Dear friends,

We are already at the beginning of year, period favourable for all kinds of renewals. It is also the time of the good resolutions. Some will not last longer than a fire of straw; others on the contrary will see the four next seasons.

And if the good resolution of the moment was to join us?

Since the creation of the club in 1978, nearly 1500 members have, one day, thorough the doors of the club. However, the last year we were only 325 up to date of contribution!

However, these 1200 « one day » members did not evaporate in the nature.  Admittedly, some are SK and others took distance from the hamradio world but a great part is still implied in the “DX sphere”. Each member not having renewed his confidence towards the club this year, 5 years or 15 years ago, has probably a valid reason and in no case it is my role to emit a judgment. However, I wonder about the reasons which push all these friends not to come to join us again and thus,  add their contribution to the building.

Also, I take advantage from this bulletin, sent to all « one-day » CDXC members, to present our current operation, activities and ambitions.

One of the leitmotiv of Clipperton DX Club:

Since its foundation is to help ham radio expeditions thanks to financial aids, printing of QSL cards, or the loan of equipment. Since our convention of Strasbourg, we already received and treated several requests for subsidies. Each one has been examined with great attention, following a methodology set-up several years ago which is pledge of speed and equity in the treatment of the requests. As soon as a request is received, the 9 officers of the board must give an opinion, accompanied by a proposal on the amount of the subsidy. The proposals are received (as private mail) and are synthesized by the person in charge of the subsidies, Laurent F8BBL. I draw your attention to the fact that we founded a charter in order to define as well as possible the use of the budget dedicated to the expeditions subsidies. There are criteria about the QSL (direct-only = refused), payment after the operation, ethics. The applicant must accept the charter.

The year, almost 7000€ have been versed to about twenty expeditions, … all or almost, present in your logs. Unfortunately, the wallet of the club is not extensible. As you know, the sinews of war is Money. This isn’t a secret!

Your contribution is one of the only way to fill the bank account of the club.  Its amount has been unchanged for several years and rather than increasing it, we did our utmost to reduce our expenses, mainly by making the promotion of the bulletin in its “electronic” form which saves us big expenses when we send it by post way. These few hundred saved euros are thus usable at other ends. The envelope dedicated to the subsidies (accounting for approximately 90% of the budget) is function amongst up to date members of contribution. For this reason we tried without slackening to incite each one of you to regularize his situation and thus increase our possibilities of subsidies, because believe me the requests never stops. Keep in mind that 15 contributions represent approximately an expedition helped with a 300 euros subsidy.

Our activities are numerous and in constant evolution.

We collaborate with pleasure in various bulletins and reviews thanks to the DX infos and expeditions stories, which we receive from our members. When time of exhibition is come, we are going at the the four France corners (and even abroad), to promote the DX and to inform on the organization of expeditions. Internet site is our window on the Web. We endeavor to present the activities of our members but also those of the various actors who make the DX of today. Lastly, let us not forget the various awards DXPA and DIFI and the challenge of the CDXC recently set up. Of course, this list requires only to evolve and it is with pleasure that we will collect your suggestions and ideas.

The annual convention of the CDXC is also a key period.

These two days of meeting are for much the occasion to spend one weekend of relaxation around a topic, which animates us all, the DX and its various facets. To discover rare regions, to exchange, sympathize, measure the ones with the others during the pile up CW/SSB and the DX doctorate, here are some ingredients of the menu each year at the CDXC convention. Moreover, I invite you to book right now your weekend of the September 17th and 18th to come in Pontarlier (25) place of the convention 2010. F5UAY, F8IXZ and their team organize you one unforgettable weekend in Franche-Comté.

As you can notice it, all is implemented to make more dynamic our club and to invest each one of you in the various activities suggested.

When dissensions and squabbles,

… often sterile and unjustified become frequent here and there, with for consequence sclerosing and weakening associative fabric, we enjoy, not without a certain pleasure, the serene climate which reigns within the CDXC.

Can this New Year's Day bring good things to all of us.

Appearance of the first sunspots, and perhaps the return of the propagation will allow all those which today can’t agreed and can’t understand any more, to consider the future under better auspices. All my wishes for this New Year.

Good traffic.

Flo F5CWU

President of the Clipperton DX Club