[UK-CONTEST] Changes to and Vacancies on the RSGB VHF Contests Committee

[Andy Cook, G4PIQ]

After many years of hard service on the VHFCC - latterly as chairman, Martin
Platt, G4XUM has decided to step down from the committee, and I am taking
over as Chairman. I'd like to thank Martin for all his hard work and leading
what's been a time of many significant positive changes to VHF contesting. 

It's work that seems to have got the better of Martin, and unfortunately
that particular scourge has also been giving some of the other committee
members a hard time. Therefore, we're also saying goodbye to Dave Edwards,
G7RAU; Ian Cornes, G4OUT and Peter Bowyer, G4MJS. These guys have all worked
hard on the committee over varying lengths of time - I think as long as 12
years in Ian's case - and it's through their hard work that contests have
got adjudicated, rules set and certificates issued. Sincere thanks to them
all.

All this change means that we have a number of vacancies for new members.
We're looking for keen, enthusiastic and active VHF contesters who are keen
to increase participation in VHF contests. If accepted, you'd then be
responsible for adjudicating a number of contests, and involved in the
process of setting rules and dealing with issues as they arise. 

Most of the committee work is carried out by e-mail - so access to e-mail
and some degree of computer literacy (for contest adjudication) is
essential, but we do meet face-to-face around twice a year at present. At
present, these meetings are held on weekday evenings in London, but there
may be alternative options available if this posed a real problem for
members. 

Applications to me please, with a short summary of your contesting
experience and what you can and want to bring to the job. We'll repeat this
advert in Rad Com, so it will take a little while to come to final
decisions. 

This change-around on the committee will give us an opportunity to
re-vitalise our operation, and I'm sure that you'll see some changes to  our
focus going forward. I plan to use the reflectors as one forum of keeping
contesters informed of what we are doing.

Finally - lest they be forgotten - I want to recognise the continuing hard
work of our existing committee members, Pete Lindsay, G4CLA (who looks after
the web site www.blacksheep.org/vhfcc); Ian Pawson, G0FCT; Matt Jeffrey,
G7ORR; Steve Redfern, G4AEQ; our HFCC contact, Lee Volante, G0MTN; and Mike
Goodey, G0GJV who's developed our log checking software.  

See some of you on 80m this weekend in CW AFS.

73,

Andy Cook, G4PIQ