Club President News

Hello: My name is Ralph Wiseman. My call is KU4WR. I was elected President of the DeKalb Amateur Radio Club, in September 2007, and started my service at our meeting in October. I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to service in this capacity. I sincerely hope our Club will continue to thrive and grow during the next year.

A good starting point, might be just a note about my background.

In high school, my goal was to be in electronics. I wanted to own a Television repair shop and so I came out of the Navy, and started working for electronic parts distributors in and around Atlanta, Ga. area, while going to trade school at night to learn how to repair TVs. I worked for a couple of other shops, before I struck out on my own. I moved around to three different locations, and finally wound up in a small town in the south side of Atlanta. I had a shop there for 10 years, while also working with a Volunteer fire department, that me and a couple of other business men in the area started.

I really had a desire to become a Ham at that time, but there was only one other ham working with us, and I just did not have time to study the code, especially with 4 children in a private school. Well, after a few years of fire school I wound up teaching Fire suppression for Southern Tech., working with several volunteer departments on the south side of Atlanta. Then when Atlanta started it's own county fire department, I was offered a position there where I made a complete career change. I got my Ham ticket in 1995 just one year before I retired as Captain of an engine Company at Fulton Country airport near six flags. I now hold an extra class license.

After a few years catching up and being active in the local Ham Club, I became the ARES Emergency coordinator for Clayton County Ga. in 1998. I was elected President of the Club in Clayton County, in1999, and served as both EC, and Club President until 2002.

Going back a ways, I was ordained a Deacon in 1977, and actively served as deacon and school board member for 10 years at a Baptist Church in Forest Park, Ga..

I have completed level 1 of the ARRL Emergency coordinators courses, plus the advanced sky warn course.  I have completed 6 levels of Red Cross disaster management courses, plus I have had training with the Alabama Baptist men's Kitchen for disaster relief. Plus I have been through and helped with CERT training, in both Georgia, and DeKalb County, and I am a West CARS VE Tester.

This is basically my back ground, and it all only serves as a small part to being a good leader for the Club. My main goal for this coming years is to fine out what each persons special gift is, and then getting each one plugged in to help the whole team be successful. I have often repeated Ronald Reagan's infamous quote that "Much can be accomplished, when the people are not worried about who gets the credit"… As I stated in the meeting, I see our clubs as a lot of good dots out there, that just need to be connected to form the final picture of what this Club's potential is. Every one has a talent, even if it is serving tables, cooking, selling tickets, or other things that seem to have nothing to do with communications. Let me encourage you to hang with us until you see what part, (regardless how small it seems) you can play in making our good Club an even better one. 

Finally, let me say a big THANK you for all the past presidents who are encouraging me. It is my wish, to be able to count on you for your input and advise often throughout the coming months.

Best regards, Ralph Wiseman 73s

P.S. We do plan to update this page several times during this year, if for no other reason than to give a report on how I am doing, and where we need to go from here. God Bless