Keith passed away on Oct 13, 2008 at the age of 92, after a brief illness. Keith was a life long resident of Battle Creek where he graduated from high school. He worked for the Post Office for 41 years in various roles and after his retirement he maintained his relations with other postal employees by serving as an officer in the retired post office employees organization. He could be found nearly daily at the Continental Bakery having a cup of coffee with friends. Keith was a gentleman in the truest sense and will be missed.

    We're coming to the end of another year and can tell of success in some things and failure in others. Since the year is ending, leadership for SMARS is needed for the coming year and hopefully people will step forward to take on the responsibilities.

    A big responsibility is the recruiting of members both new and old. What happened to those who disappeared? Do we get them back and active? As we look around at various other groups, they all seem to have similar problems. Some
join and disappear, some join and sit on their hands, some get offended by trivialities and some just bellyache.  And of course there are the many activities that we all get involved in that take important time away from the things that we'd like to do. Conundrums!

    For those who want to help in times of trouble, this month "FEEDBACK" discusses where study materials can be found that will prepare the volunteer for useful participation during times of need.  As was noted during the Gulf
hurricanes, there were plenty of volunteers. Many were not useful for lack of training and knowledge. These study courses are one way to be useful when needed.

Renee has arranged with The Old Country Buffet for reserved space on the main floor for 40 people at our annual Christmas party.
Plan on starting the dinner at about 6:00 on December 13. There will be a table for the exchange of gifts as in the past.  Ladies to bring a gift for ladies and men to bring gifts for men. Suggested amounts to be under ten dollars or so.
Let Rene know if you are coming and how many in your group in case she needs to reserve additional room.

It's never a bad time to check your homeowner's or renter's insurance for coverage of "auxiliary" or "external" structures as it applies to ham radio towers and antennas. After the storm is a bad time to find out that there is an exclusion for such things.
Automobile insurance may have restrictions on mobile antennas and radio's, too. With policies being frequently updated, it's not a bad idea to check your coverage. The ARRL administers an "all risk" ham equipment insurance program for just these reasons.

It's that time of year again. The membership dues for SMARS run from January 1 to December 31. For a measly $10 you get to support three repeaters and a chance to participate in the activities of one of the oldest clubs in Michigan. It can chase its history back into the thirties while changing its name and call sign.

If you have other family members that live with you and are or want to become hams, they can join for an additional $1 per member.

Now that's a bargain!