The Beginnings of NAARA

Where did it all start?  Even though the early spark plugs lived in the Puget Sound area, the organization seems to have been nurtured by the Walla Walla members during the first few years.  And though the loosely connected hams did get together from 1972 onward, the official start of the Northwest Adventist Radio Association occurred in 1978.  The earliest newsletter I have found is dated March 1979, but it is clearly not the first issue, as it states that it will be the last sent free to non-members and it reports a slate of officers elected on a ballot in the previous newsletter.  Those first officers were: President, Stan Pugh WA7KSC, Vice-president, Carl Jones WA7YBA, and Secretary-Treasurer, Howard Radke N7TI, with Board members Fred Mason K7OVN, Paul Nelson WA7ULC, and George Rhoads W7KZN (later KR7P).

Also listed in the newsletter were the names and calls of all the charter members.

Roger                                Weller                                 WA7TRC

And the reason for the organization was and is to promote Christian fellowship among our amateur radio operators in the church.