12 – UPCOMING EVENTS:
Run for the Money March 25, 2006:
It's that time again! ARES has done very well over the past several years, thanks to your efforts with the Run for the Money.  This year they plan to hold the event in downtown Gastonia. The date of the
event is March 25, 2006.  ARES will once again help provide communications for the race events. Hopefully we will be able to set up our new mobile communications unit for this event.  This will be a great opportunity to not only utilize the unit, but to show where the grant/donation funds have been used.  More information will be passed along as it become available.

Lincoln County
11.          COMMENTS: Saturday 10 December – Attended the DEC Area 12 Meeting/Christmas Dinner and 2006 Officer Elections. The following members were elected: Net Control Officer/President, Clifford H. Brommer, WD4PIC, Alternate Net Control Officer/Vice, Michael Vance, KI4LLFand Administrative Officer, Sheila Carpenter, KI4CJK.    

Mecklenburg County
  10 – Comments:
The Metrolina 2M Emergency Net has been held on the 146.94 repeater at 9:00 PM local, since before the 28 years that I can remember.  There have been cycles of high and low participation, I’m pleased that participation has started to cycle up again this year. Many thanks to some of our “younger” Net Control Stations, who given encouragement to do their own thing during the informal part the net, are the reason for better participation.  Tune in - bring an interesting idea with you.  

Stanly County

Union County
 AEC Bass (KB5WY) and EC attended a meeting of the Emergency Planning Committee on December 1^st.  AEC Eubanks (W4MLE) and EC attended the Area 12 EC Meeting in Locust.  AEC Bass (KB5WY) and the EC attended the meeting of the Local Emergency Planning Committee on December 14^th.  The EC attended a Round Table discussion on the Avian Flu hosted by the Office of Emergency Management of Union County.
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Quarterly Meeting   - When: December 10th   
Start Time: 9am  Ending Time: 12:30pm
Where: Crutchfield Center
Stanly Community College
Crutchfield Education Center
102 Stanly Parkway
Locust, NC  
 

Vincent, let me congratulate you on your superb presentation that you conducted Saturday at our Area-12 meeting.  My feed back from those that attended were very positive.  They were really impressed with your presentation as well as your knowledge of proper grounding techniques.  Vincent again thanks for being there and thanks for the information and knowledge that you provided to our group. 

Each E.C. has a copy of Carl’s Teaching Text presentation.  If any of your ARES members at your next ARES meeting would like a copy of Carl’s presentation use the copy that Carl provided you to make copies from as needed.  If any of the ARES members that attend Saturday meeting want a copy just E-mail me with your name and address and I will be glad to send you a copy of the presentation.  A special thanks to Carl (W4EAT) for the NTS presentation and for providing the literature on the Teaching Text that he presented on the How To’s of sending NTS traffic.

Short Notes of the Area-12 meeting.

• Congratulation to Milton (KC4YOT) for accepting the position of Assistant D.E.C
   
• A special thanks to Carl (W4EAT) for the NTS presentation and for providing the literature on the Teaching Text that he presented on the How To’s of sending NTS traffic.
   
• All counties have been busy with Christmas related items from Walk-A-thones, parades and message handling.
   
• NEED ONE HUNDRED COTS ASAP - It appeared that we really got into passing this message and we learned a lot on NTS traffic.  This simple message was harder to pass then most of us expected
   
• Also thanks to Bob (K4RLD) for making me aware of Vincent presentation.
   
• All 6 county’s in Area-12 present at the meeting.
   
• A total of 22 ARES members attended meeting.
   
• Milton's (KC4YOT) first assignment - HF- Net

          We need to continue with determining what is needed to establish a H.F. Net for AREA-12.  Miltons
           will work with the counties to determine the Frequency, possible date and time for the nets.
           Milton and Med (K4HTJ) have started on the project.  We need to drive to completion or to determine   
           if the H.F. net is feasible to do for Area-12.

• Starting January 2006 each County has agreed to send 1 NTS message per month.
   
• The quarterly meetings for 2006 have not be determined as ti the Date and Time.  We do plan on meeting in the following County’s, Mecklenburg, Lincoln,  Cabarrus and Gaston.

 Last but not least, thanks to the Stanly County ARES team for sponsoring the meeting at the Crutchfield Center in Locust.

 Those that Attended Were:
AE4AH            Don                  Stanly
AG4ZF            Tom                 Stanly
K3ON             John                 Stanly
K4HTJ             Med                 Stanly
K4PJW            Paul                  Gaston (Web Master)  
K4RLD            Bob                  Union
K4VET            Bill                   Stanly
KA2CIS          Bob                  Cabarrus
KA4ATT         Sam                 Cabarrus
KC4TDC         Bill                   Stanly
KC4YOT        Milton              Gaston
KD4IMC         Gene                Gaston
KD4OZI          Paul                  DEC
KF4LVC         Vincent             Mecklenburg
KG4RVP         Keith                Gaston
KI4FAU          Scott                Gaston
KI4JDA           William            Stanly
N4HWH          Wayne             Cabarrus
W4LN             Richard            Cabarrus
W4EAT           Carl                  Stanly
W4MLE          Micah               Union
WD4PIC         Cliff                  Lincoln

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 Copy of opening statement at our Quarterly meeting Saturday, December 10^th at the Crutchfield Center in Locust, North Carolina.

 As always my intent is to make Area-12 the best in the State.  I hope to be the D.E.C. for several more years but to help improve Area-12, I have decided to appoint an assistant D.E.C..  This is not an appointed (ARRL) position.  The pay will be the same as mine.

 So please welcome Milton (KC4YOT) as my assistant. Milton, can be called the Assistant D.E.C. or maybe the How To Man.

  My intent for Milton is to assist me with my DEC position.  It will get another mind involved, fresh blood, new ideas,  as well as a back up for me when I'm out of town.  Milton, has generated a lot of new ideas and is willing to share them with our team.  It will probably take some time for Milton to get his feet on the ground but he is probably up and running as I speak.

  I would like for any county that has special problems that they feel they may require some help with solving, or just to check the temperature of the problem.  Don't be afraid to contact the How To Man, don't be afraid of asking Milton for assistance.  I know of a few County's that needs help from the How To Man. My first thought was all the EOC documents that are not in place (Stanly County) when its time to implement the plan, Milton has a lot of good ideas that he has tried in the past.  and may save you some head aches.  Please note that Milton’s job is not to fix problems but to offer guidance to you (E.C.’s) or the A.E.C.’s..  If his suggestion is a good idea use any or parts that he may suggested, if not , so be it..  You will at least have more ideas of How To take or fix the problem.

 Don’t get confused I’m your D.E.C. if you have problems that you would like the D.E.C. involved with see me first..