Things are winding down for the summer as families prepare to send their youngsters back to school. Many of our annual events are over for another year, but we still have CROP Walk, JOTA, and the Christmas party coming up. We also need to remain prepared to assist in the event of a wildfire in our area.

It's great that our hobby is a year-round activity that can be enjoyed by all ages! Continue to spread the ham bug!

Come and see what we have for you at this month's meeting.

See you at club, Jim, WA6OTP

It certainly was much more comfortable this year attending the Beach Boys concert on the opening night of the Josephine County Fair! It was well over 100 degrees with smoky skies at this time last year and many of our numbers were involved with the Biscuit Fire. Let's hope we never see another summer like 2002.

The JARS/SOARC potluck and swap meet overall seemed to go well. I heard several attendees remark about the lack of meat, in particular the sausages they were expecting. I don't remember anyone saying there would be sausages, but there definitely was a lack of animal flesh. I think the best thing for the clubs to do next year would be to buy a couple of tubs of fried chicken at Safeway or Albertsons and solve that problem. I had mentioned a couple of times that there should have been a sign-up sheet for food dishes, but I was told that it would all work out. It didn't. Besides the lack of meat, there were mostly salads with few vegetable side dishes.

I also couldn't help but notice that a few people apparently didn't understand the concept of "potluck" as they failed to contribute anything to the meal, but had no problem eating what everyone else had brought. Next year, how about setting up the swap meet tables together in the back side of the shelter and leaving at least a few tables near the front to facilitate setting up the potluck. It was a mess trying to clear equipment from the tables while trying to set out food with a mass of people trying to get in line to eat before the potluck was set up. Anyway, it appeared that nearly everyone I saw enjoyed the event and I think they are looking forward to next year. I know I am.

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

73, Mike, N7GEI

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

The ladies get together regularly for lunch and all female hams are invited to attend.

Our next luncheon will be at 11:30 on September 6th at Hart's Café, 112 NE Morgan Lane, across the street from Denny's Restaurant, in Grants Pass.

SOARC-sponsored ARRL VE license exam dates for the remainder of 2003 will be September 26 and November 28.

The tests will be administered at 6:30 PM at the Senior Programs Center (our regular meeting place) at 4th and C Streets in Grants Pass.  VE's will be coming at 6:00, as per custom.  Enter the building from the rear parking lot. 

Don't forget--we will need a copy of your driver's license (need to see picture ID) and a copy of any CSCE's you may hold and want to use (make sure they have been awarded within the one-year time limit).

Walk-ins are welcome.

73, Bill Tyner, WX7U
VE Liaison

The next time you order checks, have only your initials (instead of first and middle names) and last name printed on them. If someone takes your check book, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or a fuller version of your name. Your bank will know how you sign your checks.

When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the memo line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all of the check processing channels won't have access to it.

Put your work phone number on your checks instead of your home phone. Use your post office box or work address instead of your home address.

Never have your social security number printed on your checks. You can always write it on the check, if absolutely necessary.

Place the contents of your wallet, everything except the money, on a photocopy machine and print both sides. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel.

If one or more of your credit cards are lost or stolen, immediately notify the credit card issuer(s) and file a police report in the jurisdiction where the loss or theft occurred. Also, call the three national credit reporting organizations to alert them of possible fraud involving your card(s). Their numbers are: Equifax 1-800-525-6285, Experian (formerly TRW) 1-888-397-3742, and Trans Union 1-800-680-7289. Doing this will cause your credit file to be flagged and anyone checking your account will be informed of the possibility of fraud and/or attempted identity theft. The Social Security Administra- tion also has a fraud line: 1-800-269-0271.

Carry a copy of your passport when you travel, either here or abroad. This helps to establish your identity, residence, and citizenship.

Words to the wise.

Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A sign on the receptionist's counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office. 

The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet. 

They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified. Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled." The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, "Wait a minute, I don't understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair!"

The employer said, "I'm sorry, but the last several minutes while you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours. None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his.