Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 09:23:38 -0500
From: K4RO Kirk Pickering 
To: tcg@k4ro.net
Subject: [TCG] TCG Meeting Minutes August 23, 2003

A TCG meeting was held Saturday August 23, 2003
at the K4RO QTH.  The following radio operators
were present at the meeting:

KG4PKQ  Terri
WB9BSH  Jerry
W9WI    Doug
K0EJ    Mark
Wo4o    Ric  (Welcome back OM!)
WB4QDA	John
K4RO    Kirk

Topics discussed:

- The TCG has done well in recent Club and Team competitions
  over the last year.  Recently, we have posted two winning
  scores in the NAQP Team competitions, as well as a second
  place standing in the ARRL DX Contest Club competition.
  We have also apparently placed ninth in the CQWW DX Contest
  Club competition.  Note that the CQWW does not distinguish
  between club sizes.  Bottom line is that we are doing quite
  well in both domestic and DX contests.  The most important
  thing to remember is to have fun and SUBMIT YOUR SCORE with
  TCG listed as the club.  Every score adds up to the total!

- Operating tales from the recent NAQP and WAE contests were
  told.  Terrible conditions in the CW NAQP, and a little
  better for Phone NAQP.  K0EJ recounted his experience of
  operating the WAE from W1ZM, along with a brief history
  of contest operations from W1ZM in the past. K1ZM was a
  regular contest winner from that fine station, including
  many victories in the WAE and other DX contests.

- The Tennessee QSO Party is scheduled for Sunday September 14.
  The TQP Chairman W9WI would like to encourage more VHF activity.
  Doug is looking for suggestions which might help to increase
  TQP acitivity on 6 meters and up.  The Dickson ARC has asked
  to use K4TCG this year, and will activate the special bonus
  call on as many bands and modes as possible.

- Next week (September 6) is the CW Sprint.  W4AN is assembling
  teams from contest clubs all over the southeast.  If you would
  like to join a team, send an email to w4an@contesting.com.

- October 4th is the California QSO Party.  Last year, the TCG
  won the first-ever club competition in the event.  Let's work
  as many W6's as possible and see if we can't take home another
  CQP plaque.  We are in a good location to work California.
  Let's take advantage of it!

- ARRL sent the TCG a copy of the book "YASME" which is a
  collection of stories of the adventures of Danny Weil and
  the Colvin's, W6QL and W6KG.  Lloyd, Iris and Danny were
  responsible for many DXpeditions over the years, and gave
  many new countries to the deserving DXer.  We've chosen to
  share the book among the membership.  K4RO is reading it now,
  and will pass it along to the next interested reader.  I think
  K0EJ might be next in line.

- Membership requirements and record-keeping were discussed.
  The group agreed that some sweeping changes to the constitution
  are warranted at this time in an effort to reduce the paperwork
  and record-keeping overhead for the Group.  It was agreed that
  more stringent membership requirements do not increase an operator's
  participation or enjoyment.  Members feel that the club would benefit
  from simpler membership requirements and less record-keeping.
  Plans are to have a new constitution in place by the end of 2003.
  We are considering a membership requirement of one contest per
  year (any contest) and dropping the meeting requirement entirely.
  Meetings will still be encouraged and held, but will no longer
  be a reuqirement.  The one contest minimum is to ensure that all
  members will have an opportunity to be "in the chair" at least once
  in a calendar year.  Our hope is that the op will want to operate
  even more, having had a reminder of how much fun it is.  We hope to
  have a new constitution drafted by the next meeting.  If no quorum
  is present at the Septmeber meeting (very likely) then a telegraphic
  (email) vote will take place, per our current constitution.  We may
  also include lanugage making it more difficult for a small special-
  interest group to stage a "hostile takeover."  Namely, this would
  be accomplished by increasing the percentage of votes necessary to
  change the constitution in the future.  We would like to do what
  we can to ensure that the TCG is a viable club in the future, and
  that the membership has a clear handle on its destiny.  To borrow
  a phrase from K0EJ -- Meet Locally, Compete Globally.

- After the regular meeting, WB4QDA invited a group
  across the street to visit his shack.  John has a
  new state-of-the-art setup including a Ten Tec Orion
  transceiver and a SteppIR 3-L yagi.  Thanks to John
  for showing us his station, and to his XYL Alania for
  the cookies she baked for the meeting participants!

  Respectfully submitted,

  -Kirk  K4RO