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August 19, 2026
Editor: Josh Johnston, KE5MHV
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ARRL Year of the Club Contests Celebrate Outstanding Club Websites and Newsletters |
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As ARRL's 2026 Year of the Club
spotlight, Affiliated Clubs were invited to show how they use two important communications tools — their websites and newsletters — to engage members, strengthen their organizations, and promote amateur radio.
The response was enthusiastic, with more than 80 entries submitted in each contest from clubs across the country.
The contests were designed not simply to identify the “best-looking” website or newsletter, but to recognize radio clubs that are using these tools effectively to serve their members.
A good club website can make it easy for prospective and current members to find information, learn about activities, and get involved.
A good newsletter can keep members connected between meetings, share technical knowledge and operating opportunities, celebrate club accomplishments, and give members another reason to stay engaged.
“The goal was to highlight the many creative ways radio clubs communicate with their members,” said ARRL Director of Publications and Editorial Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY. “We hope these winning websites and newsletters will give other clubs ideas they can adapt to their own organizations.
There’s no single formula for an effective club communication — what matters is understanding your audience and giving them useful, interesting reasons to connect and keep connected with the club.”
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Outstanding Club Newsletters
Newsletter entries were judged in three membership categories: Large Clubs (more than 120 members), Medium Clubs (60–120 members), and Small Clubs (fewer than 60 members). Judges considered the navigability and attractiveness of the publications, as well as the variety and quality of their content. Two entries also earned special commendations for doing an outstanding job serving specialized audiences.
The winners are:
Large Clubs
First Place: Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club, W2MMD, Pitman, New Jersey — CrossTalk, edited by Jeffrey Garth, WB2ZBN
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Ozaukee Radio Club, W9CQO, of Grafton, Wisconsin, is the winner of the ARRL Club Newsletter Contest in the Medium Clubs category. The Ozaukee Radio Club Newsletter is edited by William Shadid, W9MXQ. | | | |
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Medium Clubs
First Place: Ozaukee Radio Club, W9CQO, Grafton, Wisconsin — The Ozaukee Radio Club Newsletter, edited by William Shadid, W9MXQ
Second Place: East Greenbush Amateur Radio Association, W2EGB, East Greenbush, New York — Sidebands, edited by Bryan Jackson, W2RBJ
Honorable Mention: Providence Radio Association, W1OP, Johnston, Rhode Island — The Old Professor, edited by Thomas Greenwood, W1ER
Small Clubs
First Place: Peekskill/Cortlandt Amateur Radio Association, W2NYW, Greater Peekskill/Cortlandt Area, New York — PCARA Update, edited by Malcolm G. Pritchard, NM9J
Second Place: Morongo Basin Amateur Radio Club, W6BA, Morongo Basin, California — MBARC Beacon, edited by Aaron Chesney, KM6IAU
Special Commendations
Best Newsletter for a Specialized Audience: Families and Youth: Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society, W1STR, Natick, Massachusetts — Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society News, edited by Robert F. Phinney, K5TEC
Best Newsletter for a Specialized Audience: Global Audience: Young Ladies’ Radio League, K4LMB, Global — YL Harmonics, edited by Kathleen Houlihan, WA5DUC
Newsletter contest judges were: -
ARRL Director of Publications and Editorial Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY
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ARRL Senior Director of Marketing and Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R
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NCJ Editor and PVRC Newsletter Editor John Pescatore, K3TN
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ARRL News Editor, past Ohio Section PIC, and past coordinator of the Ohio Section Newsletter Contest John Ross, KD8IDJ
Outstanding Club Websites
The website contest focused on three key areas: layout, content, and accessibility. Judges with extensive experience in website development, systems administration, and web infrastructure evaluated the entries to identify sites that effectively serve their clubs and their audiences.
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Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio Club, W3ACH, serving south central Pennsylvania, is the winner of the ARRL Club Website Contest. The webmaster is Caleb C. Jacobs, KC3VPB. | | | |
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The winners are:
First Place: Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio Club, W3ACH, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania — www.w3ach.com, webmaster Caleb C. Jacobs, KC3VPB
Second Place: Sierra Foothills Amateur Radio Club, W6EK, Auburn, California — www.w6ek.org, webmaster Mike “Smitty” Smith, WB1G
Third Place: Ventura County Amateur Radio Club, K6MEP, Ventura, California — k6mep.org, webmaster David Schmidt, AI6VX
Website contest judges were:
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ARRL New England Division Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI
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ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Technical Coordinator Dan Brown, W1DAN
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ARRL member Erica Zavaleta, W7WXR. Erica is currently a DevOps Engineer managing web infrastructure for a regional ISP.
The winning websites and newsletters are worth a visit — not only to congratulate the clubs, but also to see how they organize information, promote activities, welcome newcomers, and communicate what makes their clubs active and relevant. They offer examples of different approaches to content, design, and audience — demonstrating that success doesn't have to follow a particular template.
These contests are part of ARRL’s broader Year of the Club effort to celebrate the vital role that amateur radio clubs play in building and sustaining the amateur radio community. Clubs are where many radio amateurs first find a mentor, learn a new skill, participate in an event, or make the connections that keep them active in the hobby.
“Club leaders, newsletter editors, and webmasters: take a look at what these clubs are doing and borrow an idea or two for your own club,” said ARRL Emergency Communications and Field Services Director Josh Johnston, KE5MHV. “Year of the Club is a celebration of what clubs accomplish — and an invitation to keep building on that success.”
ARRL and the contest judges are grateful for the enthusiastic response to the call for contest entries and commend all entrants on the talent and time they devote to the creation of these important club communication tools.
The contest winners will be honored at the 2026 ARRL National Convention, hosted by the Huntsville Hamfest, August 21 – 23 in Huntsville, Alabama, and will also be featured in a 2026 issue of QST.
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This year, as we celebrate the Year of the Club and the 100th anniversary of Field Organization at ARRL, we’re sharing ideas and information for clubs to grow and strengthen their club and community support for amateur radio.
ARRL received an email this week from someone who had a great idea: hosting or supporting summer camps. Many clubs have groups of youth in their area that attend summer camps of various types, and a lot of them have a STEM or STEAM component.
Now that summer camps are wrapping up their year, and the kids are heading back to school, it’s a great time to reach out and propose a partnership for next year. See if they have a need that’s not already being met or an avenue they would like to pursue, and think about ways your club could help them excel in areas they may not have known were available.
If your club is already working with a summer camp and has a great story to share, please send the story to us at clubs@arrl.org.
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Colombian Amateurs Help in Earthquake Response; Clear Frequencies Requested |
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Amateur radio operators in Colombia are providing significant communications support following the major earthquake and aftershocks that struck the country on August 10, 2026. The death toll has reportedly exceeded 200 people, with many more still missing, and major damage is reported to buildings and infrastructure.
International Amateur Radio Union, Region 2 (IARU R2) Emergency Communications Coordinator Carlos Alberto Santamaria González, CO2JC, provided an update Thursday morning, August 13, from Faber Mosquera, HK6F, the emergency coordinator for the Liga Colombiana de Radioaficionados, Colombia’s national amateur radio association. Mosquera said amateurs from various radio clubs and associations across the country have been helping to maintain and/or restore communications in affected areas.
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Volunteers from the Liga Radioaficionados del Quindío, HK6LRQ, were heading to Cerro Campanario, a peak at an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level, to attempt to restore the club’s repeater stations using solar panels and batteries.
This peak hosts repeater stations for the amateur radio service and the municipal and departmental risk management systems in the area.
Another group of amateurs, from the Asociación de Radioaficionados del Eje Cafetero, HK6REC, was working at their repeater site at the time of the earthquake.
They reported that cellular and Wi-Fi networks immediately went down, and the repeaters also failed because the backup transfer system to the power generator did not activate.
However, within 15 minutes, they had reactivated not only the amateur repeaters but also those of other services that share the site.
Mosquera reported that amateur radio clubs from other parts of the country were providing additional support to restore and maintain communications.
“The Colombian amateur radio community is doing vital work by making its communication systems and human resources available for rescue, recovery, and locating individuals affected by this disaster,” said IARU Region 2 Emergency Coordinator CO2JC, adding, “This makes us proud to be amateur radio operators.
CO2JC has also requested that all amateurs avoid transmitting on the IARU Region 2 emergency frequencies of 3985, 7060, 7240, 7275, 14300, and 21360 kHz, as well as 146.520 MHz for those in VHF range of Colombia, in order to minimize potential interference to emergency communications.
See ARRL News
for updates to this story as they become available.
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Central Massachusetts ARA Partners with EcoTarium for ARISS Contact |
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The Central Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association (CMARA), W1BIM, is partnering with EcoTarium (formerly known as the New England Science Center) in Worcester on their upcoming ARISS contact scheduled for October.
As part of EcoTarium’s STEM education efforts, CMARA is running a special event station at the science center where we’ll be demonstrating amateur radio in action and educating visitors about the science of radio.
Our first partnered event was held in June, and because of its success, we’ve planned three additional events throughout the summer: July 25, August 22, and September 26. At each event, we’ll be operating under the N1E call sign and running a variety of exhibits on different aspects of amateur radio and the science behind it.
At our July event, we had seven different exhibit tables staffed, educating museum guests about propagation, modulation, modes of operation, kit building, and, of course, the ARISS program.
Along with the special event station, we’ll be doing new and different things at each of the remaining two events to expose museum guests to as much of the science behind radio as we can.
EcoTarium applied to host an ARISS contact during the summer of 2025. One of the application requirements is that they partner with a local amateur radio club.
They reached out to CMARA, and we agreed to partner with them.
Three club members were chosen to represent the club: George Gumbrell, KA3RLZ; Connor Gumbrell, KC1MMT, and Tom Gauvin, NE1NH. George, Connor, and Tom have been meeting with EcoTarium and the ARISS team regularly, working on all the planning and preparation that goes into hosting an ARISS contact.
NASA originally scheduled EcoTarium for a March 2026 contact. But, due to the illness of one of the ISS crew members, several ARISS contacts had to be rescheduled.
The museum’s ARISS contact is now scheduled for the second week of October.
Because the station’s orbit is frequently adjusted, and due to the complexities of research, scheduling of the exact day and hour of the contact will not be finalized until the week before.
In the interim, CMARA is assisting the museum with STEM education, and the museum is partnering with a local Worcester school to select a group of kids who will have the opportunity to ask ISS crew members questions during one of the station’s 8-minute passes over one of several amateur radio ground stations located around the globe.
For more information about EcoTarium, ARISS, or CMARA, you can visit their websites at:
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By Maria Somma, AB1FM, ARRL VEC Manager
While amateur radio operators are generally diligent about updating and renewing their licenses, club licenses can sometimes be overlooked.
It’s important for clubs to periodically review their club license information to ensure everything is current.
Take a few moments to verify that your club’s mailing address and trustee information are accurate in the FCC license database. Also, confirm that the license is not approaching expiration.
All club license transactions (except for new vanity call sign requests) must be handled through an FCC-approved Club Station Call Sign Administrator (CSCSA) by completing a 605-C Form (Club Station Application). This form cannot be submitted directly to the FCC, and club transactions cannot be completed through the FCC’s website. The ARRL VEC is a CSCSA and can process these requests for your club.
Please refer to the appropriate instructions and club application form
to help you update or renew your club license.
Keeping your club license up to date helps ensure smooth operations and continued FCC compliance.
If you have questions or need help, please contact the ARRL VEC
department at vec@arrl.org.
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“On the Air Live” Offers Learning Opportunities for ARRL Members |
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What if you need to send a message from a disaster area, but all forms of communication are down? The ARRL National Traffic System could be your tool to get the message out. Join ARRL Education Specialist Wayne Greene, KB4DSF, and learn about the history of the National Traffic System, how it works, and how you can become a regular user and be prepared to send and relay traffic. The livestream will air on the ARRL’s Learning Center website, learn.arrl.org, on August 25 at 8:00 PM Eastern. Pre-registration is required and can be accomplished through the Learning Center.
📅 Date: August 25, 2026
🕗 Time: 8:00 PM Eastern/5:00 PM Pacific
👉 Register Now
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To ensure that all ARRL Affiliated Clubs are receiving information to support Year of the Club, ARRL Club News is now being sent to all club email addresses of record, club presidents, and club newsletter editors, as submitted in affiliated club listings.
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In an effort to maintain updated Affiliated Club Records, we will be reviewing clubs that have not updated their Affiliated Club listing and moving these clubs to inactive status. This includes updated emails and club contact information. One of the requirements of an affiliated club is to do annual club updates. Information on how to do your club update is found at: www.arrl.org/club-update.
We also encourage clubs to verify that their listed email is accurate and working.
This allows anyone who may be interested in your club or who may need to contact your club to have a simple email contact.
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How to Plan and Apply for an ARRL Hamfest or Convention |
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If your amateur radio club is planning to host a convention, hamfest, tailgate, or swapfest, please consider applying for it to be an ARRL-sanctioned event. To learn what it means to be an ARRL-sanctioned event, and to get some ideas on how to prepare for and conduct a hamfest or convention, visit
www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events.
To have your event sanctioned, complete the online application at
www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application.
Please send a copy of the application that returns to you to Steve Ewald at sewald@arrl.org.
The ARRL Hamfests and Conventions Calendar can be found online at
www.arrl.org/hamfests. In addition, the Convention and Hamfest Calendar that runs in QST each month also presents information about upcoming events.
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ARRL Home: www.arrl.org
Find an ARRL Affiliated Club: www.arrl.org/clubs
Find your ARRL Section: www.arrl.org/sections
Find a license class in your area: www.arrl.org/class
Find a license exam in your area: www.arrl.org/exam
Find a hamfest or convention: www.arrl.org/hamfests
Email ARRL Clubs: clubs@arrl.org
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ARRL Club News is published every month (12 times each year). ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page at
www.arrl.org/opt-in-out.
Copyright © 2026 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission.
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