You may recall in Andy’s post http://www.sotawatch.org/reflector.php?topic=8926 in item 4, he said “We would like to establish a SOTA associates team to work closely with the MT and we plan to recruit these people during 2014.”. As a step in this direction I am pleased to be able to tell you that Peter ON4UP and Csaba YO6PIB have accepted an invitation to join the SOTA summits team. In future therefore you may find yourself dealing direct with either of them for summit questions, update proposals or new associations.
73 Jim G0CQK
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Further to this, we have also appointed Mark G0VOF as press officer and Jimmy M0HGY as documents manager. All this has come about by an analysis of the functions of the MT that needed more assistance and energy in order to run as we would wish.
It was probably inevitable as the SOTA programmed continues to expand apace, that gaps would start to appear. These have been identified and SOTA MT is delighted with the expertise we have been able to bring on board.
Tom M1EYP
We take one more step in the direction outlined earlier. I am pleased to tell you that Eric KU6J has accepted an invitation to join join the SOTA summits team. In future therefore you may find yourself dealing direct with Eric KU6J for summit questions, update proposals or new associations.
73 Jim G0CQK
G’day,
Congratulations to the new team members.
I also congratulate the MT on not only recognising the need to have additional members but also on the expansion of the formal activities of the MT. Importantly they are to be congratulated for the initiative of including people outside of the UK. SOTA is now an international activity now and has long grown beyond the stage where the MT could meet in an English country pub over a beer and a pie and deal with everything (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It is a healthy move to include representatives from other parts of Eu and NA - there’s a lot of SOTA action there.
SOTA has reinvigorated HF and given both new and old amateurs a new exciting facet of the hobby to pursue. Two factors contribute to this: the original well conceived concept and the MT’s administration, adapting as SOTA grew and developed.
Take a bow gents.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
Hear, hear!
“SOTA Summits Team Expands” - too many pies.
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where the MT could meet in an English country pub over a beer and a pie and deal with everything…
Actually that does remain a central part of our strategy.
Tom,
I’m very pleased to know some fine traditions continue. You now have the opportunity to travel and have local cuisine with the new MT members.
In VK3 a “parma and a red” tend to be the go at SOTA meets. Not that there’s anything much wrong with a hot pie and a cold beer - it’s a balanced meal, well temperature-wise anyway.
In my experience informal gatherings where some food and a little drink is involved result in more productive outcomes than formal structured meetings. You do need someone to remember what was agreed to, or to remember what you meant to agree to.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
We recently invited Simon G4TJC to join the summits team and we are pleased that he has decided to join us. No doubt some of you will be hearing more from Simon when new associations or updates are proposed.
Jim
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After just over four years as summits manager for SOTA, I have now retired from that role and from the MT. The function requires considerable amounts of time for analysis and review of proposals and I have been finding it increasingly difficult to allocate the amount of time needed. However there is now in place a strong summits team in @ON4UP, @YO6PIB, @KU6J and @G4TJC who will manage the continuing increase in SOTA summits.
I would like to thank all of the Association managers and their teams who have worked with me over the past years for their contributions to the expansion of SOTA. I have enjoyed participating in the development of new associations with them.
Jim G0CQK
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Thanking you Jim for your long service in devoting so much of your time to SOTA Management. Your back-room efforts are very much appreciated.
73 Phil
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We invited Jim to join because we needed someone to help with the rapid and massive expansion of the program. Jim’s previous work experience involved dealing with lots of data and with groups of people geographically remote and he also had a lifelong interest in mapping and interpreting maps. As such he was able to effect significant improvements in how we did things. Best of all Jim fitted in well with the rest of the MT in his appreciation of the essentials of life, whisky, curry and beer!
I don’t have the exact figures to hand but since Jim joined he has been involved directly and indirectly in the addition of some 20000-30000 new summits which I think everyone will agree is a major contribution to the expansion of the program. We’re sad to see Jim go and we’re only letting him retire (for the 2nd time) because he was instrumental in finding the people to form the summits team.
Jim, thanks for all your effort and contributions over the last few years and please do enjoy your second retirement.
Andy, MM0FMF
obo SOTA MT
p.s. Now you have some free time, can you go and activate all the G/SB summits again so I can get them into my S2S log? 
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Thank you Jim,
You have done sterling work and deserve a rest. I know it’s a very heavy burden that you have carried exceptionally well.
73 Marc G0AZS
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I think it says it all that your replacement is a team of 4. Furthermore, it was you who identified and put that team together before retiring.
Thanks Jim, and maybe you’ll intercept me again on a northern hill with a bottle of beer!
Well done Jim and thanks for all the backroom work you undertook to make SOTA such a success. Much appreciated.
And as Andy says it’s about time you were back out on ‘them-there-hills’!
Keep well and here’s to that next S2S.
Jack (:>J
GM4COX
PS: Did you ever finish off all those Jura summits - hi!
Jim you should be very proud of what you have achieved with SOTA. It is due to your efforts and dedication that many more people can now enjoy SOTA than could just a handful of years ago. Thanks you for all your work.
73 Glyn
Jim, thank you for all your hard work that you have put into SOTA as summits manager for the benefit of us all.
You must have put in an amazing amount of research and time, helping to bring new associations into the SOTA programme.
Thanks once again,
73
Roger MW0IDX