To all: Merry Christmas! Fantastic Festivus! Happy Hannukah! Kewl Yule! Wonderful Winter Solstice! Festive Kwanzaa! And if I missed your winter holiday, please forgive me and accept my heartfelt Season’s Greetings! Welcome to the December 2024 EMA Section Update! As for the past several updates, I’m publishing this to the EMA Section and NE Division websites and sending it to all clubs I have email addresses for. Please distribute this widely. The email-blast-to-all-section-members function is still down, a casualty of the cyber-attack on ARRL HQ; there is currently no ETA.
Well, that unseasonably warm weather in November came to an end, and we’re back to seasonably chilly temperatures. Fortunately (from my perspective), we’re just now getting a tiny bit of snow here on Cape Cod, though I know some of us had a wintry blast a few weeks ago. Ah well, it’s winter in New England, and we’re from hearty stock so we can take it. I hope! Let’s keep our fingers crossed for not too much snow and not too many winter storms. It’s SUCH a pain to fix downed wire antennas when there’s snow on the ground!
* Swampscott High School’s Permission for Fun Day!
On Wednesday Nov 27, Swampscott High School hosted special event station W1B for the school’s 2024 Permission for Fun Day. Each year on the day before Thanksgiving break, the school holds a “Permission for Fun” day where teachers and students share their hobbies and interests and take part in fun and creative activities together. Great fun was had by all. Full details at https://ema.arrl.org/2024/11/27/swampscott-high-school-special-event-station-w1b-permission-for-fun-day-november-27-2024/
* ARRL Sweepstakes Notes from the Field
Jack, W1WEF, kindly contributed his observations about ARRL SS this year. Jack writes:
“Hi Jon. I operated SS phone AND CW. SS was the first contest I ever entered, in 1952 my first year licensed. The only reason I know I was in it is that I ran across a QSL with a Feb 1953 postmark (and a 2-cent stamp) from W1NY saying thanks for the Sweepstakes contact! I always enjoyed SS because it takes me back to my NTS days in the 50’s, when I started out checking into WMN and working my way up to EAN NCS and TCC liaison. That was all CW and was where I learned to love CW.”
Thanks for the reflections, Jack!
* Recruiting Volunteer Webmaster(s) for the EMA Website
Phil, K9HI has done a fantastic job of maintaining the https://ema.arrl.,org website. I (still) need to recruit some backup resources. If you have basic skills with WordPress and can help maintain the website – mostly posting new articles at the suggestion of me and others – please contact me at n1ilz@arrl.org. You’ll be helping me – and the League – immensely!
* Recruiting a New Section Youth Coordinator
Sadly, our Section’s former Section Youth Coordinator, Paul K1YUB, is now a Silent Key. I need to fill this important position on the EMA Section Staff. The SYC requirement and job description is at https://www.arrl.org/section-youth-coordinator If you are interested in this volunteer position, please contact me at n1ilz@arrl.org – I’ll appreciate it greatly!
* N1ILZ for a Final
Stay safe and warm out there! I hope everyone has a great Winter Holiday. Batten down the hatches just in case we have a killer Winter and have fun getting ready for Winter Field Day!
Can you write a paragraph or two about your ham radio New Year’s resolutions for 2025? Or just a few words about what you’re up to, so I can publish it in the Section Update? Let me know via email at n1ilz@arrl.org!
* For always up-to-date news, please visit the EMA Section website at http://ema.arrl.org
This Section News Update is brought to you by Section Manager Jon N1ILZ.