October 11, 2012

A word or two from the Prez
Did you ever fire up your rig, start a QSO with another operator and, after exchanging signal reports and QTH, suddenly find your communications thoughts and ideas scattered all over the place? That's sort of where I am this month. There are several things I want to impart to the TALARC membership. There are a few new things and some not-so-new things. Each is important, and here they are.

Membership
The American Legion Amateur Radio Club, as of May 21, is enjoying a membership of 642 American Legion Family members, making it one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing amateur radio clubs. Soon, we will issue, via email, a short notice to all Departments of the Legion with the headline, "Calling all Legion Family ‘Hams’," with the request that it be placed in their newsletters. It directs amateur operators to the Club website and notes the new TALARC brochure that is available on the website, click on Club Updates.

Special Event Station
It was noted in earlier Prez columns that the March 15-17 Legion Birthday Special Event Station operations were a resounding success. And just to close this chapter in Club business, know that we realized just under 300 contacts through the 3 days. Two hundred and seventy of those logged have been issued the Special Event Certificate. If you're one of those who confirmed contact with K9TAL, but haven't gotten your certificate, it's not too late to get it. Write to us at The American Legion Amateur Radio Club, The American Legion, PO Box 1055, Indianapolis, Indiana 46206. Include a SASE that will accommodate the 8X11 certificate and we'll turn it right around to you.

TALARC Forum
The Forum, which you can reach through the Club website [click on Ham Radio Forum in the left column] can be of great benefit to those looking for ideas to establish a "ham" presence within their post. But that specific subject won't resonate without good ideas coming in from those members who have already traveled that road. The Forum is an electronic meeting place that is there for debate, discussion or just general "round-table" discourse, i.e., networking, on items of interest to our members. Let others know of your successes, what you're planning, and how things work in your group. It will be appreciated by those who are just starting to build their amateur operations.

Photos
What's happening with your group? What's your shack look like? What are you doing to promote amateur radio within the Legion, or to let the community know that you exist? If you can answer that in pictures, we would love to promote your activities on the Club website. Email photos to us at K9TAL@legion.org.

Next Nets/Special Event
We are now planning the next Nets - both IRLP and HF – for the second Saturday in June. That would be the 9th. Information on time and freqs will be forthcoming and we will notify the TALARC membership via email, along with a posting on the website.
Being who we are, The American Legion, we are looking toward Veterans Day 2012, Sunday, November 11th for the next Special Event Station operation. Mark your calendar. More information to come as we close on that date.

New Stuff
Following requests or inquiry from several members, National Emblem Sales now has created a TALARC polo shirt. It has been designed for your name and callsign on one side and the Legion emblem, along with the words "Amateur Radio Club," on the other. All embroidery is on the front of the shirt. http://emblem.legion.org/American-Legion-Radio-Club-Polo/productinfo/707...

The TALARC brochure, as briefly noted above, has been written to benefit the membership, to help them explain to others who we are, what we are about, and why. You can download the brochure from the website (http://www.legion.org/documents/pdf/amateur-radio-brochure-web.pdf) and print it at home or take it to your local copy center for reproducing in quantity. You can get a sample copy from National Headquarters just for the asking, through K9TAL@legion.org.

And finally, for this month anyway, there is a 2-to-3 minute video that was shot in the TALARC shack during the March Special Event. Take a couple of minutes and check it out. You can link to it at http://www.legion.org/legiontv?pid=latest&v=qPGOONaZ5AQ.

73,
Marty Justis, W9WMJ
TALARC President