MARCO Annual Meeting, May 19, 2006.

The annual membership meeting of the Medical Amateur Radio Council took place on the morning of May 19, 2006 at the Dayton Holiday Inn North.

Members in attendance: N5RTF, President
WA6OJB, President-Elect
WA1HGE, Treasurer
WF1R, Secretary
W4DAN, Assistant Treasurer
KD4GUA, Newsletter Editor
N5QF, MediShare Chairman
W8CRK
KM2L
N3IM
K6JW

The meeting was called to order at 8:30 AM EDT by N5RTF.

1. Minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and approved.
2. KD4GUA reported that the printer of the Newsletter now requires eloectronic submission of copy. It had been suggested last year that the Newsletter be published in *.pdf format, an dit now becomes imperative to do so. It was moved and seconded that KD4GUA be reimbursed any expenses incurred in making the changeover to electronic publishing of the Newsletter. MOTION CARRIED.
3. Discount coupons for an initial $10 membership were a great hit at Dayton last year, as we recruited 12 new members. We will do this again this year.
4. WF1R is emailing up-to-date membership rosters to WA1HGE and W4DAN. Overall, the training of the Assistant Secretary has gone quite well. It is anticipated that he will take over the reins within the next six months. All checks are now to be mailed to WA1HGE, not to WF1R.
5. Several years ago we offered the option to renew membership for a ten-year period. This represents no problem as far as book keeping is concerned, and we will continue to offer this service.
6. It has been suggested that we develop and print a MARCO QSL card. The card could include information about membership and our nets, and perhaps a short biography of Bob, WB5D. The front might be a collage depicting MARCO's various activities. It could be printed as a template, so that individual members could use it with their own call signs. WF1R will work on creating a prototype.
7. The idea of a MARCO special operating event was discussed. We have attempted similar things in the past. WF1R suggested that we do a special event in conjunction with next year's annual meeting.
8. Chip, N5RTF, will be originating streaming audio of Grand Rounds directly from his home. The quality of the feed would be much improved if a well-located station with "good ears" could supply him an *.mp3 stream. WB9EDP was suggested, and will be contacted.
9. The CW net prior to Grand Rounds is once again operational under the leadership of VE3OQM. Participation is encouraged.
10. WA1HGE presented the Treasurer's report. Overall assets amount to a bit over $17,000. Our major annual expenses include approximately $1800 for the Newsletter, $1000 for the annual meeting, $400 for advertising in QST, and $100 for a donation to Handi Hams. It was moved and seconded that the Treasurer be authorized to expend amounts under $750 without the approval of another Board member. MOTION CARRIED. We had some discussion of establishing a fiscal year for the organization, however it was learned that we do have a specified fiscal year of January 1 to December 31.
11. The Secretary reported that current paid-up membership is 223. Guest membership has been a successful idea, adn in the past year three such members have renewed on their own.
12. N5QF reported on MediShare activities.
We collected $830 for Hurricane Katrina relief. This followed fundraising of $5000 for tsunami aid and $10,000 for projects in Africa.
We received several boxes of old dental instruments, and these have been donated to a school training native American dental assistants.
One dental student from New York City was placed aor volunteer work at the Hastings Indian Medical Center in Oklahoma.
With the help of a $1000 donation from Marilyn Currier, we have now collected the required $5000 sum to fund the Sri Lanka project. This entails providing the hospital and ambulances with a VHF repeater and hand-held radios. MARCO member Hemantha Gamage is heading this project.
N5QF receives requests for funding every week. Most of the requestors disappear when he asks for additional detail.
Current requests for consideration include purchase of a flexible laryngoscope for the hospital in Dominica (requested by Alfred Greenwald), books and teaching materials for a biomedical technology school in Ethiopia, and a request from a Kenyan medical student at Vanderbilt University for aid to a clinic that he and his brother are building in Kenya.
The MediShare net on Monday evening on 7.228 MHz with alternate frequency of 14.308 MHz is enjoying success, wiht typically three to six check-ins.
We are at times confused with Christian MediShare, an entity that provides insurance for medical missionaries. We had placed a link to them on the MediShare website, but it was suggested that this be removed and that N5QF monitor for problems.
MediShare part B, under which we attempt to place volunteers, has not been very active. It was recommended that we de-emphasize this program, but keep it on the books in case the opportunity arises.
A communication was received from Mike Marks of the Bush Hospital Foundation. He reported that the clinics in Tanzania are functional and adequately supplied. They have 4x4 ambulances and mobile phones. As electric power is sporadic, BHF is fundraising for generators and two desktop computers.
WF1R then described his assembly of a self-contained emergency communications station in a waterproof box. This would be suitable for portable operation in an emergency.
WF1R also remarked that one of Ed Ludin, K2UK's dreams was an endowment fund for MediShare, sufficient that some projects could be funded in perpetuity. The was to start this would be to earmark 5% to 10% of donations for the endowment fund. We would have to form a foundation once the fund reached $25,000.
N5QF was commended by those present for his hard and effective work.
13. A replacement for WB6OJB as 6th call-area Director is necessary. Jeff Wolf, K6JW, was nominated. Chip, N5RTF becomes a Director-at-Large automatically upon completion of his term as President. With those exceptions, it was moved and seconded that the Officers and Board of Directors remain as they were before. MOTION CARRIED.
14. Harry Przekop, WB9EDP, was nominated as President Elect. This nomination was approved.
15. It was suggested that a copy of our bylaws be posted on the MARCO Website. WF1R has an electronic copy and will provide it to KM2L for posting.
16. N5RTf mentioned that Christine Haycock won a significant award last year for her pioneering role as a female surgical practitioner. This was written up in the YLRL Newsletter, and will appear in the MARCO Newsletter.
17. KM2L will re-invite the officers of MARCO to be posters on the organization's blog.
18. WA1HGE has been in contact with ARRL regarding interference to Grand Rounds on Sunday morning by a group operating on 14.310 MHz. He has taped some of their activity, and received suggestons from the Board regarding additional strategies to follow.
19. KD4GUA wishes to include a classified advertising section in the Newsletter. Members with equipment to sell are welcome to contact him.
20. N5RTF spoke about long-term vision for the organization. He suggested that MARCO go on record recommending that all hospitals have an amateur radio station and competent operators. It was suggested that MARCO could function as a resource for information pertaining to convincing health care organizations that it is in the public interest to equip themselves, and also for practical technical information. Another creative suggestion, given the aging of the amateur radio population, is to find a good location and establish a retirement home for ham operators.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:25 AM.

-KM2L