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December 17, 2025
Editor: Josh Johnston, KE5MHV [ mailto:jjohnston@arrl.org ]

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https://www.arrl.org/

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In this Issue:

Welcome and Introductions
Pre-Register for Upcoming Youth Coding Competition
The America250 WAS Challenge
ARRL's Year of the Club Brings Contests and Opportunities for Clubs
ARRL Call for Technical Manuscripts
Submitting Info for this Newsletter
How to Plan and Apply for an ARRL Hamfest or Convention
Important Links

Welcome and Introductions

I would like to introduce myself for any of you who may not know me and
provide my thoughts on the future of amateur radio clubs and their
importance.

My name is Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, and I was first licensed in 2007. While
I've been a member of ARRL since the beginning, I came to ARRL headquarters from Arkansas 4 years ago as the Director of Emergency Management.

I have a background in emergency management and was part of the Arkansas Communications Unit Planning Committee before relocating to Connecticut.



After ARRL Field Services Director Mike Walters', W8ZY, departure in early December, I was asked to take on the position of Emergency Communications and Field Services Director.

I worked closely with Mike and was familiar with the activities he was
involved in r-" one of which being the Club Newsletter.

I have been the staff liaison for The ARES Letter since joining the ARRL
staff and have worked on The NTS Letter since its inception, so I look
forward to continuing this newsletter and growing it even further!


Ham radio clubs continue to be a very important part of the amateur radio community.

With that, they need to be constantly growing, strengthening, and refreshing.
I encourage clubs to evaluate whether they can sustain another 10 or 20
years. I think many clubs do a fantastic job promoting the ham community and having social meetings every month, but are these things enough to remain active and relevant? I also see many clubs who do a great job with testing, teaching, and licensing hams, but overall, there needs to be more follow through with helping them once they've earned their license.

There are many hams who don't upgrade their Technician license, know where to get started once they've gotten their license, or know how to get on the air.

(I hope some clubs used the ARRL 10-Meter Contest this past weekend as an opportunity to get new hams and Technicians on the air and become radio active!)


As we begin a new year, try focusing on promoting your club and protecting
ham radio by being active in a couple of areas: Be more than a social club
r-" be a club with hands-on activities throughout the year that encourage on-air activities, and include new hams. Engage youth in your ideas and activities, but don't forget the age groups in between youth and older
adults; there are many hams in the 30 to 50 age range that could be valuable assets to your club.


Feel free to reach out, and I encourage you to help us shine a spotlight on clubs. Send us your club information and activities so we can share some highlights in this newsletter.


73,
Josh Johnston, KE5MHV
ARRL Emergency Communications and Field Services Director

Pre-Register for Upcoming Youth Coding Competition

Beginning January 1, 2026, ARRL will be hosting a Student Coding Competition with awards of up to $25,000! For this national challenge r-" geared toward ARRL-member amateur radio operators aged 21 and younger r-" students will design a mobile app to support the future of amateur radio and ARRL.


Pre-registration is now open at www.arrl.org/student-coding-competition [ http://www.arrl.org/student-coding-competition?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] . The full rules and specifications will be released when the competition officially begins on January 1. Project submissions are due March 31, 2026. Entries will be judged on meeting the published specs, UI design and
usability, code quality, stability, and extra features.


This contest will be a great opportunity for your club to promote youth activities and provide a student with the chance to win some money. Adult members are encouraged to spread the word to local schools and any youth in their community. And don't forget r-" ARRL Student Membership is free!


The America250 WAS Challenge

2026 marks a year of many celebrations. In addition to ARRL's Year of the
Club, it is also the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. To honor this milestone, ARRL has introduced a special,
yearlong Worked All States (WAS) Award, called the America250-WAS. This for-purchase award will be available throughout 2026 via Logbook of The World (LoTW), and only QSLs made via LoTW count toward the award.


The America250-WAS Award is earned by confirming contact with all 50 states between 0000 UTC January 1, 2026, through 2359 UTC December 31, 2026. Endorsements for this award include:

r-oW1AW/Portable r-" Confirm contact with W1AW/portable stations in all 50 states (states will be active during two 7-day periods during the year) on
HF, VHF, and above (excluding 60 meters) on all three modes
(CW/phone/digital).

r-oTriple-Play r-" Confirm contact with stations in all 50 states on all
three modes (CW/phone/digital), regardless of band.

r-oAffiliated Clubs r-" Confirm contact with Affiliated Club call signs (the call sign must be as shown on the ARRL Affiliated Club web page at www.arrl.org/find-a-club [ https://www.arrl.org/find-a-club?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] . For example, contacts made with the Newington Amateur Radio League,
W1OKY, count for Connecticut when contacting all 50 states. Visit lotw.arrl.org/lotw-help/getting-started [ https://lotw.arrl.org/lotw-help/getting-started/ ] to get your club call sign set up in LoTW for a call sign certificate.

Direct any questions to lotw-help@arrl.org [ mailto:lotw-help@arrl.org ] .

Questions regarding the America250-WAS Award can be directed to ARRL
Radiosport Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, w9jj@arrl.org [ mailto:w9jj@arrl.org ]
.


ARRL's Year of the Club Brings Contests and Opportunities for Clubs

As part of the Year of the Club [ https://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zNDkxNDk0JnA9MSZ1PTU1Nzg3MzYyMiZsaT00MDU5MjgwOQ/index.html
] in 2026, ARRL is sponsoring two contests and seeking club photos for publication.


Submit Your Club's Newsletter or Website

The Year of the Club [ https://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zNDkxNDk0JnA9MSZ1PTU1Nzg3MzYyMiZsaT00MDU5MjgwOQ/index.html
] contests for ARRL Affiliated Clubs include a Club Newsletter Contest and a Club Website Contest.


ARRL wants to see what your club does with the mix of information that can go into a newsletter or onto a website. Enter one or both of our Year of the
Club contests for a chance to have your club newsletter or website honored in QST.


The Club Newsletter Contest is open to ARRL Affiliated Clubs that have published a newsletter for at least one (1) year.


The Club Website Contest is open to ARRL Affiliated Clubs that maintain a
club website.


Winners will be notified in May 2026, with awards presented at Huntsville Hamfest in August 2026.


Winners will be announced in a 2026 issue of QST, as part of ARRL's Year of
the Club celebration.


The submission deadline for both contests is Friday, January 30, 2026, 4 p.m. Eastern time.


For more information and complete rules for both contests, visit www.arrl.org/year-of-the-club [ https://www.arrl.org/year-of-the-club?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] .


Submit a Club Photo to QST

QST will feature club photos in every 2026 issue as just one way of honoring various clubs. If your club wants a chance to be highlighted in the pages of QST, visit www.arrl.org/year-of-the-club [ https://www.arrl.org/year-of-the-club?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] for details on how to take photos for publication.


[https://arrl.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zNDkxNDk0JnA9MSZ1PTU1Nzg3MzYyMiZsaT00MDU5MjgwOQ/index.html]



Get your club together like the Metrocrest Amateur Radio Society in Argyle, Texas, did and take a photo to send to QST. Each 2026 issue of QST will
include club group photos. Get all the details at
www.arrl.org/year-of-the-club [ https://www.arrl.org/year-of-the-club?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] .


ARRL Call for Technical Manuscripts

Share technical insights on your Field Day setups and Emergency
Communications activities.


QST invites submissions of technical manuscripts from licensed amateur radio operators for upcoming issues focused on ARRL Field Day and Emergency Communications operations. We're looking for educational, how-to pieces that help fellow hams improve their setups, strategies, and technical know-how.


What We're Looking For:
r-oInnovative or proven techniques for emergency preparedness and response. r-oTechnical solutions for Field Day operations r-" power, antennas, logging, digital modes, etc.

r-oIntegration of new technologies (e.g., SDR, mesh networking, solar power)
in field scenarios.

r-oExamples of how the popularity of Parks on the Air (POTA) portable activations has changed your approach to setting up Field Day and EmComm stations.

r-oExamples of how portable antennas and LiFePO batteries have replaced base station antennas and generators.

r-oManuscripts should have a strong "how-to" component. Tell us what you did, but more importantly, tell us how you did it.


Submission Guidelines:
r-oAudience: Licensed amateur radio operators
r-oLength: 1,000 - 1,800 words, plus high-resolution images with caption and photo-credit information (name and call sign of photographer)

r-oTone: Educational and collaborative r-" share what works
r-oFormat: Plain text or Word document
r-oDeadline: January 31, 2026
r-oSubmit to: qst@arrl.org [ mailto:qst@arrl.org ]

Why Contribute? Your article could be published in QST, ARRL's membership journal, which reaches thousands of fellow amateurs across the country and beyond. It's a great way to give back to the community and inspire others
with your experience.


Submitting Info for this Newsletter

ARRL Club News is for radio clubs to show how they are working in the
community and the hobby to advance amateur radio.

If your club completes a project, supports an event, does an EmComm
activation, or activates a park, we want to hear about it.

You can submit your newsletter article to us at clubs@arrl.org [ mailto:clubs@arrl.org ] . We like to get them as text or Word files instead
of PDFs.

If you have pictures, please submit them with caption information, as well as the name and call sign of the photographer.

We want to highlight the good work being done by the clubs and show others in the community.

Think of this as a chance to show off your club and your programs.

How to Plan and Apply for an ARRL Hamfest or Convention

If your amateur radio club is planning to host a convention, hamfest,
tailgate, or swapfest, please consider applying for it to be an
ARRL-sanctioned event. To learn what it means to be an ARRL-sanctioned event, and to get some ideas on how to prepare for and conduct a hamfest or convention, visit www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events [ http://www.arrl.org/arrl-sanctioned-events?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] .


To have your event sanctioned, complete the online application at www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application [ http://www.arrl.org/hamfest-convention-application?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] .


Please send a copy of the application that returns to you to Steve Ewald at sewald@arrl.org [ mailto:sewald@arrl.org ] .


The ARRL Hamfests and Conventions Calendar can be found online at www.arrl.org/hamfests [ http://www.arrl.org/hamfests?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] . In addition, the Convention and Hamfest Calendar that runs in QST each month also presents information about upcoming events.


Important Links

ARRL Home: www.arrl.org [ http://www.arrl.org/?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL ]

Find an ARRL Affiliated Club: www.arrl.org/clubs [ http://www.arrl.org/clubs?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL ]

Find your ARRL Section: www.arrl.org/sections [ http://www.arrl.org/sections?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
]

Find a license class in your area: www.arrl.org/class [ http://www.arrl.org/class?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL ]

Find a license exam in your area: www.arrl.org/exam [ http://www.arrl.org/exam?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL ]

Find a hamfest or convention: www.arrl.org/hamfests [ http://www.arrl.org/hamfests?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
]

Email ARRL Clubs: clubs@arrl.org [ mailto:clubs@arrl.org ]

ARRL Club News is published every month (12 times each year). ARRL members
may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member Data Page at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out [ http://www.arrl.org/opt-in-out?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
] . Archived issues can be found at www.arrl.org/club-news [ http://www.arrl.org/club-news?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=ARRL
]


Copyright -(c) 2025 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission.


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