In August, the first club officers began their short term of office, as the by-laws called for the election of new officers at the December meeting. Those founding officers were:
The South Alabama Radio Club began with an informal fish fry meeting July 29, 1995 when a group Covington County, Alabama residents met at the home of N5EPQ to formulate ideas on establishing an Amateur Radio Club. The second meeting of the club was a formal meeting on August 17 at SHAW Industries. Beginning with the September 14th meeting the SARC was able to secure the Andalusia Public library Dixon room for the remainder of the year. However, due to scheduling already made by other civic organizations, and work schedules of members, the meeting dates varied during the remaining months. Beginning with the 1996 calendar year, SARC was able to secure the third Thursday of each month for club meetings.
From it's meager beginnings the first SARC 2-Meter Net was held on 146.570 simplex on the night of August 3rd, 1995. For it's initial roll call there were 9 members checking into the net from the cities of Andalusia, Opp, and Red Level in Alabama and Crestview, Florida. Total length of the net was 8 minutes with one routine traffic. The net continued to be called on Thursday nights at 19:00 local time on the simplex frequency of 146.570 unless a meeting was to take place on the night of the net. On meeting nights the net was not called.
In March 1996 when the time changed to central daylight savings time, the net time was changed to 19:30 local. Rather than change back in the fall of the year when time would revert back to Central Standard time, members voted to keep the net time at 19:30 local. On January 2nd, 1997, the first SARC 2-Meter Net began using the newly adopted preamble for the net with 147.260 + as the primary net frequency and 146.570 simplex as the alternate frequency. Larry KF4GRA was net control. Due to holiday Bowl games and other holiday activities, the net lasted 6 minutes with 10 members checking into the net. A revised Emergency net preamble was also adopted and put into use beginning in January 1997.
Not only had the young club approved a set of by-laws, developed a preamble, started a club newsletter, and begun a 2-meter net, but two members: Bruce (N4ZEZ) and Jerry (KA4IHE) made application and were accepted as VEC's. Lehn Lambert, ( KF4CTA), became the first newsletter editor when the October 1995 issue of the newsletter came off the printer. Lehn continued as editor until July 1996, when Bruce Talkington, (N4ZEZ), took over the reins as newsletter editor. The publication continued to grow and expand in size through out the following months. In February of 1997, the reins returned again to Lehn, as he returned as editor of the newsletter. Larry (KF4GRA) assumed editor of the newsletter in 1998.
The first fund raiser was to be a soft drink wagon at the Fireman's fund day at the local airport. However, on October 4, 1995 Hurricane Opal set her sites on the Florida Panhandle and brought sustained winds of 100 MPH to Covington County as the eye passed near Red Level, Alabama around 20:00 local time. As a result the fund raiser had to be postponed until a later date. The members of the SARC provided their assistance with Covington County EMA during this storm. EC John Brown (KE4HIE ) was complemented by club members for his job during Opal.
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