History of the Blennerhassett Amateur Radio Klub
This is the narrative provided by one of the first members of the club, Mark Schauwecker.
The reason I remember all of this is because I was there, also it’s now easier for me to remember things that happened a long way back then it is to remember what I had for breakfast. You youngsters will recognize that one day.
My dad‘s name was Ernie W8BWT he received his license in January 1948. It took him three tries to pass the 13 words per minute test, boy was he proud. In June of that year Dupy Hefner W9MIT, invited dad and me to go to the eastern panhandle and participate in field day with his son Bill now WA4SPG.
We went to the eastern panhandle because the club the Dupey had been in before was located there. I remember the food was excellent, the thunder, hail and windstorm, were not. The camaraderie was unforgettable and so were the radio Contacts.
That was the catalyst. All my dad could talk about on the way home was forming a club so that we could have our own field day maybe we could have it on Fort Boreman Hill etc. etc. etc.
Anyway, the club idea was kicked around with Dupy, Ray Smith, W8HUG, Gene Grow, W8BVQ and sometimes others, in the game room of our house while the bylaws were being hammered out and names could be decided upon.
Our bylaws I remember were quite specific you had to be a licensed amateur to be a member, what a bummer! I was probably as well prepared as my dad was at that time because I had helped him study for his ticket for at least a year, but at that time my major interest were cars and girls, ( do I have that in the right order?) I don’t know but back to the subject.
Blennerhassett was chosen as the name because it was felt that everybody would feel at home. It was felt that using a city name would be to local, and some people may not feel welcome.
There were nine original members of the club, if there were others I can’t recall them. This all occurred about 1948. In May 1949 my dad became a silent key and my interest in the radio stopped for about nine years. I’m sure there are others that can tell you more history of the Blennerhassett Amateur Radio Club.
Mark Schauwecker became a SK in 2020.