AARC History 1984

Installation Dinner
The Installation Dinner for the Club's 1984 officers was held on January 5th at the Parole Holiday Inn in Annapolis for Pres: Gary Vest/NW5E, Vice-Pres:Ed Helvey/WA2FMT, Sec: Frank Geraci/WB1FXX, Treas; Andy Smith/WB3GSW and Directors: Abe Parys/N3CZX, Joe Evans/K3KJZ and Budd George/KA3EPZ. In appreciation for the help of AARC members during his first term as President, Gary presented 101 special certificates to those members who participated in at least one Club activity during 1983.

Training and the Ham Arundel News
As a result of popular demand a Novice Class was started late in January with Jerry Herman/N3BDW and Keith Miller/AE3D acting as coordinators.  The Club received ten new members from the graduates of this course.  After a careful check by Bob Webb/N3CSX the Club acquired a lithograph offset printing press for $500 and began to print the Club newsletters, rosters, repeater guides, etc. It didn't take long to recover the cost of the machine. Bob provided a most important service by running and maintaining the press.  In April of '84 Holly/N3BMB and Di Helfrich/KA3GWI took over as co-editors of the Ham Arundel News. The June, July, August and September issues were suspended, since Di spent each summer in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

Management Turnover
In May AARC lost both its president and vicepresident. Gary's company transferred him to Texas and Ed decided to combine his Edgewater office with the production end of his business in Front Royal, VA and to move there.  Jay Davis/W3HGV resigned as Chairman of the Weather Net. He retired and departed to spend an extended time at sea. Ron Nord/N3AKP was elected to serve as interim president and Al Jeweler/N3BIN was selected as vicepresident. Glenn Zimmerman/kKA3ESE took over the weather net. On May 31st about 80 persons gathered to bid farewell to the three departing officials and to Gordon Groves/KK3O who was transferred to Florida by his company.

Bill Cooke/K3CN Returns
Midyear '84 Bill Cooke/K3CN was welcomed back to Club meetings after a long period during which he had three operations.  The third time was a charm, as they say.  He recuperated nicely, except that his physical activity is limited.

Slow Net Turns One
On March 30th the Maryland Slow Net celebrated its first anniversary. It had grown beyond Bill's/NC3Z wildest dreams. Bill received an official ARRL appointment as net manager.  Due to the net's growth, Bill picked up two capable assistants: Harry/N3DE and Buck/KC3Y.  An Advanced Class in traffic handling was added.  Several grads of these two courses became traffic net managers in various parts of the country.

Computer User's Group formed & other events
A meeting was held in April which led to the formation by young Mark Jeweler/KA3GFE (now N3KHQ) of a computer-users group in the Club. As for public service: In January Henry (Shad) Shadid/N3CPW coordinated communications for the Ratification Parade in Annapolis to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Ratification of the Treaty of Paris. Then came the Roedown races in April, the March-of-Dimes Walk-a-Thon and the Ride-a-Bike for the Retarded in May, the annual Annapolis 10-mile Run in August, the Bluegrass Festival in September and Chesapeake Appreciation Days in October.  Under the energetic leadership of Field Day Coordinator Ed Helvey/WA2FMT, AARC came in first in the nation in 5-A Battery. A record number of participants resulted in about 2700 contacts and over 18,000 points. 

Annapolis Maritime Net
The Annapolis Maritime Net, composed of Joe Evans/K3KJZ, Bill Cooke/K3CN and Gordon Kellenberger/WB3CLG, was kept busy doing "their thing" all summer. They maintained daily radio contact with one of the single-handed sailors in the Plymouth, England to Newport, RI race.  They followed Jay Davis/W3HGV as he sailed up the east coast and back and kept in touch with Bob Miller/W3AZV as he motored to Western Canada and back with an Air Stream caravan. Larry Savadkin/KO3W with K3CN acting as backup, kept in contact with a couple who crossed the Pacific in a rowboat.

Another Repeater in North County
In the Fall of '84, John Williams/K8JW and Harry Suit/N3DE obtained permission from the county to install a second AARC repeater atop the Arundel North Bldg in Glen Burnie on 145.450. After it was installed, Bob DeMattia/AK1J upgraded the repeater by adding a controller and a 220-link.