Club members -
It's hot outside and I kind of took a trip down memory lane via the internet..
I think I need to share this with everyone so that can know what ham clubs and hamfests are like elsewhere. Some people think I'm a blowhard. But I found an old club I belonged to for 7-8 years while living on top of the Blue Ridge -near the Shenandoah River. John Denver sings of it, and both only run 14 miles in West Virginia. I lived there.?
Berryville was the closes town to where I lived. And some pictures and stories found at this web site for the Berryville Hamfest - August 5th are special. My Son and Wife (both N8NCC)? are buried maybe 10 miles from there but in West Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley still.?
The history of the hamfest going back 72 years is amazing.My Friend N4MM- John, an IBM Field Engineer. Was there all along. Many nights and many QSO's John and I had, Along with Charley K2HPT (SK) an IBM Field engineer in Syracuse NY..another Ham's Ham and his family sports maybe 15 licenses.?
What I'd like to share with you is the web site and should you surf to it, please read the history of the hamfest, under "About the Berryville Hamfest".
There you'll read that at the Hamfest,? they had entertainment. A local gal called "PATSEY KLINE" who entertained the hams and was paid $25.. She was discovered just up the road from Berriville, just after you cross the line into West Virginia at the RAINBOW CAFE.. Still in business and I've eaten there many times.?
The SVARC - Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club has it's own "club house" a ham willed his home to the club to use as a club house in the city of Winchester Virginia, where George Washington was a surveyor and 2 civil war battles were fought. . Other Amateur Radio Clubs such as Findlay (OHIO) ARC was willed a chicken farm next to I-75 where they have 2 billboards and the rent from the bill boards pays the club the taxes to keep the x-chicken farm operating all year.They have a plus 100 foot tower for their repeaters. Findlay Hamfest draws about 3-4000 hams every year too..
If gas was back at $2.00 a gallon, I take a trip next weekend and go back to "Almost Heaven"? and the Barryville Hamfest.
The point is and I can only conclude it's the water in Kansas, that all clubs in Kansas do not even compare to clubs that are operating elsewhere. Why is that?? It's so important to see the VFW group thrive and flourish.
What can it take to get clubs in the area to create history such as these clubs have. I haven't even mentioned USECA in Detroit or Port City Amateur Radio Club in New Hampshire, or the Yankee Clipper DX association in New England- or RARA- Rochester Area Radio Associates in New York..?
So enjoy enjoying the Barryville hamfest via the internet and some real dedicated amateur radio operators on their 72nd? hamfest year.
Larry W8LM
Larry Macionski