OK, the year is closing fast! Now is the time to do some HF work. The bands are good and winter conditions make staying inside and working the bands fun and warm.

We will accept nominations for all club officers this month, with elections to be held in January.

The Christmas party is on the 19th of December and that should be fun and good food as usual.

I hope you can come to club this month. We will have some good show-and-tell and a great program.

Hope to see you at the club meeting.

CUL, Jim, WA6OTP

We have a great guest speaker lined up for the next meeting! Someone who's been there and done that!

Also, we will be taking nominations for all club offices and the election will be held at the January meeting. This is your chance to serve. The more you get involved in SOARC, the more you will feel a part of our club.

Next month is our Christmas party. This year it will be on our regular meeting night--19 December. See more details elsewhere.

Don't forget that dues are due again as of 1 January.

Call someone who hasn't been to a meeting for a while and invite them to come along with you.

If you have anything to submit for publication in the Gnus, see the contact information below the masthead.

73, Mike, N7GEI

At the next SOARC meeting, Medford resident Van Sias, K7VS, will thrill us with his exploits while on a Dxpedition to Burma this past spring. Van will show us a video and some artifacts he collected.

Let one of our club officers know if you are interested in serving SOARC in some capacity during the next year. We will be presenting names and taking nominations from the floor for all offices at Tuesday's meeting.

73, Cy, W7MQL

Western Belles is a women's ham radio chat group that meets at 7:30 PM on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of every month on the 147.300 repeater. Please check in!

The ladies will be getting together for a luncheon at 11:30 AM on December 2nd at Marco's Pizza and Pasta (formerly Balboa's Pizza Deli) in the Village Square, 1330 NW 6^th St., Grants Pass. All female hams are invited to attend.

73, Wilma, W1LMA, and Anita, KC7MGH

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We had nine participants at the last SOARC/ARRL license test session and all nine were promoted to the next license level. In addition, we had one brave soul certify at 20 wpm during the SOARC CW code testing session. Congrats to one and all!

The next session will be the last Friday of November, the 24^th, at 6:30 PM, as always, at the Senior Center, 4th and C Sts. Be sure to bring copies of your CSCE, your current license, and a picture ID (driver's license). We have to send the copies in with your test results. The cost is still $6.65.

This is it for us for the year! Was that ever quick! The tally for us so far is over 75 tested this year.

73, Bill Tyner, WX7U

WANTED: 18.100 crystal for my rig. John Bell, K6KWZ, 472-9375.

FOR SALE: Icom 10C 738 HF Transceiver w/manual, MFJ Keyer II 401c, Bencher paddle keyer (black), TV 30 MHz 52 ohm low pass filter Drake 1000 Watt Max, 30 MHz. Al Maynard, KF6MH, 476-5089. e-mail: asueal@email.msn.com

The SOARC Christmas party will commence at 1800 on 19 December at the Redwood Grange on Redwood Avenue in Grants Pass. There will loads of food and fun for the entire family!

Santa Claus will be visiting again this year to help us with our gift exchange. Bring a gift, get a gift. Like someone else's better, just take it!

The meal will be potluck and there will be a signup sheet passed around at the meeting to indicate your attendance and what food item you would like to bring. Bring your own table service(s).

Anyone who has been to one of these will tell you it is a really great time to relax, eat, socialize, and get to know your fellow hams and their families.

If you can't attend the next meeting to sign up, call Ann Randall, KB7TGO, at 476-2456.

This year's Crop Walk to replenish area food banks was conducted on Sunday, 1 October. As usual, area hams provided communications support from start to finish.

Net control was John Brown, K7WHM. Leonard Coleman, KB7TSX, was coordinator with Brian Fritsen, KK7BF, acting as assistant coordinator. Photography was provided by Steve Grajeda, WB6YQP.

Out on the course was Ernie Sanford, KC7WEU, patrolling on a bicycle, and Orla Goff, KC7GLY, circuiting the walkers in a van. Walking the route were Ed Elmer, KA7DJC, and Jim McNutt, WA6OTP.

Operators manning checkpoints along the course were WB6LMA, KC7YKT, K7YQM, KB7NFY, KC7MGH, KB7TGO, KI7UK, W1LMA, KG6IA, KD7GBM, KD7KAV, WA6OWE, KC7IXX, KB7JLC, and KC7JJG.

Another great turnout for a very worthwhile cause.

Thanks to everyone who participated.

73, John, K7WHM

Fred Schotte, N7XNH, has been planting a grove of redwood trees at Lake Selmac to honor our military veterans. The last two trees will be planted at 1400 this Sunday, 19 November. All SOARC members are invited to attend this weekend. A public dedication of the site will be held on 7 December, Pearl Harbor Day, and Carl Wilson, local state representative, will officiate.

The Veterans' Memorial Redwood Grove is located on the far side of Lake Selmac. Go through the campground and just past the pavillion.

To make it possible for everyone to attend church on Sunday:

1. Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say "Sunday is my only day to sleep in."
2. They will have steel helmets for those who say "The roof will cave in if I ever come to church."
3. Blankets will be furnished for those who say it is too cold and fans for those who say it is too hot.
4. There will be hearing aids for those who say "The pastor speaks too softly", and cotton for those who say "He preaches too loudly."
5. Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present.
6. Some relatives will be in attendance for those who like to go visiting on Sunday.
7. There will be TV dinners for those who can't go to church and cook dinner too.
8. Golf clubs will be available for practice swings for those who like to golf on Sunday.