OCTOBER 10, 2020
13:00 (1P ET)
LEITERSBURG RURITAN PARK
NO COST to ARA members/spouses. Non-members shall incur a nominal $5 fee. Please RSVP (required) to: Steve, struhariks@gmail.com and Bill, colli020@gmail.com.
MINI HAMFEST/TAILGATING SESSION ON SITE - bring your hamfest inventory!
The Antietam Radio Association (ARA) normally sponsors a Christmas Dinner each year, but with the onset of COVID-19 and its related requirements, restrictions, and precautions, as well to help ensure the health and safety of all of its members, the ARA membership did a little soul-searching at the first meeting in September (9/1). During the second meeting (9/15), a motion was placed in front of the membership:
Should we host a picnic during early October to promote fellowship, and to replace the Christmas Dinner? The motion was seconded, and the ARA membership voted to hold a picnic instead of the annual Christmas Dinner this year. We are taking this opportunity to somewhat make up for the missed Field Day gathering and to a very small extent, the Great Hagerstown Hamfest, both victims of the virus. The main advantage of a picnic style gathering over the traditional dinner gathering is that it is outside in an open area, and the breeze will keep the air moving, and any nasty McUglies moving right along with it! I will miss the steak from Western Sizzlin', though!
We are holding the picnic at the usual Field Day site, Ruritan Park. This spacious setting not only allows for a nice meal, but also for a mini hamfest experience -- I know I've really missed the hamfests this year, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to peruse and/or buy other people's gently used equipment! Bring your goodies to sell, and plenty of moola to buy stuff from fellow hams, who have deemed they finally have to say "goodbye" to some of their beloved equipment.
In an attempt to help with social distancing, we are asking that eveveryone who can to please bring their folding chairs to make sure that we all remain a reasonable distance from each other, while still able to enjoy each other's company. Plus, I know my folding chair is much more comfortable than the picnic tables in the pavilion.
The Club also determined that, similar to the Christmas Dinner tradition, the closest meeting (October 6th) will not be held. Instead, we will consider the picnic (October 10th) as the first meeting of October.
The ARA will provide fried chicken from AC&T, an ARA favorite, along with several sides. Exact menu is not yet complete, but it's getting there.
While this picnic is a replacing the 2020 Christmas Dinner, one thing that we won't be doing is collecting/accepting dues as is the normal practice during the Christmas Dinner. This is to ensure that all of the members have some time to enjoy the time with people that they haven't seen for quite some time. Inotherwords, it is not a work event for the officers.
In order to get a good estimate of the required quantities of food, drink, and other picnic essentials, and to allow ample “shopping time,” please RSVP by October 5th to ARA Activities Manager, Steve and Secretary, Bill. Their email addresses are struhariks@gmail.com and colli020@gmail.com, respectively. When responding please include the names of the people attending, along with call.