A short article in the Gainesville Sun, on February 16th, 1955, announced that the evening before had seen the formation of the Gainesville Amateur Radio Society by a small group of local people interested in the advancement of amateur radio, as a hobby and a public service.

The eight people that were a part of this first meeting were as listed below:
Bill Arnold, K4AZB
Ken Boynton, W4ZJZ
Eric Farber, K4AQR
Walt Johnston, W4TKE
Art Kent, W4GAO
Orester Liles, W4WEM
Bob Scheffield, KN4BUQ
Doug Wells, W4TJU
and a visitor from South Dakota, W0HYQ.

After the Society was formed, the group elected Eric Farber as the President. He then took office and presided over the rest of the meeting. Doug Wells was then elected Vice President, and Orester Liles was voted Secretary-Treasurer. This meeting was held at the home of Ken Boynton.

On April 5th, 1955, the Gainesville Amateur Society applied to the FCC for a club call and requested the ARRL to add the club to their affiliation list. The call was issued to the Gainesville Amateur Society as K4DPZ with Walt Johnston as the first trustee.

On January 1956 the new club officers were elected for the New Year. Eric Barber was reelected President, Ken Boynton was elected Vice President and Don Bunting, a new member, was elected Secretary-Treasurer. A new office that was formed by Eric Farber required the appointment of Bud Pennell, K4EHF, as Activities Chairman.

The biggest activity that Bud came up with that year was near the end of his official term, when he arranged the "Talk to Santa" in the shopping center that December 21st and 22nd in cooperation with the Jack and Jill store. A total of 156 children got a chance to talk to Santa over ham radio.

January 1957 saw the office of President go to Ken Boynton, whose elected and appointed officers were Bud Pennell, Vice President; Don Bunting, Secretary-Treasurer; and Gene Barker, W4YGT, Activities Chairman.

In May 1957, the Gainesville Amateur Society donated a sum of five dollars to Andy Clark, W4IYT, to help him start the publishing of a state wide magazine to be called "Florida Skip", to exchange news btween Florida amateurs.

Gainesville Amateur Radio Society

A History of the
Gainesville Amateur Radio Society

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Gainesville Amateur Radio Society

Website updated November 8, 2018

Revisions:

7/21/2016 - Added a revision box. Added DMR info to local repeater page.
8/8/2016 - Added August E-Board meeting minutes.
8/22/2016 - Added a For Sale section.
8/22/2016 - Revised the GARS breakfast location.
8/22/2016 - Added a picnic map.
9/12/2016 - Added Sept. BOD Minutes.
9/30/2016 - changed breakfast place venue.
10/12/2016 - Added October BOD Mtg. Minutes
12/3/2016 - added Hamfest info page
12/29/2016 - added & edited info for 2017.
1/13/2017 - added new hamfest info.
3/9/2017 - added new hamfest info.
4/21/2017 - added newly redrawn logos.
6/21/2018 - added Field Day info.
6/25/2018 - added Field Day Photos
1/3/2019 - website revised for 2019.