, particularly with MAC users, but didn't know the cause. Thank you so much Neil for identifying the problem.

Jeff Reinhardt and Rob Hanson will be speaking on Packet radio and APRS at our September 9th CVARC General Meeting. They will have working examples of several packet radio configurations, and can answer questions about configuration and software. Our CVARC club meeting will begin at 7:30 PM at the Elks Lodge on Conejo School Rd., with a social session from 7 to 7:30 PM. Hope to see you there.

CVARC held its regularly scheduled VE Session on Sunday, August 8. Seven people passed their Technician Exams and one upgraded to General. The results are show below:

I am heading back to Puerto Rico because my XYL says I have been a good boy ....... I will be arriving at KP4 land on September 11th (9/11) and I hope, barring weather conditions, to have the station on air by nightfall. I will be very active on PSK-31 and then SSB. I will try CW but it is not on the top of my list. I may try some SSTV on 20 meters to see how that works. I will be operational until September 26. Let hope no hurricane shows up during my stay.

73s de Jose N6VUY

CVARC hosts FCC License Examinations at 8:30 AM on the second Sunday of even numbered months at the Ventura East County Sheriff Station on Olsen Rd. (near the Reagan Library). CVARC conducts exams for all license classes . Exam candidates must bring a form of government issued photo I.D., the original AND a photocopy of any existing license or Certificate of Exam Element Completion, a Social Security (or government issued Taxpayer I.D.) number, and $12 ARRL VE Exam fee (cash is preferred). No advance reservation is necessary, walk-ins are welcome. Advance notice is needed for special circumstances, such as reading the exam to sight-impaired candidates. If you have any questions, contact CVARC VE Coordinator Jeff Reinhardt at 818-706-3853.

When you look at what we do in CVARC over the course of each year, it is really quite impressive. CVARC of course provides a place and an environment where local area radio operators can get together each month to socialize and to talk about the various aspects of our Amateur Radio hobby. But we do much more than that. To the community, CVARC is perceived as the focal point for amateur radio in the Thousand Oaks area. Rotary International, Conejo Valley Cyclists, DART, and various other local organizations call upon CVARC when they need radio communications support. Our CVARC Comm Van is looked upon by the Sheriff Department, the Office of Emergency Services, and ARES/RACES as a very valuable emergency communications asset for the county. Our outstanding education program helps over 40 people a year get their Technician Licenses and to upgrade to General and Extra class. One would have to travel a long way to find another amateur radio program that offers the quality of training that we provide. Coupled with our training program are the VE Amateur Radio License Exams that are sponsored by CVARC six times a year. The bottom line is that CVARC is really doing a great job in supporting our community and amateur radio.

We need new people to serve on the CVARC Board of Directors each year to keep up this good work. New people bring new ideas and different points of view that are critically needed to keep CVARC operating as an effective organization that supports our community and all of amateur radio.

The term of office for each board is one year. The CVARC By-Laws limit the President to two consecutive terms. So a new president must be elected in November since Rory has now served for two years. Other board members are also needed.

The process for electing a new board is pretty simple. Nominations for people to serve on the board will occur at the October CVARC general meeting. The nomination process is very informal. All board positions are open for nominees. So if you are interested in one of the board positions, you become nominated by simply volunteering to fill that position. The list of nominees will be published in the November Newsletter with election of the new board occurring at the November meeting.

Being a board member is not a difficult job. In fact we have a good time at our board meetings socializing and planning future club activities. Board meetings generally occur on the third Thursday of each month (the Thursday following each club meeting). However, the schedule for the board meetings is set by the board members and can be changed to whatever day is convent. There are no special requirements or experience needed to become a board member. If you are a new amateur radio operator, becoming a board member is not only fun, it provides one of the best ways to meet other hams and learn about the many aspects of our hobby. If you are an old timer, your wisdom and experienced on the board will be of tremendous help in guiding the CVARC activities. So I encourage each of you to seriously consider becoming a CVARC board member. If you know of someone who would like to become more involved in CVARC activities, encourage them to become a board member.

A summary of the board position duties is provided below. A complete description of each position is contained in the CVARC Club By-laws which are found under CVARC Information on the CVARC Web Page.

President

The president presides at meetings of the club and is the chairperson for the Board Of Directors.

Vice-President

The vice-president presides at meetings in the absence of the president and assumes the president's duties during the president's absence. The vice-president also serves as the chairperson of the Program Planning Committee.

Secretary

The secretary keeps records of meeting proceedings, maintains a roster of members, retains the official copies of the Articles of Incorporation and By-lays, and is responsible for archiving records and data.

Treasurer

The treasurer is responsible for the club's finances. These duties include paying approved bills, collecting club dues, maintaining club financial records, preparing simple budgets and financial reports, and handling club banking.

Publisher

The publisher is responsible for assembling, editing, and mailing monthly newsletters to club members and others having interest in our club activities.

Operations Director

The operations director is responsible for coordinating club radio operations including Field Day. The operations director is also responsible for the purchase, construction, installation, and maintenance of the club's radio and technical equipment.

Education Director

The education director is responsible for developing and offering training programs for both club and non-club members wishing to obtain amateur radio licenses or to upgrade their current licenses.

Public Relations Director

The public relations director is the club's liaison with the community and with other amateur radio organizations regarding club activities.

Technical Director

The technical director is responsible for club efforts in maintaining a high level of technical knowledge and skill within the club. The technical director is also a resource available to club members for technical issues involving the operation of their equipment, the selection of equipment, and other technical matters such as interference and QRM.

Social Director

The social director is responsible for planning, organizing, and conducting social activities for the club.

Member At Large

There are two members at large whose duties are to assist the board with the planning and implementation of club activities.

Ventura County Area 2 R.A.C.E.S. members are encouraged to check in every Tuesday night at 7:00 pm on the Area 2 Check-in Net. Specific ARES/RACES times and frequencies are as follows:

The Net Controller’s script for the Area 2 weekly RACES check-in net is on the CVARC website, in printable form. Every member is encouraged to periodically serve as net controller. RACES members should remember that their RACES card is issued for only two years. When your card is due to expire call Jackie at the Office of Emergency Services in Ventura for an appointment to renew your card. Call (805) 654-2551 or toll free from the east half of the county at (800) 660-5474. For packet, call coordinator Dan Dicke KE6NYT (805) 983-1401. To register for Red Cross Disaster Services Classes, call (805) 339-2234 ext 0 Ventura County ARES/RACES web site: http://home1.gte.net/res19999/

The Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL affiliated Special Service Club. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month, unless otherwise noted. Meeting location is at the Elks Lodge, 158 Conejo School Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA. Meetings start at 7:30 pm. with a pre-meeting social and technical assistance session, for those who are interested at 7:15 pm. Meetings are open to the public, and members are encouraged to bring their friends.