Back in 2001 a Plaque dubbed the Spoon Award was prepared
to honor Charlie Beckwith, K4BSF
for his “Senior Moments” during and following the 70th
Birthday Party for Stan, K4UK
The reason for honoring Charlie was based multiple "Senior Moments"
Here is the Saga as recounted in a series of Emails.
When Charlie got home from the Party,
he Emailed: "I brought home one of your forks by
mistake. Sorry. I'll return
it on the next trip unless you will need it before then."
Stan responded: "I think perhaps you
should have worn my new cap home which is embroidered
'I'm Having a Senior Moment'.
Where did you have the fork in your pants pocket?"
He then responded: "I had it in my
shirt pocket. I usually carry one there because you never
know when you will run into something
to eat"
The next day he followed up with another
Email: "Correction: it is a spoon and not a fork so
I guess that is strike three toward
an award of some sort!!"
Stan responded: "Did Barbara have to
identify the utensil as a spoon for you? I see you believe
in the old Boy Scout motto: "Be Prepared!"
- at least when it comes to eating that is."
To which he responded: "Hope I do not forget the spoon at the Club meeting next week."
The Spoon Award Plaque has been presented to other members
of the Franklin County Amateur
Radio Club for their “Senior Moments” or "Bonehead Actions"
Subsequent to the award of the Plaque to Charlie, others who are not members of the Franklin County Amateur Radio Club have performed deeds, which we feel fully entitle them to have their actions suitably documented. Accordingly in lieu of the Plaque appropriate Certificates were provided.
Second Recipient - Chuck Spence, M0AVW - Presented April 25, 2001
Chuck attempted to show his daughter and friends how good he was on a micro-scooter, so he did a bunny hop and it went wrong. He went over the handle bars and finished up on the deck surrounded by giggling schoolgirls. He picked himself up and with a big grin as if it were nothing, though every bone in his body was crying out, and sped off for home. By now his daughter had phoned the news of the happening so there was precious little sympathy from the family.
Therefore his Certificate read:
This is to certify that had Chuck Spence, M0AVW done his
Micro
Scooter stunt here in Franklin County, Virginia, U.S.A.
- He would
have surely received the Spoon Award for such a
"Bonehead Action"
Third Recipient – Ralph Sutton, ZL2AOH - Presented October 28, 2001
This is to certify that had Ralph Sutton, ZL2AOH fueled
his automobile
with diesel instead of petrol here in Franklin County,
Virginia, U.S.A.
rather than in Khandallah, NZ he would have surely received
the
Spoon Award for such a
"Bonehead Action"
Fourth Recipient – Greg Gifford, KG4MMY - Presented October 1, 2003
This is to certify that if Greg Gifford, KG4MMY were a
member of the
Franklin County Amateur Radio Club, his sending ten SASE's
with the
Bureau address instead of his own on all ten of them,
would have fully
qualified him to receive the Spoon Award for such a
"Bonehead Action"
Fifth Recipient – Ray Schinzel, KB3JAR - Presented January 27, 2004
This is to certify that if Ray Schinzel, KB3JAR were a
member of the
Franklin County Amateur Radio Club, his sending 99 QSL
cards with
FISTS # 11486 marked on all 99 of them instead of his
"real" FISTS # 10486,
would have fully qualified him to receive the Spoon Award
for such a
"Bonehead Action"
Sixth Recipient – Lew Norwood, KA3AKC - Presented July 30, 2004
This is to certify that if Lew Norwood, KA3AKC were a
member of the
Franklin County Amateur Radio Club, his sending 50 QSL
cards to the
FISTS QSL Bureau, all of which were blank would have
fully qualified him
to receive the Spoon Award for such a
"Bonehead Action"
Seventh Recipient – John Weir, AD7EA - Presented December 1, 2004
This is to certify that if John Weir, AD7EA were a member
of the Franklin
County Amateur Radio Club, his sending an Email to Nancy
Kott advising that
his wife’s new call sign is KD7CBP (Wrong!) and her old
call sign was KE4ECS
(Wrong!), would have fully qualified him to receive the
Spoon Award for such a
"Bonehead Action"
Eighth Recipient – Nancy Kott, WZ8C - Presented December 8, 2004
This is to certify that if Nancy Kott, WZ8C were a member
of the Franklin County
Amateur Radio Club, her printing (no call yet) for FISTS
# 11178 in Issue 8, 2004
Keynote when the application plainly had K0FR shown for
Bob's callsign would
have fully qualified her to receive the Spoon Award for having a
"Senior Moment"
Ninth Recipient – Burton Cross, K1RMF - Presented March 26, 2005
This is to certify that if Burton Cross, K1RMF were a
member of the Franklin
County Amateur Radio Club, his sending QSL cards with
no data on them
indicating time, date and frequency of the QSO's, would
have fully qualified
him to receive the Spoon Award for having a
"Senior Moment"
Tenth Recipient – Jack Slocum, WB2FXK - Presented August 26, 2005
This is to certify that if Jack Slocum, WB2FXK were a
member of the Franklin
County Amateur Radio Club, his sending QSL cards for
non-members to the FISTS
QSL Bureau instead of to the ARRL outgoing Bureau, would
have fully qualified
him to receive the Spoon Award for having a
"Senior Moment"
Eleventh Recipient – Stan Mangin, ZL2BLQ - Presented September 3, 2005
This is to certify that if Stan Mangin, ZL2BLQ were a
member of the Franklin County
Amateur Radio Club, his sending a ZL2SWR card confirming
a QSO with KI4IDK on
July 12 05 and his own card confirming a QSO with KI5IDK
at the same time on the
same date, both cards marked "Tnx QSL" would have fully
qualified him to receive the
Spoon Award for having a
"Senior Moment"
Twelfth Recipient – Geordie Fielding, ZL1CDX- Presented September 9, 2005
This is to certify that if Geordie Fielding, ZL1CDX were
a member of the Franklin County
Amateur Radio Club, his sending his QSL card through
the FISTS QSL Bureau marked for
KG9QF on one side and for KC9GN on the other side, neither
of whom are FISTS members,
would have fully qualified him to receive the Spoon Award
for having a
"Senior Moment"
Thirteenth Recipient – Doug Cardin, KG4NNN - Presented January 23, 2006
This is to certify that if Doug Cardin, KG4NNN were a
member of the Franklin County
Amateur Radio Club, his sending a QSL card to the FISTS
QSL Bureau with no call marked in the “Confirming QSO with” block and a
note on the back reading “Sri about ur call” The card was checked Tnx QSL.
We feel this would have fully qualified him to receive the Spoon Award
for having a
"Senior Moment"
Fourteenth Recipient – Helzer Paim, KB1LCK - Presented April 27, 2006
This is to certify that if Helzer Paim, KB1LCK were a
member of the Franklin County
Amateur Radio Club, his sending eleven envelopes with
39 cent stamps in the upper right
hand corner and his call in the upper left hand corner,
but nothing else which results in
them being UASE's (Un-Addressed Stamped Envelopes) would
have fully qualified him to
receive the Spoon Award for having a
"Senior Moment"
Fifteenth Recipient – Gerry Tomerlin (Mother of Greg – K4KO) - Presented June 19, 2006
This is to certify that Gerry Tomerlin prepared QSL cards
for her son Greg, K4KO addressed to KAEY and WAIII instead of K8EY and
W8III. Obviously she heard Greg wrong and thought he said "A" instead
of "8" - Since she knows amateur radio callsigns must have a number in
them, if she were a member of the Franklin County Amateur Radio Club, her
actions would have fully qualified
her to receive the Spoon Award for having a
"Senior Moment"
Sixteenth Recipient – Jim Vital, KG4YLZ - Presented July 1, 2006
This is to certify that Jim Vital, KG4YLZ sent us QSL
cards with his call on the front of the card,
but KG4LYZ on the back of the card where the QSO information
was written. Jim reported that his printer made the mistake, but
Jim didn't find the mistake when he proof read the card prior to its printing.
If he were a member of the Franklin County Amateur Radio Club, his actions
would have fully qualified him to receive the Spoon Award for this
"Bonehead Action"
Seventeenth Recipient – Rob Underwood, K0RU - Presented October 20, 2006
This is to certify that Rob Underwood, K0RU sent two QSL
cards to the FISTS QSL Bureau with no call marked on the “Confirming 2-way
communications with” line and with the block in front of “Your QSL Rec’d
Tnx, 73” checked. If he were a member of the Franklin County Amateur
Radio Club, his actions would have fully qualified him to receive the Spoon
Award Plaque for having:
"Senior Moments"
Eighteenth Recipient – Russ Halbert – K0LUW - Presented November 12, 2006
This is to certify that Russ Halbert, K0LUW sent a batch
of QSL cards to the FISTS QSL Bureau with dates that do not exist, such
as "Day 6 Month 16" and "Day 10 Month 30" and also a card with a date which
hasn't yet occurred "Day 7 Month 12 Year 06"
If he were a member of the Franklin County Amateur Radio
Club, his actions would have fully qualified him to receive the Spoon Award
Plaque for having
"Senior Moments"
Nineteenth – Barry Fluxe – WB8LSV - Presented April 25, 2007
This is to certify that Barry Fluxe, WB8LSV sent a QSL
card confirming his QSO with KGW4, which of course is not a valid callsign.
And then followed it up by sending a QSL card which had no data recorded
on the front of the card, but a note addressed to George on the back of
the card thanking him for providing QSL for CT which he needed for WAS.
He also sent a card confirming his QSO with AB1BW checked "Tnx QSL"
We feel these actions fully qualify him to receive the
Spoon Award for having
"Senior Moments"
Twentieth – Skip Stem – WB4DAD - Presented August 5, 2007
This is to certify that Skip Stem, WB4DAD sent a QSL card
to us confirming his QSO with AD5JY on 1 July 07. But on the back
of the card he had the address for Gordon Spencer, AD7JY. Since AD5JY
is not a member of FISTS, whereas AD7JY is, it would appear that Skip was
a bit confused. We feel his action fully qualifies him to receive the Spoon
Award for his
"Senior Moment"
Twenty First – Rich Meador – KO4OP - Presented January 24, 2008
This is to certify that Rich Meador, KO4OP sent 5 SASE's each with the FISTS QSL Bureau address where his address should be. And he put his address in the upper left hand corner, the return address location. It would appear that Rich was a bit confused. We feel his action fully qualifies him to receive the Spoon Award for his apparent
Twenty Second – Merlin Williams – KDØV- Presented April 25, 2008
This is to certify that Merlin Williams, KDØV sent 14 QSL cards confirming QSO’s with FISTS members each of which had FISTS # 12086 printed on them. Merlin’s FISTS number is 12068. The cards were printed by <www.cheapqsls.com> It would appear that Merlin may have given the wrong number to the printer or the printer transposed the last two numbers. We feel the action fully qualifies
Here's the picture of the Spoon Award sent to Merlin
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Be careful, you may be the next one to be honored with
the Spoon Award