DOOR PRIZE WINNERS MAIN DOOR PRIZE BY RADIOWORLD CENTRAL DOOR PRIZE BY ICOM CANADA DOOR PRIZE BY RADIO AMATEURS OF CANADA WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
It was comforting to see the entire RARC team arriving on time with all the stuff ready to set up the hall. With the numbers on the door access keypad barely visible in the faint light, the pass code was entered but nothing happened - neither buzz nor click was heard. This was repeated several times with different permutations of the pass code in case the church people set up the code incorrectly on the night before. Still nothing was heard after punching all the digits. Meanwhile the growing crowd in the parking lot was becoming restless. This was the Murphy that failed to show up at past RARC events. Attempts to phone the listed building manager contacts all ended up with recorded messages, one of them having full voicemail box. Finally a callback was received at around 08:00 saying that someone will be by the church with a key in 20 minutes. By 08:30, one hour behind schedule, the door was finally opened we were able to set up the hall so that vendors can set up their tables. Thanks to the vendors' patience and understanding, and the RARC members' diligence with the vaccination verification, the doors were finally opened by 09:30 to attendees waiting in the rain. The faster than expected set up only delayed the event schedule by half an hour. All in all, the swap meet went rather well with everthing unfolded as scripted. The planning process was pretty much a cookie-cutter from previous events but this time, much of the effort and energy was expended towards accommodating and communicating the safety requirements of both Provincial Heahth Orders and South Arm United Church (the venue), and also dealing with elements of the Amateur radio community that were against the vaccination verification and did not want to support the event. Thanks to the professionalism of RARC members performing the verification process at the door, none of the anticipated altercations at the event materialized. The event would have been similar to past events except that everyone was wearing a mask and attendance was about half the usual number. RARC's decision to green-light the event at the end of September was inspired by the success of 'Ham Hapenings' hosted by Nanaimo ARA on Sept. 11. But who would have thought two months afterwards that: A big thank you to everyone (who braved all the elements) for coming out and contributing to the event's success, including those who did not attend as they helped to keep the odds down for winning the door prizes (hihi). But the greatest appreciation goes to Radioworld Central and ICOM for their ongong support and confidence in backing this swap meet from the getgo. 73 de VE7URE
EVENT UPDATES - Nov. 25, 2021 - ARRIVAL AT EVENT * Make sure you are in the correct lineup when you arrive at the entrance of the event hall. One line will be for those waiting to have theiir vaccination verified, another line is for those who have gone through the check-in process and received their wristband. The wristband is your permit to enter the building and indicates that you have proof of vaccination and paid admission. EVENT UPDATES - Nov. 24, 2021 * The Event Safety Plan is constantly updated and modified to best meet safety requirements for the event. Everyone will need to go through the following process before being allowed to enter the event building. EVENT UPDATES - Nov. 23, 2021 * Ongoing city infrastructure construction on the church site has reduced the number of available parking spots. There are some roadside parking along sections of No. 3 Rd. south of Steveston Hwy. Nearest lot for overflow parking is at Broadmoor Shopping Centre on 10111 No. 3 Rd. (at Williams Rd.), about 0.8 km north of Steveston Hwy. Best to carpool if possible. EVENT UPDATE - Nov. 22, 2021 • Radioworld Central offers free shipping on purchases for one week following swap meet to all event participants with proof of attendance (so keep your door prize tickets). EVENT UPDATES - Nov. 18, 2021 * Information for all attendees, vendors and exhibitors with Event Safety Plan.
SAFETY PLAN FOR SWAP MEET An event safety plan is established to comply with BC Public Health orders and South Arm United Church requirements at where the event will take place. These safety measures will be carried out for the safety of all parties involved at the event and occupants of the premise afterwards. A) BC PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS AND DIRECTIONS * Proof of vaccination required to enter event. * Masks required inside the event. B) EVENT SITE REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Requirements by South Arm United Church General Safety Recommendations Recommendations for Vendors Face masks, hand gloves (latex-free) and sanitizing wipes will be available at event.
ABOUT THE EVENT The Richmond Amateur Radio Club (RARC) will be hosting an indoor swap meet for Amateur radio and related items on Saturday, November 27, 2021 at the South Arm United Church in south Richmond (southwest corner of Number 3 Rd. and Steveston Hwy.). All participants at the event will need to exercise current COVID-19 safety practices. Venue: South Arm United Church - Gym Hall (south of church section) EVENT SCHEDULE
08:00 - Vendor and exhibitor set up |
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 To RARC main Website |
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| Updated: Jan. 29, 2021 | |||||||||||||||
