THE
SPARK GAP
October 1997
President
Report:
GE to all: Hope everyone is enjoying the
cooler temperatures. Another Summer has passed us by, and Fall
with it's fresh air and colors has arrived.
A successful VE session on September 20th, brought us three new
hams to the area and one to upgrade from General to Extra. Now
that's a lot of study and dedication. Congratulations to everyone
that tested. TNX again to Mr. John (W5DEJ), Ronny (KD5DKW), Gene
(W5MBJ), and ole Howard (W5UTL) for their help with the exams.
There have been several hamfest with more coming up soon. Hope
everyone gets to go to one or two and spend a little money on some
new equipment. Isn't that what we all think and dream about?
73's KI5FW Dennis
Vice President
Report:
V.P. Conner had a busy month. It went by fast.
Hope all are well. I would like to pass on the Amateur's Creed to
you.
The Radio Amateur is:
Considerate...never knowingly uses the air in such a way to
lesson the pleasure of others.
Loyal...offers loyalty, encouragement and support to their
fellow radio amateurs, their local radio club, and to the American
Radio Relay League, through which Amateur Radio is
represented.
Progressive...with knowledge abreast of science. It is
well-built and efficient. Operating practice is above
reproach.
Friendly...slow and patient sending when requested,
friendly advice and counsel to the beginner, kindly assistance,
cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These
are marks of the amateur spirit.
Balanced...radio is their hobby. They never allow it to
interfere with any of the duties they owe to their home, job,
church, school, or community.
Patriotic...their knowledge and their station are always
ready for the service of his country and their community.
73's and 88's C.P. W5OQY
Who wrote the Amateur's Creed?
The Amateur Creed was composed in 1928 by Paul M. Segal, then 9EEA in Denver and General Counsel of the ARRL. The creed has been updated a few times over the intervening years, to update the text and put it into contemporary terms. The Amateur's Creed appears in a number of ARRL publications such as the Handbook, and is just as valid today as it has been for nearly 70 years.
Radio Communications Conflict?
This is a transcript of an actual radio
conversation between a US Naval ship and Canadian authorities off
the coast of Newfoundland in October 1995.
US SHIP: Please divert your course 0.5
degrees to the South to avoid a collision.
CANADIAN REPLY: Recommend you
divert YOUR course 15 degrees to
the South to avoid a collision.
US SHIP: This is the Captain of the US Navy Ship. I say again,
divert YOUR course.
CANADIAN REPLY: No, I say again,
divert YOUR course!
US SHIP: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT
CARRIER USS ENTERPRISE. WE ARE A LARGE WARSHIP OF THE US NAVY.
DIVERT YOUR COURSE NOW!!!!
CANADIAN REPLY: This is a lighthouse..
.......... Your call.
FCC LEVIES FINES FOR
UNLICENSED OPERATIONS
The FCC has fined Robert J. Powers, KB7TQA, of
Puyallup, Washington, $1600 for operating on an unlicensed
frequency. The action by the Compliance and Information Bureau was
adopted by the Commission August 19. The fine stemmed from a
violation that occurred a few months before Powers got his
Technician ticket in April of 1993.
According to the FCC order, FCC agents from the Seattle Field
Office discovered Powers on January 26, 1993, operating a radio
station on 27.455 MHz "without authorization from the Commission."
He was cited for violating Section 301 of the Communications Act.
Agents used direction-finding equipment to trace the signal to
Powers residence, and the FCC reports that Powers admitted to
operating on the unlicensed frequency. Powers initially was fined
$2000. The FCC subsequently reduced the forfeiture to $1600.
Powers was ordered to pay the fine by September 22, 1997.
The FCC also cited Victor Pessaro of Melbourne, Florida, for CB
radio service violations that occurred in early 1994. Following up
on interference complaints, FCC agents tracked down Pessaro as he
was operating on frequencies other than those authorized by FCC
rules. In addition, Pessaro refused the FCC agents request to
inspect his station. Consequently, the Vero Beach Field Office
issued a Notice of Apparent Liability to Pessaro for $5750 for
operating over the regulated power limits in the CB radio service
and for failing to allow an inspection. The forfeiture was later
reduced to $750, and the FCC upheld the fine in an order released
August 22. Pessaro has until September 22, 1997, to pay his fine.
He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary's
School in Morris, Minn. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but
Mark Eklund was
one in a million. Very neat in appearance, but had that
happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional
mischievousness delightful.
Mark talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that
talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me
so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to
correct him for misbehaving - "Thank you for correcting me,
Sister!" I didn't know what to make of it at first, but before
long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.
One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too
often, and then I made a novice-teacher's mistake. I looked at him
and said,
"If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth
shut!"
It wasn't ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, "Mark is
talking again." I hadn't asked any of the students to help me
watch Mark, but since
I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on
it.
I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked
to my desk, very deliberately opened my drawer and took out a roll
of masking
tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off
two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I
then returned to the
front of the room. As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing he
winked at me. That did it! I started laughing. The class cheered
as I walked back to
Mark's desk, removed the tape and shrugged my shoulders. His first
words were, "Thank you for correcting me, Sister."
At the end of the year I was asked to teach junior-high math. The
years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom
again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he
had to listen carefully to my instructions in the "new math," he
did not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in the third.
One Friday, things just didn't feel right. We had worked hard on a
new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were
frowning, frustrated with themselves - and edgy with one another.
I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I
asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on
two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I
told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each
of their classmates and write it down.
It took the remainder of the class period to finish the
assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed me
the papers. Charlie smiled. Marked said, "Thank you for teaching
me, Sister. Have a good weekend."
That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate
sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about
that individual. On Monday I gave each student his or her list.
Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" I heard
whispered. "I never knew that meant anything to anyone!" "I didn't
know others liked me so much!"
No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if
they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it
didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The
students were happy with themselves and one another again.
That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I
returned from vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we
were driving home, Mother asked me the usual questions about the
trip - the weather, my experiences in general. There was a light
lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a side-ways glance and
simply says, "Dad?" My father cleared his throat as he usually did
before something important. "The Eklunds called last night," he
began. "Really?" I said. "I haven't heard from them in years. I
wonder how Mark is."
Dad responded quietly. "Mark was killed in Vietnam," he said. "The
funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could
attend." To
this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad
told me about Mark.
I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark
looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment
was, Mark, I would
give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to
me.
The church was packed with Mark's friends. Chuck's sister sang
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Why did it have to rain on the
day of the
funeral? It was difficult enough at the grave side. The pastor
said the usual prayers, and the bugler played taps. One by one
those who loved Mark
took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy
water.
I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of
the soldiers who had acted as pallbearer came up to me. "Were you
Mark's math
teacher?" he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the
coffin. "Mark talked about you a lot," he said.
After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates headed to
Chucks farmhouse for lunch. Mark's mother and father were there,
obviously waiting for me. "We want to show you something," his
father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this
on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize
it."
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of
notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded
many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones
on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark's
classmates had said about him. "Thank you so much for doing that"
Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."
Mark's classmates started to gather around us. Charlie smiled
rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top
drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to
put this in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said.
"It's in my diary." Then Vicki,
another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her
wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I
carry this with me at all
times," Vicki said without batting an eyelash. "I think we all
saved our lists."
That's when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for
all his friends who would never see him again.
THE END
written by: Sister Helen P. Mrosia
The purpose of this letter, is to encourage everyone to compliment
the people you love and care about. We often tend to forget the
importance of showing our affections and love. Sometimes the
smallest of things, could mean the most to another. I am asking
you, to please send this letter around and spread the message and
encouragement, to express your love and caring by complimenting
and being open with communication. The density of people in
society, is so thick, that we forget that life will end one day.
And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, I beg of
you, to tell the people you love and care for, that they are
special and important. Tell them, before it is too late. Sister
Helen P. Mrosia
NCRC is starting their V.E. program on
November 30th @ 2 PM in Philadelphia.
Contact Bobby (AC5NK) for more information.
Have a great month
