Want to have some serious fun? Try something different? Make new friends? All while giving something back to Amateur Radio and going above the call in supporting your League? Join the ARRL Field Organization, the family of official League volunteers with traditions stemming back to the earliest days of Amateur Radio. The League is volunteer-based, and the Field Organization serves as its backbone.
The country is divided into administrative sections, 71 in all. Most sections are whole states, but a few of the larger states are divided into two, or even more, as is the case with Texas and California. If you're a contester, these sections will be familiar to you.
The membership in each section elects a Section Manager (SM) (see list of SMs) once every two years. He or she is responsible for managing the Field Organization programs in the section. The SM is not involved in League policy-making (although he or she may have a strong voice in such matters)--this is a function reserved for the division director. The SM's main job is to recruit, through several subordinate program managers or coordinators, League volunteers to staff eight crucial program areas: emergency communications, message traffic, volunteer monitoring, RFI problem-solving, support of affiliated clubs, government liaison, encouragement of technical activities, and dissemination of on-the-air bulletins. Nomination information and forms are available by e-mailing Leona Adams or calling 860-594-0341.
Sign up for an official ARRL appointment! There's a place for everybody: New ham or veteran, young or old, Novice or Extra, athlete, couch potato, or tech weenie. Click on the the appointments you're interested in, and then apply using the easy on-line application form. Your application will be forwarded to your Section Manager for consideration. When approved, you'll be eligible to order a call sign badge that tells everyone your official status as an ARRL appointment.
Although the buck stops with the Section Manager, the station-level appointees and program functions listed above are normally managed by a "cabinet" appointee called a Section official, under delegated authority of the SM. For example, the Section Traffic Manager (STM) manages the National Traffic System activity in the section, and appoints Net Managers (NM) and Official Relay Stations. Similarly, the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) implements the section's ARES plan and appoints Assistant Section Emergency Coordinators (ASECs), Assistant District Emergency Coordinators (ADECs) District Emergency Coordinators (DECs), Emergency Coordinators (ECs) and Official Emergency Stations (OESs). There's also an Official Observer Coordinator (OOC), Technical Coordinator (TC), Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC), Public Information Coordinator (PIC) and State Government Liaison (SGL). After you've gained experience as a station-level appointee, perhaps you'll find yourself in one of these leadership roles. For more information, contact the page author shown below.