At the April MARC meeting, we will continue our disaster preparedness theme with a guest speaker. Mike Stodenmier, director of the Montgomery City/County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) will be speaking about his office's role and how we, as amateur radio operators fit into EMA disaster response plans. Mike will also discuss his plans for integrating amateur radio into upcoming city events and EMA drills. This will be your chance to talk with Mike one-on-one and to ask questions about emergency management's plans for dealing with various disaster scenarios.

The next MARC meeting will be held on Monday, February 20, 2012 at 7:00 PM. The meeting will be held in classroom A of the Central Alabama Red Cross, 5015 Woods Crossing Drive.

After a brief business meeting, we will listen to several disaster preparedness themed presentations. Mike Watkins, WX4AL, the ARRL AL district 4 emergency coordinator, will make a presentation about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and its role in central Alabama. El Erby, the Montgomery county emergency coordinator will tell us about the local ARES situation and Otto Arnoscht, the central Alabama Skywarn, Alabama Emergency Net Golf (AENG) net manager will make a presentation about the Skywarn program and it assists the National Weather Service when severe weather happens.

I hope you will take a couple hours from your busy schedule to join me next Monday evening for what's sure to be an entertaining and informative meeting.

As always, many of us stop by Schlotzsky's around 5:30 - 6:00 for dinner and fellowship before the meeting.

Monday evening we will introduce the 2012 officers and trustees and discuss the upcoming MARC events for 2012. I will also be giving the 2012 budget presentation.

Also, remember 2012 club dues are due now. There are several ways to pay your dues, click the membership application link and you can print an application to fill out and mail to us or bring it with you to the next meeting. Or, you can pay via Paypal by going to Paypal.com and sending the appropriate payment amount to President@w4ap.org.

IMPORTANT: In order to keep the membership roster as current as possible, please fill out all applicable information of the membership application. Please note that disclosure of telephone numbers is optional and the publish check boxes next to each number let us know if it's OK to list your telephone number(s) on a printed membership roster.

I am very much looking forward to the upcoming year and I'm certain it's going to be a great year for MARC and its members!

73,

The 2012 Offciers are: