Paul Silverzweig, W1PJS, writes on main@ri-ares.groups.io:
With Memorial Day weekend comes the 4th Anniversary of our very first leadership meeting, held in Coventry, which included several of our current leadership who have been with us through the entire time.
We have done much in those few short years. We began with just a core leadership team and a lot of void to fill. About two months after that first meeting I deployed to Houston TX for Hurricane Harvey, and a month later went directly to Puerto Rico for Hurricane Maria… I was away for 7 months in total… obviously this impacted the first year of RIARES rebirth… but we are strong now, with about 100 members, and a strong leadership team. We have, in those 4 years, held 6 exercises, participated in more than a dozen public service events, established a 501c3 nonprofit RIARES Foundation, developed a Preparedness & Training Guide, have the most active weekly repeater net in RI, with a simplex VHF net and an HF net gaining participation.
I’d like to thank all of the leadership team and members who have helped bring us to where we are.
We have a long way to go, however. So I am asking all of you to pull a bit harder, participate a bit more, and step up when you can for events, exercises, training courses, and most importantly, with ideas on what you think will help us go forward.
Thank you!