About
Ten Things To Know About MAARS
1. MAARS was founded in 1972
2. Over the years, MAARS has had over 400 members
3. MAARS is a volunteer civic service organization built around amateur radio
4. Members provide their own equipment and donate their time
5. Members come from all walks of life; truck driver, taxi driver, doctor, scientist, salesperson, retiree, firefighter, police officer and many others
6. Members come from all educational backgrounds; from highschool student to PhD
7. Members come from Wood, Clark and Marathon Counties
8. MAARS owns and operates a VHF repeater open to all licensed amateur use right here in Marshfield
9. The club's call sign, AA9US, was that of William Parks of Stratford - who passed away in 1997 - a dearly missed member
10. There are currently more than 70 licensed amateur radio operators just in the 54449 Zip Code alone. And over 500 within a two-hour drive of Marshfield.
No one really knows why amateru radio operators are called "Hams", they just are
MAARS is a registered affiliate of the American Radio Relay League, ARRL
(This information was found in the club archives, date of draft and author is unknown)
Current Constitution of MAARS
CONSTITUTION:
We, the members of the Marshfield Area Amateur Radio Society (MAARS), a group of licensed amateur radio operators and volunteers, strive to teach and learn, to serve our community, to create a friendly environment to promote the hobby for all amateur radio operators and recruit a group of volunteers to provide communication in the event of a public emergency. We share interests in all aspects of the amateur radio world, including learning the different modes of HF, VHF or UHF radios, analog to digital communications, building and modifying antennas, troubleshooting equipment, working with electronics, and Morse code. We welcome and are open to new or old ideas. We, as a Club will:
1. Participate in activities for or involving amateur radio throughout Central Wisconsin via public service activities; communications for charitable, civic, health, or common community groups and other agencies.
a) Activities may include events such as parades, marathons, bike-a-thon, walk-a-thon, fairs, or other happenings as requested per the Club’s acceptance and vote of approval.
2. Help attract all ages to the amateur radio hobby and help them obtain an amateur radio license.
3. Spark or further develop passion and interest in engineering, science, electronics, and radio communication.
4. Assist current licensees maintain or upgrade their licenses through mentoring activities.
5. Be prepared to work with local, state and / or other emergency service agencies by responding to cases of declared emergencies or disasters by offering amateur radio communication and/or support.
6. Members may participate in fundraising activities or other Club approved activities to raise funds for Club related expenses.
History of MAARS resurfaces. The Original Articles of Incorporation Dated October, 23 1972.
These documents along with others, including the Minutes from the very first meeting, were found in a file box tucked away in a corner of a storage closet at the Marshfield Fire Station.
MAARS State of Wisc Certificate 1972.pdfMAARS Articles of Incorp 1972.pdf