Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B) To : All From : Daryl Stout Date : Thu Oct 06 2022 19:44:52 FISTS CW CLUB PREPS FOR QSO PARTY STEPHEN/ANCHOR: October is also a big month for CW enthusiasts and one club in the UK has picked a date for a big but very informal get- together. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, explains. JEREMY: Members of the FISTS CW Club in the UK know that you don't need a reason to declare it's time for a QSO Party. So organisers have declared the 22nd of October as the date for the club's official autumn gathering. The FISTS website says [quote] "This is simply an opportunity to rekindle old friendships and make new ones." [endquote] This means that nonmembers and radio ops who send QRS are just as welcome as are FISTS regulars. The QSO party takes place on that date between 1900 and 2359 UTC. As the club points out on its website, this is an activity that won't help anyone score points or add another certificate to their ever-growing collection - but on the other hand, you might just make some new friends. The website offers a few more encouraging words by adding: [quote]: "Let's wheel out the homebrew, the military gear, the old stuff and the new and let's just chat to each other." [endquote] Details are available at fists dot co dot uk (fists.co.uk) This is Jeremy Boot, G4NJH. ** SKCC SEEKS DESIGNS FOR ANNIVERSARY QSL CARD STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Another group of CW enthusiasts has reached out to its members to showcase a talent that doesn't require a straight key, cootie or bug -- just perhaps some pen, ink and a little imagination. Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, has that report. KEVIN: The Straight Key Century Club is asking its members to call upon a skill that requires a good hand and a good eye instead of a good fist and a good ear. The club is preparing for activities marking the 17th anniversary of its founding -- and that means it needs a new and unique QSL card for a special event. Every year the SKCC designates January as Straight Key Month and starting on the 2nd of January, operators get on the air using the special event call sign K3Y. Members have until the 14th of December to submit their designs and then the club gets to vote on the submissions, which are displayed on the event webpage. The design with the most votes becomes the design of the official K3Y QSL card and many of the others become part of the SKCC print calendar for 2023. No, it's not too early to start thinking about 2023 or this special event. If you're a club member who likes to design QSL cards - or if you want to try - this is your chance. Designers are permitted to submit their cards from previous competitions in the hopes of making it to the top this year. For details, see the link the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [PRINT ONLY: https://skccgroup.com/k3y/k3y-qsl-vote.php ] This is Kevin Trotman, N5PRE. (SKCC) ** 1st WOMAN TO LEAD ITU IS AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR STEPHEN/ANCHOR: Members of the ITU have chosen their next leader and she's not just the first woman - she's a ham. Dave Parks, WB8ODF, has details. DAVE: The International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations agency that coordinates telecommunications operations globally, has elected an amateur radio operator from the US as its new secretary- general. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, KD2JTX, will be the first woman to hold that office when she succeeds Houlin Zhao on January 1st. Her campaign page on the US Department of State website lists her deep involvement with the ITU, most recently as director of the ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. The website listed her accomplishments in bringing about upgrades that better embrace digital advances, and that her work in the role supported global efforts to promote school connectivity and greater involvement of youth. Under her leadership, the ITU focused on giving youth more of a voice in strategy and programs. She posted on her Twitter account on September 19th: [quote] "Immensely proud to be the first woman ever elected to the post of ITU Secretary- General. We've finally smashed a 157-y.o. glass ceiling! -- and I hope this result inspires women and girls everywhere to dream big and make those dreams a reality!" Her rival for the post was Rashid Ismailov of Russia, who lost in a vote of 139 votes to 25. This is Dave Parks, WB8ODF. (US DEPT OF STATE, BBC NEWS) ** DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR CLUB GRANT PROGRAM STEPHEN/ANCHOR: This is a reminder that there is a little less than one month left for interested clubs to apply to the ARRL Foundation Club Grant Program. Deadline for applications is November 4th. The program is run with the help of a grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications and allows clubs to expand such programs as those focused on education and training, especially new radio amateurs. A total of $500,000 is available to clubs and as much as $25,000 can be provided to any one club for a worthy project. Ham clubs requiring more than that amount are being asked to apply directly to the ARDC. Additional details about the ARRL program can be found at the link in the text version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org [PRINT ONLY: arrl.org/club-grant-program ] (ARRL) --- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (954:895/7) .