Hi Everyone,

If you would like to talk to each other on the internet while on line, you can go to the following web site.. Its called SKYPE, and it is FREE.

Heres is where you start.. Go to this web site and sign up.

http://www.skype.com

Then to start with add me. Darrell Sperry...   as others sign up, add them. This will be good when you are not on the radio and you are on the internet.

Skype will load in the background. This way you will see when your friends come online and they can see you come on as well.

Hope you like this and use it.

If you are a SKYPE member already.. Please add me.

Darrell Sperry

Preview  What makes a good EC? Perhaps heretical, but the official ARRL qualifications and job description do not go far enough in determining who will be an effective EC. Granted, all of the elements of the list are important, but more critical is the character of the individual and his or her true understanding of what motivates people and how they can be led by example and good people skills. With a grasp of what the EC's role is, and indeed what the ARES role is in supporting agencies like the EOC and Red Cross, it's the intangibles that make or break an EC, not the tangibles.

And, paramount to all of this is the single, most-important tenet: We serve the agencies. They do not serve us. That's why we call them "served agencies." We are there to be an asset to them, not a liability. We are there to make their jobs of providing professional emergency and disaster management to the public easier if we can. We are there to try to provide a seamless, almost transparent communications service. We do not force ourselves on them. Agency officials must know our limitations and capabilities, and we most know our own limitations and their expectations. The EC has a realistic self-appraisal.

We are not in the EOC to tell emergency managers how to do their jobs. Nor are we there to demand things like - and this is no joke - flashing emergency lights and sirens for the roofs of our vehicles. We are not there to demand that we be deployed as we see fit. We are not there to bring our internal disputes and petty one-upsmanship to them to deal with or sort out. A good EC understands this.

A good EC also is a uniter, not a divider. Inter-association rivalries are as old as Amateur Radio itself, are almost inevitable, and are part and parcel of human and organizational behavior. A good EC understands this as well, but is able to transcend superficial boundaries to enfranchise all radio amateurs in the county for ARES, regardless of affiliation. Because when it hits the fan, we are all in it together. A good EC gets everybody together first, before the fur flies.

A good EC is a careful listener, weighing all input, discussing it with the parties that will be affected by a decision, then making it and issuing an explanation for the reasons why it was made. Not everybody will agree with the decision, but they will know that it was based on care and deliberation, with all opinions considered.

A good EC is intelligent, well-educated, experienced and has a professional, friendly demeanor. The EC presents himself or herself in a professional manner; e.g., wearing a pair of khaki pants and ironed polo shirt. The EC should be physically fit. He or she is cool, calm and collected under fire, and never a hothead, whiner, argumentative, nor demanding. He or she leads by example, and consequently earns the respect of all parties. A good EC is not simply the one who has the most "toys" in town.

A good EC respects the chain of command from the DEC, to the SEC and finally to the SM. A good EC may respectfully disagree with his senior officials, but gets behind their decisions and meets their requests, once they are made. A good EC understands the need for tolerance, understanding and acceptance of other points of view.

There are more, but it seems to me that the above characteristics should be among the first to be considered as we search for a good candidate for the EC position, the most critical position in the entire ARRL Field Organization, in my opinion. The EC is where the rubber meets the road in the ARES program, and we need one that has a good deep tread. - K1CE

Left to Right

Darrell Sperry, GOLD -     Verna Finwick, SILVER  -     Harvey Finwick, SILVER  -  Bill Hicks, LIFETIME  -   and  Truett Frazier, SILVER

U.S. - Currently the United States is in the midst of one of the largest food recalls in American history. As Americans dig through their cabinets and refrigerators to remove potentially contaminated food associated with the recent peanut recall, FEMA would like to also remind citizens to open and check their Emergency Preparedness Kits to remove any potentially harmful items from these also.

Because peanut products are often recommended as staples in Emergency Preparedness Kits due to their long shell life and because they are a good source of protein, we encourage all kit owners to look at their kits to ensure food products are not on the peanut recall list. Please keep in mind that the peanut product recall extends beyond peanut-flavored products. The following are some examples of foods also included in the recall that may contain peanuts:

* Granola

* Snack bars

* Crackers

* Cereal

* Trail Mix

* Cookies

* Noodles

* Dog treats

A full list of recalled peanut products and what individuals should do with recalled items can be found on the Food and Drug Administrationʼs Web site, http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm .

In addition to checking for peanut-related items, please be sure to check for other items in your kit that may have expired, including medications, food and pet food, water, and other recalled items. The U.S. government provides information on unsafe, hazardous, or defective products ranging from consumer products, food, medicine, and cosmetics at www.recalls.gov .

Ensuring family and neighbors are prepared is an essential step in helping communities during and after an emergency. Families should have an Emergency Preparedness Kit in all locations that are frequented often, including homes, offices, schools, cars and day care facilities. These kits should hold a variety of essential items that are needed during a disaster, such as a flashlight, radio, cash, clothing, protective equipment, medicines, and of course food and water. For a complete list of Emergency Preparedness Kit recommended items, please visit

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/supplykit.shtm .

W4W : Sevier County Emergency Radio Service Christmas QSO Party
Start Dateecember 1, 2009
End Dateecember 15, 2009
Coordinator:W5YI-VEC
Record ID:5866
Requisitioned by:Sevier County Emergency Radio Service
Call Sign:KJ4HPM
Address:2005 Spence Mountain Loop
Sevierville, TN
37876
Email:n4jtqrms @ gmail.com
Phone:865-429-2422

I put this one together for everyone to enjoy if you wish to take part in it, this way you can design your QSL cards to show your Call and then under to show the W4W splent cal with a box to check it will show you the qsl cards  at the Feb 2009 meeting !! It will be publshed in QST and on the ARRL website specila events//