WeLCARS was formed in 2007. Our initiatives are:

• To offer electronics training to youth through the Boy Scout Electricity, Electronics, and Radio Merit Badges, making the classes open to anyone, male or female, interested. We had 20+ successful graduates who all ended up soldering a digital electronic project together and all of them got it to work without any major mishaps!
• To take the next step and help any interested kids continue to the Tech license. We had 3 kids get their tickets, buy radios, and get on the air!
• To create a portal to the world. With the assistance of KA9VZD, KB9DBC and KA9PUG we have created an IRLP node. This has been used by the club to enhance the operating capabilities of the tech licenses, to provide more opportunities to senior citizen hams who cannot have an HF station in their apartments and to open this portal to the local schools (middle and high school) to allow social studies classes to talk with hams in countries they are studying as well as science classes to hear the live shuttle audio. This has also been very successful and continues to grow!
• To offer a public field day. We had operating stations on all sorts of new technologies as well as the standard HF stations. Our GOTA station snagged one new ham and caused one other to upgrade to his General!
• To sponsor technology only Hamfests, the WeLCARS Techfest, with presentations on licensing and new technologies, as well providing testing sessions.
• To continue investigating, testing, building and elmering!
• To maintain a positive outlook on the hobby (obsession)
• To maintain a can-try attitude about all aspects of the hobby (obsession). Not saying everything we try works, but heck, at least we tried!
• To promote the hobby in a controlled fashion. When we add hams to the hobby we do so in a quality fashion!

As Founder and President I cannot take credit for anything more than helping to direct the group and maintaining a membership that has a positive attitude . The membership of this organization is fantastic!

73 de Joe N9IFG