A recurring theme of History related special events for August seems to be Manifest Destiny, the 19th Century American belief that the American people were destined to expand westward across the North American continent (and for some, southward into Central America and the Caribbean as well). The special event stations related to the telegraph, railroad, and the Pony Express commemorate events or entities that played a key role in the American settlement of the west. Other special events in August honor the United States Coast Guard and commemorate the only refugee shelter operated in the United States during World War II. Related to the Coast Guard (they absorbed the US Lighthouse Service in 1939), the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend is the weekend of 17/18 August.

The ARRL’s 2018 annual report has recently been published, and, of course, I have a few comments on it:

In his message from the president, Rick Roderick, K5UR, describes what he calls a “new generation” of hams and contrasts them to “classic hams.” I don’t think in those terms, and I think it’s a mistake to do so. Plenty of “veteran hams” are using amateur radio to “aid their communities, and for enhancing the fun they’re already having while camping, hiking, or doing other outdoor activities.”