Friday March 13th Evening The evening before Saturdays Belton Ham Fest (Temple, Texas) I met with our West Gulf Division Director, John Robert Stratton We discussed how leadership within in the ARRL wanted to proceed through the next 30 days Of Social Distancing John (Our ARRL West Gulf Director) Stated that the Red Badges at Headquarters level met by telephone conference earlier that same day and have all decided they would abstain from attending any Club meetings or Ham Fest Over the next 30 days as of 14 March This is in an effort to Promote Social Distancing As your North Texas Section Manager I endorse this direction With hope that this will encourage social distancing and help our country heal ARRL leadership as a whole stands ready as always to the continued support Of members and their clubs As well as the conventions we all look forward to attending once again We will support our members through the use of virtual sessions via the internet, Email and other Social media tools Please follow the Social Distancing Guidelines given to us by our health professionals Many Radio clubs, large and small have decided that their next meeting will be held virtually either on their local repeater or via Teleconference / video internet Steve KG5VK -------------------------------------- ARRL North Texas Section Section Manager: Steven Lott Smith, KG5VK kg5vk@...

Mentor Fest 2020 Postponed...... Dear North Texas Amateur Radio Ops 2020 Mentor Fest Is Postponed In the interest of protecting our Members and the general public and in complying with the latest CDC recommendations, I have decided, after consultation with Bill Caldwell, AC5BC, Mentor Fest Chairman and NTX Leadership to postpone Mentor Fest until this Fall. “When” in the fall will depend on facility availability, conflicts with other currently scheduled events and the status of the COVID-19 virus. I want to address one more thing on my mind right now.....: Many of us in our hobby want to serve our community, and that is great. I have received numerous emails, texts, etc with ideas that on the surface have merit as to how we as Amateur Radio Operators may serve our communities. It is great that we are passionate about serving and helping, however what works in your area might not work where I live and vice versa. If you have an idea, discuss it with your club members first and build a plan around the idea. Then contact your County ARES Emergency Coordinator and allow them to discuss the topic with the DEC (District Emergency Coordinator) and our SEC (Section Emergency Coordinator). Based on the feedback you receive from Greg Evans, NTX SEC, you may consider asking your DEC and EC to speak with the County or City Emergency Manager regarding the implementation of the idea. We should not develop plans in a vacuum. We must look at the Pros and Cons of an idea and find out before implementation if City and County Officials feel the idea would benefit them and the public and whether the plan can be implemented. I am not opposed to hearing ideas, in fact, I love hearing from members. Please be prepared to show not only your idea but a plan of implementation so that we together can look for the pro's and con's and how to move forward in a concise manner. Keep in mind most of our members are in the Risk categories that are affected by CDC Social Distancing recommendations. Waving at someone today or simply greeting with a smile is preferred versus handshakes, hugs or even fist-bumping. Social Distancing and common sense must prevail for all of us to get through this. Also, more Facts being spread versus rumors will help everyone in our community. As Ham Radio OPS we are well equipped to stay in touch with friends while practicing social distancing. Many of us have never been part of a skype session with family or friends, but we might want to embrace those tools and tools that allow us to have virtual club meetings. Many of our Clubs have canceled their public meetings for the next 30 days or more and are using the local repeater or other tools to get together in a virtual way. The United States of America will get through this with the majority of us keeping calm, cool, collected and prepared. Charge your cell phone often, charge your Handie Talkies and consider checking into local and HF nets more often. Get on the air to show others we still have interest in areas outside of the Pandemic and above all please remember there are folks at home listening to us on their scanners. We want to be rational in our spoken thoughts on and off the air, promote calm and not scare the dickens out of those listening. Let's discuss the latest gadget you have been playing with and have some fun with our hobby that provides us so much outlet. Be safe and we will see each other on the other side of this. Call or email me any time! 73 Steve KG5VK Tele 318-470-9806 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL North Texas Section Section Manager: Steven Lott Smith, KG5VK kg5vk@... --------------------------------------------------------------------