Circuit Board Award

The CIRCUIT BOARD AWARD is a special recognition award that is presented to members of the York Radio Club who have distinguished themselves through long-term service to the club and within the amateur radio community. The award is presented only when a qualified member is recognized.

The original CIRCUIT BOARD AWARD was made to honor the sponsor of the York Radio Club at Elmhurst College when the club met there. It was presented to Dr. Sawyer when he left Elmhurst College to take a position elsewhere. In 1980 the then president of the club, Les Otto, WK9U decided some type of recognition for members who distinguished themselves over the long haul would be fitting for the club to present. At first the sole judge of who received the award was the institutor. As time went on all award recipients met and voted, but this became cumbersome. Now the group, those who are active Club members and recipients of the award, communicate amongst themselves and select the next recipient.

Some of the criteria considered are the length of elevated service (this means not just being a long-term member, but a long-term participant in the club and its activities); taking an active roll in the club by serving at some level (on a committee, as an officer or director, or in a chair position); and teaching, helping, volunteering, doing, in other words — ELMERING. The successful candidate does not set out to win this award, because it is not a “Ham of the Year” award. Most anyone can put forth the effort for a year or two in order to gain an award, but that is not good enough for this award. The recipient of the CIRCUIT BOARD AWARD has done exemplary work in the service of the Amateur Radio Community for many years, not because of the possibility of receiving the award, but because of the desire to promote the hobby and serve the club and community.

The person most likely to be selected to receive this award is one who continually jumps into the fray, not to make a splash, but to do a job that needs to be done. In other words, it is not for the recognition, but for the self-satisfaction of recognizing a need and fulfilling it. It is this type of person whose name comes to the fore when those in charge question if the award is to be presented. The CIRCUIT BOARD AWARD is most often presented to a person who has done much, but does not believe it was enough and continues to look for more ways to serve. Receipt of this award is partly an expression of thank you for service rendered, but also an expectation of continued leadership to the Amateur Radio Community.

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Award #YearRecipientCall SignNote
011980Rich JensenKD9ZQNow NR9J
021980Jim CameronW9JDX 
031981Carl ZarubaWA9NRISilent Key
041981Florence Zaruba(none) 
051986Joseph GutweinWA9RIJ Silent Key
061987Jordan KaplanW9KQE 
071987Les OttoW9LSO 
081988Jack KammWA9OHU Silent Key
091989Ernie KrauseK9BFU 
101990Cliff StrainW9KBUSilent Key
111991Darrell BurtonWB9TUFSilent Key
121992Ray DonleyWA9LCWSilent Key
131994Fred BaconWA1MRH 
141994Mike WenningerWK9J 
151996Don LongleyNU9BSilent Key
161998Al MartinN9JSZ Silent Key
172000Rich EarlW9JUCSilent Key
182002Paul CavallaroNJ9V 
192003Terry PelkolaKW9L 
202004Don DrakeK9VGNSilent Key
212004Joe SawukaytisN9PX 
222005Gehl EntwhistleKB9DVC 
232005Bob BejnaKB9FUR 
242007Marv JelonekKB9ZGR 
252008Chuck HopperK9PLX 
262009Dragan DragojevicNN9L 
272010Todd BensonW9YK 
282011Mark BurlingameKB9TVD 
292012Crystal ScottKC9ISR 
302014George TassonKC9UIU 
312015Steve JurasekN9ZE 
322016Martin RoycewiczKD4SLL 
332017Don MocarskiKB9SWI
342018Dave NovotnyKC9AMY
352019Bill Vest JrN9WGV
362019 – summerJohn McCormickK9KE
372023Bill DraheimWD9END
382024John PutnamAC9UV

Serving The Interests Of Amateur Radio in the Elmhurst area