Welcome to Big Country Amateur Radio Net of Texas.

The mission of BCARN of Texas, or the Big Country Amateur Radio Net, is to connect the long time hams with the new, to foster life-long friendships, and to be of service to our community in times of disaster.

Lifetime membership costs $1.

To join, you must have a valid FCC Radio Amateur License, and be of good character.

As a BCARN member, you can join the Internet Email list serves that BCARN operates. These Email lists are a local party line to all area BCARN members, whether they operate on the local area repeaters or only on HF. This is a starting place to access experts you can meet for coffee, or visit a newly found friend for an eyeball QSO (Conversation) in their ham shack.

BCARN is not a traditional organization.

It’s unlike any other organization you may have experienced. Because there are legal requirements, we are a non-profit corporation, with officers, managed by a board of directors, but there is only one annual meeting, and regular members don’t have to attend it.

Who gets to vote, and be on the Board?

Vested members vote for the Board members. You get vested by contributing things of value; your time, “stuff” and money to BCARN, and in addition to the personal rewards you get by participation in projects and events you receive an IRS Tax deduction on your Personal Income Tax. Vesting occurs when you have reached the investment level set by the bylaws.

Did you go out and sit at a low water crossing with your vehicle and radio gear for 12 hours, so that the policeman or fireman could instead be working somewhere else, perhaps, saving someone’s life?

Volunteer work is just one valid way to “earn” not only a Tax Deduction, but also to become a vested, voting member.

Why should you “earn” your vote in this organization?

Because it’s not fair to work and contribute time and money to an organization for years, let alone decades, only to have someone new show up, pay $10-$15 and have the same right to vote and control the organization as you.

So if you want to visit BCARN and have fun, you are welcome. But if you want to have a legal vote in control of this organization, and its assets, you must first earn it by investing in BCARN.

Meetings

Meetings are held as needed by the teams of people who work on various projects using materials, tools, and are managed by the very same people doing the work. There are no elections, no committees, no annual dues, no minutes to be read - unless you choose to become a vested, voting member, and attend the annual business meeting.

Leadership

We have all seen organizations that operate on the basis of I’m the Boss, and I’m telling you to DO THIS Because I Said So.

Ever had a single individual show up at a meeting, pay his $15 in dues, and then disrupt the meeting with issues and questions that the formal structure and meeting agenda requires everyone in the room to patiently wait while it’s addressed? We don’t have formal meetings and a business agenda that conflicts with our enjoyment of our hobby.

Not here, in the BCARN.

Well, who’s in charge? Teams are. We have a Board of Directors (a “Team”) and Corporate Officers who are qualified, willing, and able to handle all that formal “business” stuff you have to listen to at many monthly meetings on an as needed basis, and at the single annual BCARN business meeting.

Activities and projects get managed by Teams.

It’s not fair to ask one person to do it all, and IOHO (in our humble opinion) it leads organizations down roads that exclude people, limit choices, and just create problems.

When you are a BCARN member, your participation is both wanted and needed.

We promise, you won’t have to beg for 20 years just to participate. We’ll help you find a project, and meet the team right away!

Your voice on a team and in a project counts as much as everyone else - even more, if you really have the respect of your team members. So, in our teamwork approach, being a stand-out team member requires not only knowledge and skill but supporting and enabling other team members to achieve the Team’s project goals.

Got a great idea that sounds like it’s worth doing?

Our current project list is lengthy. Some of the projects are moving along slowly – while others move quickly. It simply depends on a project getting interested people who are willing to spend their time and money to see it done.

Real Leadership by Teams

BCARN philosophy is to lead by doing…

As you learn your way around BCARN you may begin to sort out who’s in charge and who’s not.

The people “in charge” are leading the way by shouldering more than their fair share of a project. On a different day, a different project, you will see other people “in charge” for the same reasons.

As a new member, we suggest you find a project that is already started, and join in.

If what you really want to do is lead a team on your own project, what better way to earn respect and motivate others to pitch in on your idea than to let the other members see how enjoyable it is to work with you, and share in the satisfaction of a job well done on a project already underway.

When family, time, and other issues prevent you from taking a leadership role, know that however much time you can devote to an endeavor you find interesting and enjoyable, it is our goal to include you as much as you are able.

BCARN has members with extensive skills, engineers, radio tech’s, and ham radio guru’s.

Well, you aren’t a RF guru? Not a problem. Erecting a tower, hanging antennas, welding mounts, making special cables, all are required, and are often essential parts of most ham projects. We have disabled Hams who physically can’t do very much – they contribute in ways that they can, such as web authoring and building items that can be made at their home.

Don’t know anything about repeaters?

That’s ok. Repeater projects include things such as remodeling a small building at a tower site, electrical work, etc. An Extra Class License isn’t required to participate in a project if you have other skills that are just as necessary to a project. When it’s time to replace the electrical service at a tower site, the man in charge may be the newest ham on the team, if he’s got the most knowledge and experience in doing electrical work!

Want to learn?

The time you contribute toward a project doing what you can means that you will be working side by side with other more knowledgeable hams, and unlike so many other organizations, we have so many projects many of our “senior” hams can’t wait to teach someone new how to do what they have done so many times before…

BCARN has office space contributed by a member, with furniture contributed by members, and so with the equipment, supplies, radios, materials for projects and on and on.

BCARN began by two individuals building repeaters for everyone to use, free of charge. That humble beginning has become an organization with an office, a full time volunteer staff, an extensive Library, and more fun ham radio related projects than you can count on your fingers.

Ham Radio is our hobby, and the

Big Country Amateur Radio Net

is all about Ham radio.

Office Number 325-480-0889

Email Us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it