activities.

* Similarly, we may send renewal notices by email this year and offer on-line dues payment starting with the next renewal cycle. Look for information in your renewal letter and next month's SparcGap. In addition to saving money, it also reduces the amount of paper pushing the officers have to do to keep the club running. Your board members would rather be in front of a radio than a copying machine.

* I'm pleased to report that our packet focus in August and September has added more energy to the digital loop. Multnomah ARES plans to use our 144.91 node for an ARES net, and I've been talking to N7QQU, an Assistant SEC, about a regional packet net on 147.18 once the latter is on-line and stabilized.

* I encourage everybody to participate in the upcoming Simulated Emergency Test 11/18. Contact Perry KD7EYM or visit the www.arespacket.com site for information.

The November board meeting will be at my QTH. The main topic will be the 2001 budget .

Neal Sacon N7RX
President Portland Or. ARC

    I received several complaints about the unduly high verbosity index observed in this space, so I'll be mercifully brief this month:

* Congrats to the W7LT Top Band Committee. Not only was it a kick to hear a booming W7LT signal, but the new committee brought in two new club members. Now that's real radio!

* The ARRL has renewed our Special Service Club status for two-years. Kudos to all.

* Expect a formal proposal from the Board to waive dues for new hams. This will be offered together with an elmer program, under which each board member will take each new member under his wing to help integrate him or her into the club.

* Please check-the-box on member renewals next month and opt to get the SparcGap on-line in lieu of the 'Gap-by-mail. This rag costs about $1,000 a year, which is $1,000 that we can't spend on real radio. With email subscriptions to our PARCNET mail reflector approaching 60% of membership, the board thinks that we can move people toward a paperless membership and make more resources available for real radio