SADARS History
A Successful Club
In 2006 Stevenage and District Amateur Radio Society (G3SAD, G2R) celebrated
their 50th Birthday.
We were established in 1956 with two of the original founders Vic, G3FAU
(SK) and Frank, G3OVT stalwart honorary members.
G3OVT G3FAU
The success of any Radio Society must depend on a diverse membership along with all those who have the necessary skills and experience, to pass on to others. It has moved a few times and is now settled in a very nice location. It includes a sixty foot mast that was passed on from Handy Hams, through Peter Daley G0GTE, when the club went silent.
G3SAD, G2R
Society membership has always been good and in no danger of demise. We always aim to give people a service, particularly those interested in becoming a radio amateur.
We are proud of the fact that since the inauguration of the new licensing structure we have swelled the ranks by more than 100 Foundation licenses and have a regular programme of upgrading to 2E0 at least twice a year. We also have an established formula for those wishing to upgrade to Advanced license at their own pace, which is proving to be successful.
Membership
The main strength of any Society or Club must be the membership. A good contest group is also a great asset to organise contests and hopefully get the results and recognition for their efforts!
A programme of events and our web site help considerably to advertise our Society at every opportunity.
Participation in non-amateur radio related public events, i.e. school fairs, county shows etc, also provide an excellent means of free advertising. Our main annual public events are the Baldock Victorian Fair and The Bedfordshire Steam and Country Fair (GB0BSR) www.bseps.org.uk, held at the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, Bedfordshire every September which has an attendance in excess of 30,000 visitors. As this is a major event we are supported by our sister club, SADARS, Shefford and District ARS.
Advertising
A short anecdote to Club advertising is that two of our retired members Don Bache M0XJP (SK) and John McCutcheon M0JMC, who saw what the Society had to offer, joined then duly sent off for their licences (they passed in 1963 and 1967 respectively) having never taken up the hobby or their full licence! Needless to say the licensing authority were very surprised to receive pass certificates dated some 30+ years previous.
In case you are wondering, club member Martin Juhe was asked by Don Bache to take over his callsign if he passed the FULL licence in May 2006 - he is not a pirate!
Don Bache was a retired Magistrate, hence XJP (ex JP)
Recognition of individuals who have done more than expected is a nice touch at the AGM and the awards are always welcomed.
Societies and Clubs survive through self funding and we are no different, taking every opportunity, to attend rallies in the local area, to dispose of equipment to fund the operation of the Society. We have recently replaced the old equipment with new to endeavor to keep up, including the replacement of antenna’s and coax. This will hopefully improve our future results in the contests we participate in.
As for the future, the society is looking into the possibility of running an advanced course to complement the already successful courses we run.
Historical Photographs
