A while back, In the April 1997 issue of the Exciter was an account of the early days of the club.
The article can also be seen at http://www.pagesz.net/~jwittich/articles/rarsbday.txt/.
The account was according to Ed, WA4PEN.  At the end of the article was the promise of 
additional accounts from others who were there.  The source I had in mind was Bob, K4MC.  But
Bob became ill before I had the chance to speak with him of the great deeds done in the 60's.

Recently, I was lucky enough to visit with Bob on the occasion of his 81st birthday, and as
he was showing me things from his past, he found the whole account of the founding of the
Club already written out.  It is published here by permission.

Jeff -- AC4ZO

>From the log at K4MC:

Some time ago, John KK4JB, asked me to give a few highlights of how the club got started 
and some of the events that have taken place since then.  I told him then, that my memory was not
as good as it used to be and for him not to grow old.

I made myself a few notes and then checked with Ed Alderman.  Ed and I generally head in the
same general direction but somehow don't always arrive at the same place.
You know Ed,  he's a short and I'm a long waver.  These are my recollections.

In 1968- The club really got started by a group of amateurs and their wives who had a number of 
dinner meetings.  In between these dinner meetings, various members got together in their 
homes.  My recollection of those involved were:  Stu Meyer - sales mgr of Aerotron; Bob Lade - 
NCSU - Dean EE Grad Students; Ed Alderman - NC ED Dept and VHF bug; Bill McDowell - 
State of NC Water Dept & DX hound; Tom Alexander - lawer & general ham interest; John
Freid - some DX and general interests; Bob Hainsworth - Fed bank examiner; Bob workman - 
print shop owner and general interest; and myself.

The groundwork being completed in these meetings, Jan 1969 charter membership was opened
and ran until March.  The first general meeting was held in the auditorium of Occidental
Insurance followed by several at the NCSU armory.  I don't recall exactly how many charter
members there werebut it seems like it was a little over 30.  The Governor (Bob Scott) was
arm twisted into declaring Amateur Radio Week.  The pictures and declaration were the main 
attraction in the first RARS newsletter.  The fall of 1969 the club put on a STATE convention.
Stu Meyer had the connections to twist arms and bring in the headliners for the event.  Needless
to say we had no money and most of the instigators mentioned above backed the affair.  We
needed 300 tickets to break even - total sales were 325.  In 1970 we held a Roanoke Convention
at the same place - The Hilton Inn now renamed Brownstone Inn on Hillsboro St.

In 1971 - I think - we had the opportunity to buy some gear being replaced by Southern railroad.
Tube type Motorola - 2 channels - xtal units.  Most of these had to be rebuilt and power supplys
built.  Everyone pitched in and we set up one of the first repeaters in the area.  The receiver was
at one house and TX at another in order to get seperation.  The houses were those of Lee
Johnson and Ed Alderman.

The club has grown and prospered thanks to a lot of effort by club members.  Some of the 
things that happened along the way:  This club influenced club activity all over the state;  
First to have Governor proclaim Amateur Radio Week;  Resumed State Conventions and 
Roanoke Conventions - none had been held for 15 or 20 years;  Added fuel to repeater construction;
Held an expedition to Nags Head - 70th year of flight - special call;  Field days every year.

Bob Corns, K4MC (date of writing unknown)