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SM--Tom Ciciora KA9QPN
ASM/SRM--Ron Morgan, KB9NW
ASM/SEC--Brad Pioveson, W9FX
ASM/ASEC--Shari Harlan, N9SH
ASM for Youth--Neil Gebhardt, KB9ZGZ
ACC--Joe Serocki, N9IFG
SGL--Charles Richey, K9DUE
STM--Roy Eades, KA9MZJ
PIC--Fritz Bock, WD9FMB
TC--John Dinella, WA9IL
OOC--Tim Childers, KB9FBI
ASEC--Curtis Williams, W5DTR
ASEC--Kelly Robertson, KC9FVK
ASEC--Pat Ryan, KC6VVT
ASEC--Pat Stowell, N9PN
ASEC/Digital Ops--Tim McDonough, N9PUZ
DEC: District 2--Pat Aimers N9SOC, District 3--Bob Cockream AB9EE, District 4--Neil Ormos N9NL, District 6--Gary Shanks KA9FAJ, District 7--Andy Stubblefield K9EMA, District 9--John Van Sandt N9YRX, District 8--Curtis Williams W5DTR, District 11--Bruce Talley WA9APQ, Illinois Medical Emergency Response Team Liaison--Dale Marzano N9JH

From the top...
**I want a shack in the corner of my office at work like Mike Baxter, KA0XTT.
**I see that one of our perpetual pains in the rear, K1MAN, has substantially lost in court against the FCC. Again. Why doesn't the Fed just confiscate this guy's stuff in lieu of the fine, revoke his license and move on?
**Looking forward to one of the first hamfests of the year on 22 January. See you at the WCRA fest in St. Charles.
 

Get informed...
**"We don't need no stinkin' badges..." Now, I see that some enterprising soul has begun to market 'ham radio badges' in the general shape of the classic LAPD shield. Obviously, this enterpreneur is pandering to the BDU wearing, old squad car driving fringe that we desparately need to quietly and quickly toss over the side.
**No, I'm not posting the link. You don't need one. I don't need one. Nobody needs one except to get into mischief and to make the rest of us look stupid. I am tempted to paraphrase P. J. O'Rourke's analogy about giving whiskey and car keys to teenagers.
**NWS is apparently scaling back and consolidating their spotter training talks. This does not bode well for those of us who administer SKYWARN programs in the boondocks. Fortunately, there are solutions. COMET MetEd, a program of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, has several applicable online courses. One of these is the new online SKYWARN Spotter Training. There are other more specialized courses available for those so inclined. In any case, in person or online, the most important thing to do after taking such classes is to get out and observe. The slides and video do not compare with real clouds.
**There is always the option of contacting your local EMA/ESDA to see if they are hosting a spotter talk. It's an opportunity to further those partnerships.
**ARRL BoD meeting this month. I can haz digital QST and Repeater Directory, plz?
 

Around the Section...
**Interesting reprint in the current CQ BARS Newsletter of the Bolingbrook ARS of an article questioning the utility of the National Weather Service when there are for-profit companies like The Weather Channel and Accu-Weather. The author makes the distinction between science and entertainment, which needs to be appreciated during such a discussion.
**The Podunk Hollow News of the Egyptian RC carries the first of a series of articles by K7RMJ on a tower rebuild project. The first article is very comprehensive yet written in a clear, conversational manner.
**Why, yes I am. Again. Thank you for asking.
 

Ye Olde Traffic Report...
(later)