PRESIDENT’S REPORT
July, 2019
CONVENTION 2019
The 209 Convention is now history. I believe every one that attended came away tired, but with great memories. On opening day, Wednesday, June 5, we toured the Ice Museum, shopped and had lunch at Soapy Smiths, then off to the Antique Auto Museum before going back to the hotel for a short rest. In the late afternoon, we were back on the van for a ride to the QTH of KL7FQQ, our hostess, for a Meet & Greet, complete with BBQ ribs, hot wings, and all the trimmings. This was followed by a rhubarb, Alaskan blueberry, crumble with vanilla ice cream
Day 2 started with a ride on the van to the Riverboat Discovery, where the members enjoyed a ride down the river to its mouth, a stop at a reconstructed native village, then back up the river for a lunch of Miner’s stew. On the van once more for a ride past the Alaska Pipeline to a Gold dredge, where the members learned to pan for gold, and were allowed to keep their winnings. Most were rather secretive about their sudden wealth.
Day 3 saw us back on the van for a short ride to the City of North Pole, where we visited the Santa Claus House, and saw Santa’s reindeer. Some sat on Santa’s lap! A quick trip down the highway to the Knotty Shop, where some indulged in delicious ice cream. Back to North Pole and the Pagoda for lunch, a delicious Oriental dinner. Back at the hotel, we held a workshop, and discussed several issues of importance to the System. Then it was back in the van for a ride to Pioneer Park, where we were entertained by the Big Stampede, a look at the initial gold rush to Dawson Creek and Alaska. Dinner was at the Alaska Salmon Bake, followed by an entertaining show at the Palace theater.
Day 4 started with our General Meeting, followed by a tasty lunch. The Board meeting was held in the afternoon, followed by the banquet. After enjoying a delicious meal, we all went back to the Hospitality Suite for our Awards program, followed by an auction to benefit the Scholarship Program. As usual, the auction was a lot of laughs with the auctioneer team of Larry and Bruce.
Day 5 was our farewell breakfast, where we said goodbye to our members, except for a few that left early or were catching a later flight. Only four brave intrepid souls made their way to the Bocce Ball field, and there learned the fine art of Bocce Ball. Jim, VA7JSF was the champ. It was hard to determine if it was skill or luck that saw him winning. Anyway, it was a fun time in the land of the Midnight Sun.
SECRETARY
At the 2019 Convention, we inadvertently neglected to nominate anyone for the position of Secretary. Our current Secretary, Bruce K9ICP has agreed to run again. If you would like to nominate anyone for the position of Secretary, send their name, call sign and e-mail address to kl7fqq@yaqhoo.com.
AWARDS
Certificates of Appreciation were awarded to: KB7TBT, James for his work with the Facebook Group; KE5AHE, Charles, for his work as Veteran’s Coordinator; K4ZGH, Bobbie, for her work as the Sunrise Coordinator, and to KG0YL, Nancy, for serving on the Board of Directors. The Silent Service Award was given to W7TOA, Art; The Cornerstone was given to NC4RP, BOB; The Rigel went to AB3TY, Larry; The Founder Award to W7AJP, Bill; TFO of the YEAR was given to W7AJP, Bill; and a special SUPER HERO Award was given to W7AJP, Bill.
ASSISTANT INFORMATION OFFICER
We are still looking for an assistant to help Bob, NC4RP with his position as Information Officer. If you are interested in assisting, please contact me at kl7fqq@yahoo.com.
WANT TO HOST A CONVENTION?
Our 2020 Convention is planned for Missouri, but the opportunity to host a Convention in your hometown in 2021 is available. If you are interested, drop me a note at kl7fqq@yahoo.com.
MONTHLY AWARDS
For July Independence Award 2019. Contact 25 member stations located in the 13 original colonies of the United States. The original 13 colonies were Delaware, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. . Good luck!
73’s Rose, KL7FQQ