By Tom Coyle, KC5ARE-SK
First meeting
The first meeting of the Rogers County Wireless Association was on September 1, 1983, in the meeting room adjacent to the EOC office in the basement of the Rogers County Court-house. It had been organized by Bruce Wilson, Dan Bates, and Coy Day.
Bruce and Dan were both ex-Telex employees and ham operators. who had gone to work for Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville. In the course of some of their lengthy QSO's while driving to and from Bartlesville, they decided that Rogers County should have a ham club and repeater, after enlisting the help of Coy Day, they set out to form a club.
During the first meeting, they amended and adopted their by-laws which were patterned after some other local area clubs. they also elected the first slate of officers, who were--
President:Bruce WilsonWA5VPO
Vice-President:Lee RandallWD5GSN
Sec. Treas:Fred DaughertyN5BYT
Trustee:Coy DayN5OK
Charter Members from the first meeting include:
Tom M . ButlerWA5NGYDan BatesN5TM
George EllisW5OOFCoy C. DayN5OK
Will MohengWA5NOQFred C. DaughertyN5BYT
Dan RobinsWA5LGQDonald Lynch
Lee RandallWD5GSNMax HunterK5HD
Bruce WilsonWA5VPOMartha WilsonN5IBV
Chuck RomickK5EZDPhyllis J. EllisN5ZUS
Tom Butler and George Ellis were appointed newsletter editors.
Individual dues were set at $15 per year. Family membership dues were $20 per year.
The meeting day was set as the first Thursday of each month.
The first club repeater was assembled from outcast parts from the Tulsa Repeater Organization, and the Bartlesville Club.
Second meeting
At the second meeting of the RCWA, Coy Day N5OK agreed to loan or donate the antenna for the new club's repeater. RCWA agreed to use 147.09 simplex as a watch frequency until the club repeater is put on the air. There were 12 people present at the meeting, and the club treasury stood at. $127.89.
At the November 3, 1983 meeting the engineering committee reported that they had met and inspected the tower site at Rogers State College and found it satisfactory for our use. They agreed to meet on Saturday Nov. 12, 1983 at 9 a.m. to install the repeater and antenna.
At the December 1, 1983 meeting, the engineering committee reported to the members that the repeater is up and operating normally and is ready for use.
At the September 1984 meeting, Dan Robins Sr. WA5LGQ was elected as President. At the April, 1986 meeting, the meeting location was moved across the street to the Old Armory, to what is now the Claremore Recreation Center.
At the December 6, 1984 meeting, Max Hunter, K5HD, made a motion that each person in attendance at the meetings announce his or her name and call sign. It was a consensus of all members present that this procedure be adopted for all meetings thereafter, as is still done today.
Update from 2008: After moving venues 3 times between 2007 and 2008, RCWA is now meeting regularly the 1st Saturday of each month at the DAV building on Dupont in Claremore. The Club begins each meeting with the Pledge of Allegience as of 2008 as well.