Last May Jim WB8SIW asked, the question, “Do we want to hold our QMN picnic on the same day as the NTS/EAN Picnic?  We can always drift away for a half hour or 45-minutes for the usual business meeting while the rest of the NTS group relaxes and chats a bit.  This would be an ideal opportunity for a bunch of traffic handlers to get together in one place, socialize, and perhaps solve a few NTS problems at the same time.  Since no one said “NO” we decided to follow through with the plan.

The 2011 NTS Traffic Handler's Picnic will be held on Saturday, September 24 at the St. Joseph County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America at South Bend, Indiana. The event will run from 11-AM to 4-PM and it will provide an outstanding opportunity for NTS traffic handlers to get together, socialize, and "talk shop" at a single location. All NTS operators are invited to attend, regardless of ARRL Section, mode, or net affiliation.

The St. Joseph County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League offers excellent amenities for the whole family. The 1920s club house provides an excellent atmosphere, while providing a fine facility for dining, discussions, and any business the groups wish to conduct. The surrounding nature park includes creeks, trout ponds, and hiking trails for the entire family to enjoy. The fall foliage should be at its peak, making the surrounding nature preserve a most pleasant place to spend some time. Nearby one can find numerous good quality hotels and other activities to enjoy, including the Studebaker Museum, RV Hall of Fame (camper museum), the College Football Hall of Fame, and Historic Notre Dame University.

The St. Joseph County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League is conveniently located off Interstate-80 and US-31. It is strategically located between Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Lansing, Michigan. For those coming from further away, it is an easy trip down the I-80 / I-90 corridor.

The event will be an informal "picnic style" get-together. Those joining the event are encouraged to bring your meat and a dish to pass. A couple of grills will be provided for barbecue and the like.

This event is an excellent opportunity to meet others with an interest in traffic handling, while exchanging ideas for improving NTS. If you plan to attend, please drop a radiogram addressed simply to WB8SIW, Michigan QMN Net. This will allow us to estimate the expected number of attendees.

The address for the facility is:
20400 Darden Road
South Bend, Indiana 46637

Talk-in frequencies are: 147.390 +600 PL=131.8 (pending trustee approval) / 146.520-mHz (simplex).