THE SCARA STORY
Our Foundation
The Schoolcraft County Amateur Radio Association (SCARA) was founded in 2024 with a clear and distinct mission: to establish a modern, resilient, and highly trained emergency communications infrastructure for the Upper Peninsula. Recognizing the vulnerability of traditional cellular and internet networks during severe weather and public emergencies, our founders set out to create an organization entirely focused on public safety and community resilience.
We are officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, allowing us to partner effectively with local government, write for technical grants, and receive tax-deductible contributions to build out our regional infrastructure.
A 100% Dues-Free Organization
Unlike many traditional amateur radio clubs, SCARA operates strictly as a 100% dues-free organization. There are no annual membership fees. We believe that financial barriers should never prevent a licensed operator from volunteering their time and expertise to serve the community. Our operations are funded entirely through voluntary donations, grants, and the generosity of our community partners.
Public Safety Partnerships
SCARA does not operate in a vacuum; we are fully integrated into the local emergency response framework. We maintain a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Schoolcraft County. Through this partnership, the mobile emergency communications trailer remains the property of the county, while SCARA’s technical volunteers provide the expertise to outfit, maintain, and deploy it during critical incidents.
Whether it is managing traffic on the Central Upper Peninsula ARES Net, deploying rapid-response Go-Kits for search and rescue operations, or establishing off-grid Winlink gateways, SCARA is committed to ensuring Schoolcraft County always has a voice when the grid goes down.
Organizational Leadership
SCARA is managed by a streamlined directorship structure rather than a traditional Board of Directors. This allows us to remain agile, decisive, and focused on our technical projects and emergency deployments.
- Founder & President: Grant Harris (AA8GH)
If you are a licensed operator interested in joining our ranks or assisting with our multi-node VHF repeater build-out, please reach out via our contact page.