‰  NOW 35 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM AUGUST 2019  QST  PAGE 68 ‰

TEAM EXUBERANCE ENERGIZES YOUNG HAMS ALLISON MCLELLAN FOURTEEN YEAR OLD
VIOLETTA LATHAM, KM4ATT, WAS ONLY 9 WHEN SHE FIRST GOT HER AMATEUR RADIO
LICENSE AND SHE QUICKLY MADE A NAME FOR HERSELF AS AN ACTIVE YOUNG
CONTESTER.  FIFTEEN YEAR OLD DAVID SAMU, VE7DZO, GOT HIS LICENSE MORE
RECENTLY, BUT WAS SOON EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE RADIO BANDS, LOGGING OVER
15,000 CONTACTS SINCE 2017.  WHEN THE TWO TEENAGERS PARTICIPATED IN THE
2018 DAVE KALTER MEMORIAL YOUTH DX ADVENTURE TO CURACAO, COLLABORATING AND
LEARNING WITH THEIR FELLOW YOUNG HAMS, THEY WERE INSPIRED TO FOSTER A
SIMILAR COMMUNITY IN NORTH AMERICA.  ALONG THE WAY, VIOLETTA HEARD AN OLDER
HAM QUOTE, YOUTH AND EXUBERANCE IS NO MATCH FOR OLD AGE AND TREACHERY.
INSPIRED TO TURN THAT SENTIMENT AROUND, TEAM EXUBERANCE BEGAN TO TAKE
SHAPE, READY TO PROVE THAT YOUTH CAN HOLD THEIR OWN IN AMATEUR RADIO.  MEET
THE TEAM FOLLOWING THE 2018 DAVE KALTER MEMORIAL TRIP, VIOLETTA CONTACTED
DX ENGINEERING CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER TIM DUFFY, K3LR, TO TELL HIM ABOUT
THE IDEA OF FORMING AN ALL YOUTH CONTESTING TEAM, AND THAT SHE WANTED TO
USE HIS RENOWNED STATION AS A BASE.  TIM STARTED CONSTRUCTION ON HIS K3LR
STATION IN WEST MIDDLESEX, PENNSYLVANIA, IN 1987.  WHILE HE STARTED OUT
WITH THE SIMPLE GOAL OF BUILDING A SPECIAL SPOT FOR COMPETING ALONGSIDE
FRIENDS, TIMS STATION GREW IN SIZE, POWER, AND REPUTATION IN THE AMATEUR
‰  END OF 35 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ