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CX2ACB > SAT 20.07.03 05:50l 80 Lines 4243 Bytes #999 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS-201.01
Read: GUEST
Subj: AMSAT-NA July President's Letter
Path: DB0ZKA<DB0GPP<DB0LX<DB0RBS<DB0SEL<DB0WTS<DB0IUZ<DB0GOS<ON0AR<ON0AR<
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Sent: 030720/0336Z @:CX2ACB.MVD.URY.SA #:791 [Montevideo] $:ANS-201.01
From: CX2ACB@CX2ACB.MVD.URY.SA
To : SAT@AMSAT
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 201.01 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. July 20, 2003
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-201.01
July and August are the traditional times for AMSAT-NA members to take
family vacations and I wish you all the very best for a safe vacation with
your families. This period is also the time when AMSAT holds it's
annual elections and I will (if you permit) pass a few comments on this
subject.
As I have said elsewhere in more detail, it is with great pleasure that we
have a record number of candidates running this time and as a result there
has been a great increase in the activity on AMSAT-BB as members
(and non-members) have been expressing their thoughts on what AMSAT-NA
should (or should not) do. One of the positive aspects of the AMSAT-BB
activity is the new Membership drive/competition, announced by the Corporate
Secretary (Martha). The winner will be presented with a tri-band Handheld
unit at the AMSAT Annual Meeting in Toronto, October 18 2003. We must thank
the anonymous donor who has offered to match the first 100 members
membership fees - wow! and thanks. Another positive aspect is the listing
of AMSAT-NA Tax returns on our web page. If you would like to look at them
then go to our web Page (www.amsat.org) click on "Information about AMSAT"
then scroll down to "Finances" click on the year of your choice.
Note: that at my last check the Tax return for 2002 has not yet been posted.
Some times things go well and sometimes they don't - we have all had bad
days, and poor Martha just had a bad one when she found out that the printer
had sent last years ballot write ups to the mailer who had sent them out to
you. Well the situation has been corrected, please destroy last year's
ballot and information - the one in Black ink and on white paper. -If that
is sent in it will not be counted. Use only the colorful new ballot and
write-ups that should be mailed later this week. The re-print and mailing
will be done at the expense of the printer. I don't think he will make that
mistake again.
On the BB in the last few days we have had an excessive amount of E-mails,
many of them have had the phrase "AMSAT should ........" and quite
rightly there are many things that AMSAT should do if AMSAT had the
resources to do them. These resources fall into two types, People and
Dollars. Yes we need people as much as we need the dollars, especially
people who are prepared to carry out administrative functions and Business
Development. Since I became President of AMSAT, I have asked many times for
Admin people and so far I have really only got one person. Please go to
volunteer@amsat.org and request a copy of our volunteer survey - and offer
your assistance, then you can have the satisfaction of putting your
thoughts into practice.
It is obvious to those of us on the BoD that many people who like to say
"AMSAT should ...." are people who have not read the BoD minutes, the
Journal, ANS, or these President's Monthly letters. As this mater that
they want AMSAT to do has usually been discussed at the BoD and rejected for
sound reason (often resources) or is currently assigned to an AMSAT officer.
Now it is also quite apparent that there are those who do read the AMSAT
communications, and are the people that I take seriously when they make
comments, you know who you are so I will not comment further. Meanwhile, I
would ask the "Candidates for Election" to make sure that the things that
they promise "If elected" are items which are not already underway or which
have been rejected by the BoD "for good reason" - see previous minutes in
the AMSAT Journal(s).
As you read this I will be preparing to attend the AMSAT-UK Colloquium
where I will present Rick Hambly's paper on ECHO and meet with the
Presidents of several other AMSATs to discuss international joint
assistance. I will be away until the start of August, and unable to
communicate on a regular basis, so once more may I wish you a happy and safe
vacation. During my absence Rick Hambly, Executive Vice-President will act
in my place.
73,
Robin Haighton VE3FRH
President AMSAT-NA
[ANS thanks Robin, VE3FRH, for the above information]
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