Director Vallio as raised a question among the Directors about GAREC 2007 scheduled in Huntsville, Alabama on August 16-17, 2007.

The Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC) is not an ARRL event nor is it an official IARU event. However, ARRL and IARU participated in the first two conferences that were held in Finland.

There are no real rules or procedures for the conference. GAREC originated from an idea of Seppo Sisatto, OH1VR, who is the IARU Region 1 Emergency Communications Coordinator. There has been general agreement among previous conference attendees that it should rotate between different venues. The conference organizers looked at three possible locations for 2007 that included India and Finland. For 2008 the conference has received an invitation from the Croatian amateur radio society HRS.

After the 2006 conference, the organizers expressed a general interest in holding the 2007 conference in IARU Region II and in mid December made direct contact with Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, about convening the event in Huntsville around the date of the 2007 ARRL National Convention.

That is the extent of what anyone at ARRL knows about this year’s conference. Again, it is not an ARRL sponsored event but we have participated in the past two conferences and will continue to do so.

For more information on GAREC, please First Vice President Craigie’s extensive report that was sent to you in ODV-14185 on June 23, 2006 and November 2006 QST page 95.

73 Joel W5ZN