The Founder The efforts to form a QCWA Chapter in Hendersonville, North Carolina, were led by Harry J. Mills, K4HU. Harry received his first operator’s license in 1922 and in 1923 he received his first station license, 8BHX. Herbert Hoover who was then U.S. Secretary of Commerce signed his first station license. Harry’s original station license expired while he was at sea and upon return to the states he was granted the new station license of 8BHY. Harry became a silent key August 09, 2008 after 100 years of age and having been a licensed amateur radio operator for 87 years. Finding Hams In 1971 Harry Mills, K4HU, retired to Hendersonville after a long and successful career with RCA. Harry began looking for other hams in the area and he advertised in the local paper a place and time for hams to gather for lunch. Doc Appleton, K4RR was the only one to come. Harry and Doc had a great lunch meeting so they decided to get together for lunch every third Monday at Clifton’s cafeteria in Hendersonville. Harry put another notice in the paper inviting all hams in the area to join them. In 1972 John McLane, K4FTB, joined the group followed by Bob David, W4YK. By the end of the year the group had 5 to 6 members that were regulars at the once a month gathering of local hams. The group continued to grow in 1973 and most of the hams in this group had over 25 years of amateur radio experience. Bob David called Harry Mill’s attention to the members experience and suggested they form a QCWA Chapter. Harry reminded Bob that the requirement for forming a QCWA Chapter required at least 10 QCWA members and that they had seven or eight in regular attendance. Bob quickly produced a list of names from the Florida area to add to the Hendersonville group. Having the required number of QCWA members Harry began correspondence with QCWA to establish a formal relationship. Starting a Chapter In early August of 1974 Harry Mills filed the QCWA petition for charter that was signed by 15 QCWA members who attended the August meeting. Ethel M. Smith, K4LMB, Executive Secretary of the national QCWA organization received the petition and had it approved by the QCWA Board. The Charter was officially issued on August 15, 1974. Ethel suggested that the Blue Ridge Group accept the Charter at the national QCWA Orlando convention. Harry Mills and several Chapter 76 members attended the convention and on October 25, 1974 personally accepted the Blue Ridge Chapter 76 Charter. The Hams who signed the petition for Charter were as follows: K4HU | Harry J. Mills | | W4YB | Stark Totman | | K4RRD | D B Appleton | K4WI | Robert J. Wood | | K4EZH | Robert K Shepard | | KV4FQ | Fred Harder | W4YK | J. R. David | | K4FTB | John D. McLane | | WB4GCI | H. A. Snow | WB4RXT | A. H. “Red” Spaulding | | W4MJG | A. W. Landry | | K4NE | Lewis W. Sieck | K4IJT | E Williams | | W4SJE | Edward Dros | | K4HXZ | John F. Wyman |
Up and Running Chapter 76 was now organized and having formal meetings the second Wednesday of every month at the Ramada Inn in Hendersonville. They also had an informal meeting (eyeball lunch) the fourth Wednesday of every month at Clifton’s cafeteria. Harry Mills was the first President and then later the 25th president. Doc Appleton was the first Secretary/Treasurer. Dues were $3 per year and the group talked about the same things that we hams talk about today. I.e. How’s DX and transitioning to SSB. The first external program was put on by Mother Earth News, which originated right here in Hendersonville. The Blue Ridge Chapter 76 continued to grow and as legend would have it, rich hams from the north kept retiring into Hendersonville and joining the Chapter. Seeding New Amateur Radio Groups In the next few years after 1974 members of the QCWA Chapter 76 started a local radio club for the general amateur radio community. The Blue Ridge Technical School was offering electronics courses so John Fry, W3ESU, Bob David, W4YK, and Harry Mills, K4HU, met with the school president to propose the creation of a radio club. The school agreed and provided a room for the club. Harry Mills and other Chapter 76 members built up a station and Harry supplied a substantial radio library including a collection of older QST’s. Initially the radio club only attracted 2 new students but over time many more people joined. When the school built a new engineering building the radio club requested an antenna. The school gave permission and erected a tower that is still there today. Eventually the school, which is now the Blue Ridge Community College, moved its emphasis to computers so the radio club had to move. Chapter 76 members Walt Wernsing, KO4JN, and Herm Fabert, W9FHW, picked up the leadership role for the radio club and helped to keep it going at various locations in Hendersonville. Harry Mills arranged for the radio club to have Bob David’s station call sign, W4YK, after Bob became a silent key. The Blue Ridge Amateur Radio Club has held that call sign ever since. Still Going Strong Over the years The Blue Ridge Chapter 76 QCWA group has flourished with great friendships, excellent programs, and innovative QCWA promotion activities. One of the promotion efforts was the construction of a custom display table built by Charlie Jobes, W1HVA. This display table was used for many years at various hamfests, shopping centers, and county events as a recruitment tool. The Chapter has acquired two call sign’s, first of which is K4QC, listed on the Hendersonville packet BBS and the DX Cluster node. The second Chapter call sign is K4HU which we use for our on the air nets and Chapter events. Chapter 76 member Duke Knief, W4DK, is the trustee for these Chapter call signs. Membership in this Chapter remains strong. We are indebted to all our members who have helped to make this a truly special QCWA Chapter. | 
