The Santa Fe Trail Amateur Radio Club summer has been packed with outdoor events. In May, a large contingent set up a POTA activation at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Strong City, KS, followed quickly by a casual weekend of Ensorfest at the Ensor Park and Museum. June brought one of our most successful Field Days to date. In July, members caravaned to the Amelia Earhart Museum for a NAUTICOS presentation (watch for a likely national video release), capping off the month with a trip to the Warrensburg, MO. Hamfest and Pat Jardon's KFØOYS presentation on Military Crystal Sets at Tech Night July 30th.  Don't miss the KBØVRA Donated Equipment Pickup this weekend August 15th. 

https://www.sftarc.org/index.php/calendar-jevent/eventdetail/371/-/kbovra-equipment-at-korar 

     The upcoming autumn calendar promises even more camaraderie and technical exploration. To sharpen your technical edge from home, our upcoming Zoom Tech Night on August 27 will feature Mike (KEØGHU) presenting the WWII B-25 bomber, its radios, and the effects WWII had on Ham Radio. Members can test their skills during the Kansas QSO Party on August 29–30, operating either from the comfort of home or from the elaborate Sawyer Antenna Facility (see our WebsiteTrail Bytes:  https://www.sftarc.org/index.php/newsletter/tech-blog-main-menu/825-kansas-qso-party-signup, also email from Secretary Jason on Jul 26th ). On August 30, you can learn more about Kansas and the Telegraph by joining Jim Andera-KØNK at the historic Pony Express Festival in Hollenburg, KS. Jandera@embarqmail.com. I encourage you to volunteer as a club docent in September at Old Settlers Days on the 11th and 12th as well as each weekend at the Ensor Park and Museum (see Aug 10th email from Secretary Jason<). Then on September 24th Tech Night, Ed Fong (WB6IQN) will provide a deep dive into dual-band antenna designs and techniques.

     An exciting lineup of conventions and hamfests waits on the horizon, offering the perfect opportunity to hunt for gear and travel with fellow members. The action kicks off with the ARRL National Convention at Huntsville, AL, and the Joplin, MO, hamfest over the weekend of August 22–23, followed by the ARRL Kansas Section Convention at the Wichita, KS Hamfest October 3rd. The ARRL Midwest Division Convention will be at SPARK-CON Sedalia, MO, on October 10th and 11th. Check out the club web calendar to explore all of these events, or contact a club officer: 

 https://www.sftarc.org/index.php/about-us-main-menu/contact-us-main-menu   

SECRETARY-TREASURER REPORT:

      Marty provided an update on the club finances and the monthly financial report. Jason provided a Secretary's report including membership updates. There was no official club correspondence to report on.  

 AGENDA ITEMS:

Update: Equipment from Dave Cochran, KBØVRA [Ben – KC9MBC Jim – KØNK]

     There is a plan to test and buy equipment donated to the club by Dave Cochran. It is scheduled at Rob Rude's house. Interested club members will test the equipment. Then anyone who would like to buy equipment can make an offer at that time. The event is scheduled for August 15th from around 10 am to 3 pm. See the club calendar for Rob's address and additional information.

TECH NIGHT [Mike-  KEØGHU]

      The next Tech Night is on August 27th at 7:30 pm. The topic is on radios in the B-25 Mitchell Bomber and the Effect of WWII on Ham Radio today.  [Mike - KE0GHU].

Kansas QSO Party, Aug 29th - 30th [Jeff KSØJD]

      The Kansas QSO Party is on August 29th - 30th from 9 am - 3 pm each day. You can operate at the Sawyer Antenna facility or from home. Please sign up and reserve a time slot. Details on the event and sign up may be found at sftarc.org in the Trail Bytes blog . If you have any questions about the event or would like help signing up, please reach out to Jeff KS0JD. 

Hollenberg Pony Express Festival, Aug 30th, Hanover, KS. KØASA [Jim-KØNK]  

     Jim provided details about the telegraph station he will set up with period dress on Sunday Aug 30th at the Hollenberg Pony Express Festival, as a demonstration for the public. Other club members are invited to participate with the telegraph station. Details may be found in the club calendar for the event. If you would like to help out, please reach out to Jim. 

Volunteering Opportunities AT Ensor Park & Museum & Old Settlers [Rick Nichols]  

     There are two volunteer opportunities for Ensor Park and Museum. The museum needs people to help with tours in September. Also Ensor would like help with a booth at the Old Settlers event that is September 10th -12th. For this event, there are a few spots open on Friday and more spots are available on Saturday. If you are available, please sign up.   

REPEATER UPDATE [Jim – KØNK]

     Jim provided a repeater update. 

Life Membership - Discussion & Ideas For Possible New Category [Trig – KCØRPY]

     There was some discussion about offering a life time membership for club members. The plan is for the board to review this topic and come up with a proposal. 

SFTARC WEBSITE UPDATES / Clothing & Badges orders: [Greg – KIØKK]

     Greg is working on an online club store to sell shirts, hat, and name badges. He would like some feedback on the club store. Reach out to him if you would like to help test the new site and provide feedback. The plan moving forward would be to have a place on the club website where members could place their orders. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to Jason, Marty, or George if you would like to order clothing or a badge. (See Contact List on SFTARC.org)

Conventions / Hamfests – See Website Calendar [George - WBØCNK]

     Recent hamfests/events were reported on including the Warrensburg Hamfest on July 18th and NATICOS presentation at the Amelia Earheart Museum in Atchison, Kansas on July 17th. Upcoming Hamfests were discussed and participation was encouraged along with carpooling or coordinating travel. Provide your name to George if you are interested in attending any of these events. Sign up can be done either on the list circulated at breakfasts/meetings or by viewing the event on the club's website calendar where you will find the Conventions/Hamfest spreadsheet link.  Upcoming events include the list below. 

• Joplin, MO. Hamfest Aug 21st- 22nd
• Huntsville, Al Hamfest & ARRL National Convention - 2+ day Convention Aug 22nd-23rd
• Kansas QSO Party, Aug 29th – Aug 30th 9am - 3 pm both days
• Hollenberg Pony Express Festival, Aug 30th, Hanover, KS KØASA
• Wichita Area Hamfest  & KS ARRL Convention Oct. 3rd, Wichita, KS.
• SPARKCON -  Oct. 9th &10th, Sedalia, MO
• Nixa, MO. Hamfest - Nov 14th 

Members Who Would Enjoy a Card or a Visit:

• Mike Lane -KEØCIS at: Good Samaritan Olathe Medical Campus

ADJOURN:

      The meeting was adjourned. Jeff (KSØJD) made the motion to adjourn the meeting. 

     About 40 people, most of them members of the Olathe Historical Society (OHS), converged on Ensor Park and Museum the evening of Thursday, July 16 for the July meeting of the historical society.

     The event began with informal tours of the Ensor home and outbuildings and then supper, which included hot dogs, baked beans, potato chips, and dessert (homemade cookies were one option) served buffet style from the north room of the Peg Barn. Those present enjoyed the meal while sitting on Ensor benches or in their own lawn chairs, both positioned in the driveway between the barn and the house.

     Marty Peters, KEØPEZ, the treasurer of the Santa Fe Trail Amateur Radio Club (SFTARC) and the secretary of the Olathe Ensor Foundation, welcomed the group to the 40-acre historic site and gave it a good overview of the place where Jacob, Ida, Marshall and Loretta Ensor made their mark on Olathe and its people, the latter two as amateur radio operators.

     I was the next speaker and used the opportunity at hand to read three stories to the group, each one while wearing a different hat to chalk up a "hat trick" in a nod to the FIFA World Cup that was still in progress at the time. I donned a beige woman's cap from the Ensor collection before reading a story about the Ensor museum that had been written in 1974 by my grandmother, Margaret Yancey, W6VQO, for the Heart of America Radio Club's monthly newsletter. Then I put on my late mother's black baseball cap with her KDØVQO call sign on it before reading her short story titled "Double Duty." Finally, I picked up my late father's brown fedora before reading my story about the week he spent in the 1950s running The Johnson County Democrat while the editor of the weekly newspaper in Olathe was taking a vacation.

     In addition to Marty and myself, Howard Cripe, NØAZ, the president of the Olathe Ensor Foundation, and John Gray, KDØVRS, a member of the foundation, represented the SFTARC at the OHS meeting. 

     Ensor Park and Museum hosted six female visitors "of a certain age," as they say, for a tour of the historic 40-acre site the morning of Tuesday, August 11. The women are part of a larger nationwide social group connected to the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) that is fondly known as The Ethel, a name derived from the name of the woman who founded the AARP back in 1958, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus.

The leader of the sextet that made its way to Olathe on a warm summer morning carried a tote bag with her that displayed on one side a pair of stylish glasses with the word "The" in the left frame and the word "Ethel" in the right frame, and the phrase "For women who weren't born yesterday" on the other side.

     Howard Cripe, NØAZ, led the 10 a.m. tour, which had been arranged by John Gray, KDØVRS, and was assisted by myself. Because of the ever-increasing heat, we decided to visit the outbuildings first, then head for the Ensor home and the air conditioning that awaited us there. The first stop was the Peg Barn, where the women, all of whom live in the greater Kansas City area or farther out, were shown "Renaissance Man," the short documentary about Marshall Ensor, W9BSP, produced by the Olathe Historical Society. We then backtracked to the north room in the Peg Room to view Bill McCabe's 1875 ox yoke and other items before moving on to the south room where the equipment Marshall used to teach woodworking at Olathe High School is displayed.

     The tour continued at the Cow Barn, which isn't included on a normal tour, and from there we went to the Machine Shed where Marshall's 1949 Ford is kept and where he repaired equipment for farmers in the area using his arc welder. Then it was on to first the Pioneer Cabin where Bill McCabe lived before he constructed the two-story house around 1890 and next the Summer Kitchen with its cream separator, pressure cooker and other items.

     The cool air in the house was well received by the ladies, who later posed for a picture in the Radio Room (they were crammed in there for sure!) that was to be shared via Facebook with other "Ethels" elsewhere. The tour wrapped up right around noon, after which our "Ethels" were on their way to Gardner and lunch at a Mexican restaurant there.  

     A former member of the Santa Fe Trail Amateur Radio Club, Wayne Olsen, KCØZWE, recently found himself on the receiving end of a surprise birthday party when some of his colleagues from the world of mediation gathered in the Community Room at the Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe to honor him on his 90th birthday.

     Wayne, a past president of the Heartland Mediators Association, had just wrapped up a mediation session elsewhere in the courthouse when he walked through the door to the Community Room on the second floor right around noon on Tuesday, August 4, Election Day. He immediately got a warm greeting from the 20 or so people who had been waiting for him to arrive, and they followed that up by singing "Happy Birthday to You" to him. A catered lunch consisting of submarine sandwiches and an assortment of chips was made available to the attendees, and for dessert there was a custom-made cake with a photograph of Wayne centered on the top of it.

     One of the attendees was Ronnie Beach of North Carolina, who used to be the mayor of Pittsburg, Kansas and was the one my mother, Peg Nichols (KDØVQO, SK), turned the Johnson County mediation program over to when she stepped away from this important work that was near and dear to her heart. So my mother knew Wayne through both amateur radio and mediation.

     In the picture that accompanies this story, Wayne is on the left and Ronnie is on the right.