MEMORANDUM FOR: Anchorage AMS Members and Affiliates

FROM:   Kristine Nelson, Anchorage Chapter President.

SUBJECT: Minutes, Anchorage AMS Chapter Meeting,
                    Jan. 11, 2008  

Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order by Kristine Nelson, President, at 11:35am. The meeting was held at the Aviation Technology Center at Merrill Field in Anchorage.

Treasurer’s Report: AMS ANC Chapter funds are currently at $2,342.50. This amount includes $450.00 for the local scholarship.

Old/New Business:   

Scholarships
Local
  We have a winner! Congratulations to Elsa Dieckgraff, a Dimond High School student and summer hire at the Anchorage Weather Forecast Office for three of her high school years. Elsa is multi-talented.  Besides working at the Anchorage WFO, she is fluent in German and Japanese, and plays oboe in her high school band and pit orchestra.  She has also performed with the Anchorage Youth Symphony.  She won the AMS Anchorage Chapter $450 local scholarship.

National
  Deadline is Feb. 8th, 2008 and must be postmarked by that date.  The deadline for the AMS HQ receipt of the Anchorage Chapter Scholarship recommendation is likely 3-7-08.
The Minority/Industry Scholarship is not out at this time. The Website is:
http://www.ametsoc.org/amsstudentinfo/schofeldocs/index.html#6

Science Fair
Alaska Science & Engineering Fair will be March 21-23, 2008.
Darrell volunteered to help judge on March 22nd.   Louise volunteered to help hand out awards on the 23rd.

Guest Speaker: 
  Kathleen O’Keefe, President - Anchorage Amateur Radio Club
 
  Kathleen O’Keefe is a lifelong Alaskan, growing up in the Anchorage bowl.
Both she and her husband are licensed amateur radio operators.  This interest in radio, since its early citizen’s band days, has involved working with many different civil groups.  They have worked with Suicide Prevention Crisis Centers locally, and helped to broadcast sporting events such as cross-country and sled dog races.
They currently monitor frequency 147.27 and 147.30.
   AARC was founded as a club in 1947, receiving a certificate as the Anchorage Amateur Radio League. There were others too, the Polar Amateur Radio League and the Military Affiliated Radio System.
   Back in those days, women weren’t allowed to participate….but of course that has changed. And so has amateur radio through the decades.
   In 1960, prior to the big Earthquake in Alaska, AARC members met with public officials about disaster planning. And largely because of that cooperation, public agencies
Sought help from ham radio operators.  Crippled by the earthquake’s devastation, local governments relied on those ham radio broadcasts to maintain contact with the Lower 48.
Again in 1985, after the failure of a large underwater communications cable, ham radio operators helped relay emergency traffic.
   The club takes on a number of adventuresome tasks such as helping support the Yukon Quest out of Fairbanks, the Iditarod in Nome, the Fur Rendezvous in Anchorage, the Red Cross and summer events such as the Walk for Hope.
  AARC is now an official part of the State of Alaska and Municipality of Anchorage Emergency plans.  But they need more people to get interested and earn their own licenses!  And the best part, no more having to learn complicated codes!
   As one earns the different levels of license, you are assigned different bands. Bands are assigned to operators by the Federal Communications Commission.  There are High Frequency, Very High Frequency, Ultra High Frequency and Military Amateur Radio System.
   Ham Radio is so sophisticated now that we can converse with astronauts manning the Space Station orbiting the Earth. This has been done already at the Challenger Learning Center in Soldotna by Mr. Hershberger.
   Kathleen invites us all to look into getting our licenses as amateur radio operators. 
In Alaska, Nome boasts of having the highest percentage of amateur radio licenses holders at around 70%.
  A big event to come is an Amateur Radio Convention to be held in Anchorage this year, celebrating their 50th year.  It will be held in the first week of August 2008.  And they expect some international participation.

Annual AMS Meeting
Jim Peronto is attending the 88th Annual Meeting in New Orleans and will bring the New Chapter Poster to the meeting.

Our next meeting will be February 7th, 11 am at the Anchorage Forecast Office.
   The speaker will be Heather Hasper on Disaster Training.

Adjournment:  
Motion to adjourn by Kristine Nelson, second by Mike Grueber.
The meeting was adjourned by President Kristine Nelson at 12:55 pm.