Yellowknife Amateur Radio Society (VE8YK)

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, CANADA

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Our Vision

Our vision is to promote interest in the amateur radio service by

  • providing education and training to add qualified and licensed individuals to the body of amateur radio operators in the amateur radio service;
  • encouraging licensed individuals to keep interested in the amateur radio service through technical projects related to the amateur radio service;
  • supporting civil authorities in emergency preparedness and emergency response to civil emergencies; and
  • promoting the amateur radio service generally.

Our Mission

The Yellowknife Amateur Radio Society is a non-profit volunteer organization which designs, builds and operates amateur radio equipment and promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.  We aim to work in partnership with government, industry, educational institutions and fellow amateur radio societies.  We encourage technical and scientific innovation and promote the training and development of skilled amateur radio designers and operators.

Our Core Values

  • We lead by example.
  • We work within the law.
  • We respect the individual.
  • We work collaboratively towards a common purpose and shared goals.
  • We embrace change and innovation to help our members, partners and ourselves.
  • We are committed to the amateur radio service.
  • We are open and honest in our communications.
  • Above all, we act with integrity.

Strategic Objectives and Organizational Goals

Education and Training

1.      Education, Qualification and Post-Qualification. 

1.1          Teach.  Teach and aid in getting interested individuals to get licensed in order to legally operate amateur radio equipment in accordance with federal laws of Canada. 

1.2          STEM.  Foster an interest in STEM subjects, regardless of age by teaching, demonstrating and applying the principles of radio physics.

1.3          Exploration.  Continue to encourage licensed individuals to explore the amateur radio service through activities of interest to them, including new techniques and technologies.

1.4          Regeneration.  Regenerate the pool of local amateur radio operators and keep them interested in the amateur radio service.

1.5          Citizenship.  Practice and encourage good citizenship and civic responsibility.

Emergency Preparedness

2.      Preparing for a Civil Emergency.

2.1          Civil Emergencies.  Teach about civil emergency preparedness.

2.2          Cooperation.  Work with authorities to prepare for civil emergencies.  This includes planning.

2.3          Exercise.  Exercise with civil authorities prepare for civil emergencies.  Also work with amateur radio organizations to train and exercises such as participating in "contests" such as Field Day, Canada Winter Contest of Canada Day contest - these are called contests but are really exercises where emergency radio skills are practised. 

2.4          Community Support.  Assist, where possible, local community events with radio coverage - another form of exercising.

2.5          Operations.  Participate with civil authorities in actual civil emergency.

Public Outreach

3.      Educate the Public.

         3.1          Press Relations.  Communicate and advertise the amateur radio service and the activities of the Society and local amateur radio operators.  This generates interest in the amateur radio service and may encourage potential amateur radio operators to get qualified and licensed.

         3.2          Communications.  Communicate.  Communicating with the public is an integral part of community support and an emergency response.  In an emergency this might be controlled by the civil authorities but the Society should work with them.

Activities

4.      Activities.

         4.1.         Diversification.  Participate in other activities not related to the core objectives and goals above.  There are many ancillary activities needed to support any society. 

         4.2.         Broad Technical Scope. Encourage a broad technical scope. While activities related to the amateur radio service are at the core of the Society's activities, the amateur radio service and radio physics generally provide a portal into other STEM subjects.  While these subjects may be outside of the domain of the amateur radio service or radio physics, they enrich the amateur radio service and can and are often applied to transform the technical aspects of the service.  This broad scope should be encouraged.

 

DOI:  Draft_Strat_Plan_001_130322