Over 50K #HR1301 emails have been sent to #CapitolHill. Has yours? Every letter counts: Please do it now https://t.co/nmRAFrDc3K #HamRadio pic.twitter.com/5iAV87dmcc

— ARRL (@arrl) September 23, 2016

“The bill is passed without objection.” With those words, Amateur Radio history was made on September 12, when the US House of Representatives approved the Amateur Radio Parity Act, H.R. 1301 on a voice vote under a suspension of the rules. The focus of the campaign to enact the legislation into law now shifts to the US Senate.
(ARRL: Amateur Radio Parity Act Passes in the US House of Representatives!)

As ARRL Dakota Division Director, Kent Olson KA0LDG, wrote in his Tuesday, September 13, 2016, email to Dakota Division Members:

This is a “call to arms” and crunch time for us to get this bill through the Senate. The days of the 114th Congress are getting less and less each day so the faster this bill gets to the floor, the better.

Please, please, please, take a few minutes and do this for the future of Amateur Radio. ARRL officers, directors, and staff have put countless hours into getting HR-1301 passed and yet the work is not quite done. Now we need another push for [HR-1303 in the Senate] to get passed and you can help.

To this end the ARRL have deployed a Rally Congress page to simplify the letter writing process. And Rick Roderick (K5UR, ARRL President) sent the following letter to the ARRL Membership requesting their support:

The 1st week of #NatlPrep month is about getting all generations prepared--ages 2-102 should be ready for disasters! pic.twitter.com/gbjaZ7gdui

— Readygov (@Readygov) September 4, 2016

National Preparedness Month starts this week 9/1🗓! Follow #NatlPrep all month. More info: https://t.co/znn0nZdl8i pic.twitter.com/SZenK0o8lT

— Readygov (@Readygov) August 28, 2016

Field Day is an annual Amateur Radio exercise, dating back to 1933, which is an educational event, an operating event, and a public relations event. This event is held on the 4th weekend in June; in 2016 that is June 25th and 26th.

Field Day gives Amateur Radio (AKA Ham Radio) operators an opportunity to learn about communicating in abnormal situations under less than optimal conditions. Hams practice these these communication skills by setting up temporary stations, often in public locations, and attempt to contact as many other Amateur Radio stations as possible. These temporary stations frequently utilize field expdient antennas and off-the-grid power such as solar or generators.