Presenter: Art Zygielbaum, KØAIZ
Location: LARC Clubhouse (4420 NW 41st St, Lincoln)
Date: Oct 14, 7:30 PM

A little over 65 years ago I got my first amateur radio license. I was a Novice, with the call sign WV6SAL. Less than a year later I earned my General license, and my call became WA6SAL. Today, I’m an Amateur Extra with a vanity call particularly appropriate for Nebraska, KØAIZ.

Ham radio has been an important part of my life ever since. It has given me skills, friendships, challenges, and more than six decades of enjoyment. And the skills I learned through amateur radio helped underpin my careers.

That’s one reason I’ve spent the past decade and a half trying to give something back to the hobby – first as a Section Manager, then as a Division Vice Director, and now as a Director.

I want to talk about the ARRL – and where amateur radio goes from here.

The ARRL come a long way from its beginnings as a New England radio club. Today it is a respected, multi-million dollar nonprofit organization that supports amateur radio through education, activities, tools, technology, and advocacy. It represents us before state and federal governments and internationally. But both the ARRL and amateur radio have reached an important juncture.

We can watch our hobby gradually age out, or we can make sure it evolves, remaining relevant, exciting, and welcoming to younger generations while preserving the traditions and values that have made amateur radio so important to us.

That gives us a lot to talk about.