SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-159.01
JUNE PRESIDENTS LETTER

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 159.01 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 08, 2001
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-159.01

I often wonder how many people reading this message via ANS,
the AMSAT BB or AMSAT web sites around the world are actually
members of an AMSAT organization. Certainly, one of the places to
learn about the Amateur Radio satellite hobby is via the Internet, and
I know that our sister organizations, like AMSAT-NA, are filled with information to support your hobby.

I know that there are a number of readers who use the provided
information without any intention of becoming a member of AMSAT.
I encourage them to become members, as the benefits of membership
are many!

First, you receive the AMSAT Journal which provides a wealth of
information on current AMSAT topics as well as providing valuable
information on current satellite station equipment suppliers.

Secondly, you get to choose the members of the Board of Directors
from the list of people who have volunteered to be on the board. In fact,
you have the opportunity to volunteer for the Board, or to be a part of
any aspect of AMSAT that you would like. We are always looking for
new volunteers!

Third, you are kept informed on AMSAT activities, through the various
AMSAT bulletin boards, Internet listings and news services. Certainly,
if you are a member and you write to me, you will be sure to get a
personal reply.

Most importantly, as a member you are supporting your chosen hobby,
because without members there would not be an AMSAT as we know it.
None of the mentioned aspects of AMSAT would exist and most of the
OSCAR satellites would never have been launched. Without you
AMSAT would be just a few experimenters who would raise enough
money to launch very small satellites occasionally.

A week ago I had the pleasure to visit the Rochester Hamfest and I
enjoyed my day very much. We had a successful day with both new
memberships and people renewing current and lapsed memberships,
but, there were still quite a number of visitors to the AMSAT booth
who were anxious to get information and are working satellites, but
declined the offer to join AMSAT. Several even commented to me
that they enjoyed this column!

I am pleased to see that on the AMSAT BB there is much discussion
about AMSAT and it's mission and the definition of our the new satellite project. I have asked Larry, VE3LK, (who started the discussion with his
'AMSAT has a secret' message) to read and summarize your responses
so that I can get an overall understanding of your comments. You can
appreciate that to read them all takes a lot of time.

AMSAT is run with volunteers, all who try and share the work load, so
when you use the phrase "AMSAT should", please remember it should
really be "the AMSAT volunteers should." Then possibly you can
volunteer to help make it happen.

See you on the birds!

73,

Robin Haighton, VE3FRH
President AMSAT-NA

[ANS thanks Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, President AMSAT-NA
for this information]

/EX


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... "I *really* gotta get some new headders." - Paul Williams
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* Origin: Nothing can stop me--not even common sense (1:387/710)