Saturday, November 06, 2021

Presentation of the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award to ARRL North Texan

 The First North Texan

and the first Young lady in Texas

to receive the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial

youth award. 

Ms. Katherine M. Forson KT5KMF, amateur radio Extra class Licensee, was presented the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Youth Award. The presentation was orchestrated by Sean Kelly W5SPK President of the Plano Amateur Radio Klub (PARK) at a gathering of fellow amateur radio operators and dignitaries on the 20th of September in Plano, Texas

(Seated Left-Right, John Robert Stratton N5AUS The ARRL West Gulf Division Director,
Steven Lott Smith KG5VK ARRL North Texas SM, and Deputy Mayor Maria Tu of  Plano, Texas)
 
                   

John Robert Stratton N5AUS ARRL West Gulf Division Director
Presents Katherine Forson KT5KMF the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial plaque



Attendees included friends and family members of the award recipient, as well as officers and members of more than a few ARRL affiliated clubs from North Texas and the former ARRL North Texas Section Manager Jay Urish W5GM


The Check accompanying the award is presented by
West Gulf Division Director John Robert Stratton N5AUS and ARRL NTX SM Steven Lott Smith KG5VK, while the honorable Deputy Mayor Maria Tu of Plano, Texas looks on.
              
                    


While Katherine is the first ever North Texas amateur Radio op and the first YL in Texas to receive this prestigious award, she is far from a stranger to receiving awards and making milestones. Having received her first Amateur Radio license at the young age of 15, in 2018 she was the recipient of the First place award in the Plano, Texas District Science Fair and went on that same year to secure second place in the Dallas Texas Science and Engineering Fair.

In early 2019 while campaigning to become the ARRL North Texas Section Manager (SM), I was afforded the opportunity to see a Ms. Forson do a rehearsal presentation for her third science fair competition, I was so impressed I decided that if I became the new SM  I would waste little time asking her and her parents if she could be our Section Youth Coordinator.

In May of 2019, I appointed Ms. Forson KT5KMF as  the ARRL North Texas Section Youth Coordinator, She has of course excelled at her position being one our most active and engaged ARRLNTX Section Staff Members. It is a great honor to have come to know her and her parents. (Steve KG5VK)