City of Gloucester Proclamation Honoring Amateur Radio Operators
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Whereas, Amateur Radio operators are celebrating over a century of the miracle of the human voice broadcast over the airwaves; and
Whereas, Amateur Radio has continued to provide a bridge between peoples, societies and countries by creating friendships and the sharing of ideas; and
Whereas, Amateur Radio Operators have also provided countless hours of community services throughout these decades; and
Whereas, these Amateur Radio’s services are provided wholly uncompensated; and
Whereas, the State also recognizes the services Amateur Radio’s operators also provide to our many Emergency Response organizations, including the Fire Department, Police Department and the office of Emergency Management; and
Whereas, these same individuals have further demonstrated their value in the public assistance by providing uncompensated radio communications for local parades, bike-a-thons, walk-a-thons, fairs and other charitable public events; and
Whereas, the State of New Jersey, County of Camden and City of Gloucester City recognizes and appreciates the diligence of these “hams” who also serve as weather spotters in the Skywarn Program of the US Government Weather Bureau; and
Whereas, Amateur Radio once again proved its undisputed relevance in the modern world in 2005 by providing emergency communications when other systems failed in the devastation of hurricanes and tornados in the USA and in the earthquake/tsunami catastrophes’ overseas; and
Whereas, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the leading organization for Amateur Radio in the USA; and
Whereas, the ARRL Amateur Radio Field Day exercise will take place on June 25 and is a 24 hour emergency preparedness exercise and demonstration of the Radio Amateur operators’ skills and readiness to provide totally self-supporting communications nationwide.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Common Council of Gloucester City do hereby officially recognize and designate June 19-26 as AMATEUR RADIO WEEK.
Given under the seal of Gloucester City, this 26 day of May, 2011.
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William P. James, Mayor
