Summary Agenda
1. Pursuant to due notice, the Board of Directors of the American Radio Relay League, Inc., met in second session at the Hartford/Windsor Airport Marriott in Windsor, Connecticut, on Friday, July 18, and Saturday, July 19, 2003. The meeting was called to order at 8:35 AM EDT, July 18, with President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, in the Chair and the following Directors present:
Bernie Fuller, N3EFN, Atlantic Division
George R. Isely, W9GIG, Central Division
Jay Bellows, KØQB, Dakota Division
Rick Roderick, K5UR, Delta Division
Jim Weaver, K8JE, Great Lakes Division
Frank Fallon, N2FF, Hudson Division
Wade Walstrom, WØEJ, Midwest Division
Tom Frenaye, K1KI, New England Division
Greg Milnes, W7OZ, Northwestern Division
Robert Vallio, W6RGG, Pacific Division
Dennis Bodson, W4PWF, Roanoke Division
Walt Stinson, WØCP, Rocky Mountain Division
Frank M. Butler, W4RH, Southeastern Division
Art Goddard, W6XD, Southwestern Division
Coy Day, N5OK, West Gulf Division
Also present without vote were Joel M. Harrison, W5ZN, First Vice President; Kay C. Craigie, N3KN, Vice President; Fried Heyn, WA6WZO, Vice President; Rod Stafford, W6ROD, International Affairs Vice President; James McCobb, W1LLU, Treasurer; David Sumner, K1ZZ, Executive Vice President/Chief Executive Officer and Secretary; Chief Operating Officer Mark Wilson, K1RO; Chief Financial Officer Barry J. Shelley, N1VXY, and Chief Development Officer Mary M. Hobart, K1MMH.
Also in attendance at the invitation of the Board as observers were Radio Amateurs of Canada President Bill Gillis, VE1WG, and the following Vice Directors: William Edgar, N3LLR, Atlantic Division; Howard Huntington, K9KM, Central Division; Twila Greenheck, NØJPH, Dakota Division; Henry Leggette, WD4Q, Delta Division; Dick Mondro, W8FQT, Great Lakes Division; Stephen Mendelsohn, W2ML, Hudson Division; Bruce Frahm, KØBJ, Midwest Division; Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF, New England Division; James Fenstermaker, K9JF, Northwestern Division; Andy Oppel, N6AJO, Pacific Division; Les Shattuck, K4NK, Roanoke Division; Warren G. "Rev" Morton, WS7W, Rocky Mountain Division; Nelson E. "Sandy" Donahue, W4RU, Southeastern Division; Tuck Miller, NZ6T, Southwestern Division; and Dr. David Woolweaver, K5RAV, West Gulf Division. Also present were General Counsel Christopher D. Imlay, W3KD; Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG; Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO; Technical Relations Manager Paul Rinaldo, W4RI; Sales and Marketing Manager Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV; Special Assistant to the Executive Vice President David Patton, NT1N; John Chwat, President of Chwat & Company, ARRL's legislative issues consultant; and Derek Riker, KB3JLF, of Chwat and Co.
2. Mr. Vallio introduced the new Vice Director of the Pacific Division, Andy Oppel, N6AJO, to the assembly. The entire body then observed a moment of silence in recollection of Radio Amateurs who have passed away since the previous Board meeting, especially the STS-107 Columbia crew, headed by Commander Rick Husband, and including Pilot Willie McCool and Mission Specialists Kalpana "KC" Chawla, KD5ESI; David Brown, KC5ZTC; Laurel Clark, KC5ZSU, Michael Anderson, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon; Al Alvareztorres, AA1DO; Chuck Bender, W1WPR; Ed Bissell, W3AU; Henry H. "Holly" Cross, W1OOP; Robert Nathaniel "Bob" Douglas, W5GEL; Elias "Bus" Etheridge, K4IX; Dr Arthur C. Guyton, N5BX; James H. Hampton, W8ZT; James Hannell, W2JHO; Albert H. "Al" Hix, W8AH; Bill Hyde, KB0KUB; Jerry Jennison, N5OKQ; John H. Joseph, K3ISR; Ed Juge, W5EJ; Lee Kitchens, N5YBW; Don Mackay, ZL3RW; Wilfred W. "Willy" Mank, W1ZX; Mayo J. "Mac" McAllister, W0CW; James Maxwell, W6CF; Walter E. Mewborn, W4BAQ; Steve Miller, N8SM; Willard Moheng, WA5NOQ; Robert E. Mumma, W8ORI; Walter M. Olson, W4OMI; Leland E. Patience, W4DRF; Bill Pierpont, N0HFF; Harry A. "Hap" Preston Jr., W1VSA; Herbert Ramey, W5LSU; Wesley C. Randles, W4COW; James R. Roe, KF5YC; Gerald G. Schmitt, KK5YY; Francis J. "Frank" Schwab, W8OK; Larry Schwartz, WB3DBI; Robert L. Sherman, ND6N; Marjorie Tenney, WB1FSN; Marc Tonna, F9FT; Sam W. Unruh, W0VDF; and Nick Zorn, N4SS.
3. On motion of Mr. Walstrom, seconded by Mr. Milnes, the agenda of the meeting was ADOPTED as presented.
4. On motion of Mr. Frenaye, seconded by Mr. Fallon, the Minutes of the 2003 Annual Meeting were ADOPTED as presented on the ARRL website.
5. The President of the Radio Amateurs of Canada, Mr. Bill Gillis, VE1WG, delivered his greetings from RAC. He expressed RAC's sincere appreciation for the work of ARRL and IARU along with Mr. Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, Mr. Jim Dean, VE3IQ, and Mr. Bob Jones, VE7RWJ who all contributed heavily to the successful outcome of WRC-03.
6. Mr. Frenaye reported on the activities of the ARRL Foundation, and reported that the Foundation's assets continue to average $2.15 million. He added that the scholarship programs also continue to be popular with more than 30 students selected to receive various levels of funding. Benjamin Schupack, NW7DX, was selected as the first recipient of the Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship, and Ian Poole, G3YWX, was selected for the inaugural Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing Award.
7. At this point, the officers reported on their activities during the first half of 2003. President Haynie reported on his efforts in Washington D.C., including his testimony before the House Sub-Committee on Telecommunications and the Internet. He expressed his appreciation for the hard work by the IARU team and the many amateurs serving on national delegations at WRC-03. Additional topics covered by the President include the developing strategies for combating Broadband over Power Line (BPL) and for responding to renewed efforts by the SAVI Technology, Inc., threat to the 433 MHz band. First Vice President Harrison's report highlighted his travels to Dayton, Hamcom and the ARRL National Convention, and Ham Radio in Friedrichshafen, all of which involved extensive member contact and discussions about current events. Vice President Craigie's report touched on many issues of importance including her views on evaluating the possibilities for a new entry-level license class, and possibly revamping the entire licensing structure. In addition to Vice President Heyn's written report, Mr. Heyn announced that he would retire after his 20-year tenure on the ARRL Board at the end of his current term. Finally, he expressed his deep appreciation for the support and friendship of the staff and Board. International Affairs Vice President Stafford supplemented his written report with an update on the activities of the IARU and the Administrative Council regarding the nomination of President and Vice President.
8. Mr. McCobb, as Treasurer, updated the Board on the status of ARRL's investments with companies going through bankruptcy, Worldcom (MCI), and Conseco. Overall, he reported that interest and dividend income continues to decline because of lower interest rates and corporate cutting of dividends.
9. Chief Operating Officer Wilson supplemented his written report documenting the activities of the Field and Educational Services, Membership Services, Laboratory, Volunteer Examiner, Editorial & Production, Advertising, Circulation, and Web/Software Development Departments. He reported that Logbook of the World is scheduled to "go live" in September. Prioritizing ARRL's operational funding is going to be important over the upcoming months, and the strategy for these months will involve using whatever new regulations come out of the FCC in Part 97 to increase interest in Amateur Radio and in membership amongst new Amateurs and those who have seemingly lost interest. The Board was in recess from 9:24 AM until 9:45 AM.
10. Chief Executive Officer Sumner delivered an in-depth report of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2003, just ended in early July in Geneva. The outcome for Amateur Radio was successful in that the 7 MHz band was realigned closer to historical proportions when it was agreed that broadcasters would vacate 7.1 MHz to 7.2 MHz by 2009. He added that the International restrictions on third party traffic were relaxed and the requirement for proving knowledge of Morse Code for access to HF frequencies was removed. Both issues are now left to the individual administrations. The threat to the 70-cm band from Synthetic Aperture Radar was mitigated, and for the first time the International Radio Regulations now will contain a reference to suggested areas of competence for the purposes of qualifying for an Amateur Radio license. Mr. Sumner reported that he and the rest of the IARU team, led by Dr. Larry Price, W4RA, President, worked long, hard hours ensuring that the issues of concern were properly addressed wherever and whenever possible. Mr. Sumner recognized the fine work at WRC-03 from staff members Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, and Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, both of whom served on the US delegation, and IARU consultant Robert Jones, VE7RWJ, past Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau. He also noted several volunteers, who worked on behalf of the IARU and on the delegations of other administrations for their stellar work, among others: IARU Vice President David Wardlaw, VK3ADW; IARU Region 3 Chairman Fred Johnson, ZL2AMJ; IARU Region 3 Secretary Keigo Komuro, JA1KAB; Nigeria Amateur Radio Society Secretary General Oyekunle B. Ajayi, 5N0OBA; Wojciech Nietyksza, SP5FM, former Vice Chairman of IARU Region 1 who spearheaded the 7 MHz realignment issue in Europe; Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, Vice President of Radio Amateurs of Canada, who handled the 70-cm Earth Exploration Satellite Service allocation issues in the 70-cm band; Michael Owen, VK3KI, former IARU Vice President; and Jim Dean, VE3IQ, who represented Radio Amateurs of Canada on the Canadian delegation. (Standing ovation.)
11. Chief Financial Officer Shelley, referring to his written report, stressed that the present strategic planning process of the Board will help determine how to prioritize future spending and needs. He explained that some of the operating costs for the previous year were higher than expected - partially due to the record snowfalls and cold in Newington.
12. Mr. Chwat and Mr. Riker, of Chwat & Co., ARRL's Washington D.C.-based legislative consultants, delivered their Government Relations Report. They have executed more than 140 face-to-face meetings with staff and members of Congress in 2003. They primarily lobby for legislation that would benefit Amateur Radio. They also have communicated frequently with all members of Congress using electronic and telephonic means. They reported on the importance and positive effects from distributing Amateur Radio Today, ARRL's Amateur Radio introduction CD narrated by Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD. President Haynie's appearance before the House Telecoms Subcommittee also was one of the most productive things to happen for Amateur Radio in recent times. Chwat and Company also report that they are actively assisting in the fight against Broadband over Power Line by recruiting for a coalition against BPL, and they are reviewing opportunities for ARRL to secure federal grant funding for various projects. The Board was in recess for luncheon from 12:20 PM until 1:30 PM reconvening with all persons hereinbefore mentioned.
13. Chief Development Officer Hobart supplemented her written report outlining the success of fundraising for the Spectrum Defense Fund and the special campaign therein for combating Broadband over Power Line. She reported that the endowment campaign for W1AW will be postponed until the first quarter of 2004 in order to focus efforts on the programs that produce unrestricted funds as well as funds for Spectrum Defense.
14. Mr. Bodson presented a 50-year membership plaque to Mr. Rinaldo, W4RI. (Applause.) Afterwards, Mr. Rinaldo, Technical Relations Manager, supplemented his written report on his office's wide ranging activities with the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL), the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the IARU, the FCC, AMSAT, and the U.S. Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI), with a discussion of the Technical Relations Office's extensive Interim Report on Band Segmentation Based on Bandwidth Rather than Emission.
15. General Counsel Imlay supplemented his written report with further explanation regarding the situation with the SAVI Technology, Inc.'s petition to the FCC to operate its high power, high duty cycle, Part 15 devices in the 425-435 MHz band. The FCC is under increasing pressure to allow higher power devices that are likely to cause greater interference wherever they operate. The Board was in recess from 2:55 PM until 3:22 PM.
16. Mr. Day, as Chairman, presented the report of the Membership Services Committee. The Committee plans to recommend elimination of the Board Standing Order that established the Awards Manager Program (SO 85-2.36) as amended by Minute 34 of the January 2000 Board meeting. The committee is developing a Standard Operating Guide as a substitute for the Standing Order. The MSC also was able to resolve the problem of QSL Bureau cards for KG4 stations operating from Guantanamo Bay, as the two-letter 4-area will be accepting and distributing these cards.
17. Mr. Walstrom, as Chairman, reported on the large project finished by the Volunteer Resources Committee, an evaluation of the ARRL's Field Organization. He also lamented the great loss to the Amateur Community and to the VRC of Mr. Jim Maxwell, W6CF, the previous VRC Chairman. The VRC met monthly via teleconference and one in-person meeting in St. Louis, MO. The task of completing the evaluation of the Field Organization, which was based largely on the input of Section Managers, occupied the largest part of the committee's time. Each level and appointment available under the Section Manager was evaluated and recommendations provided. The net result is that the Field Organization is changing and the Section Managers as a whole agree with that finding. At this point Mr. Walstrom yielded the floor for the purpose of approving several awards. The remainder of his report was postponed until Saturday morning, 19 July.
18. On motion of Mr. Frenaye, seconded by Mr. Butler, it was unanimously VOTED that the ARRL Board of Directors selects Ed Weiss, W1NXC, as the recipient of the 2002 Herb S. Brier Instructor of the Year Award, for his efforts as a volunteer in educational endeavors. (Applause.)
19. On motion of Mr. Milnes, seconded by Mr. Vallio, it was unanimously VOTED that the ARRL Board of Directors selects Ben Schupack, NW7DX, as winner of the 2002 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Award for his activities as a young person who is active in many areas of Ham Radio and in public service endeavors in his community. (Applause.)
20. On motion of Mr. Vallio, seconded by Mr. Bodson, it was unanimously VOTED that the ARRL Board of Directors selects Joe Giraudo, N7JEH, as the recipient of the 2002 ARRL Excellence in Recruiting Award. (Applause.)
21. On motion of Mr. Day, seconded by Mr. Isely, it was unanimously VOTED that the ARRL Board of Directors selects Gerald Youngblood, AC5OG, as the recipient of the 2002 Doug DeMaw, W1FB, Technical Excellence Award for his article, "A Software-Defined Radio for the Masses," which appeared in the July/August and September/October, 2002 issues of QEX, the technical journal of ARRL. (Applause.)
22. On motion of Mr. Fuller, seconded by Mr. Frenaye, it was unanimously VOTED that the ARRL Board of Directors selects Bruce Watson, AA3LX, as the recipient of the 2002 ARRL Professional Educator of the Year Award. (Applause.)
23. Mr. Bellows, as Chairman, presented his written report on the activities and recommendations of the Administration and Finance Committee. He reported that the committee evaluated the mid-year financial reports from staff. The projected deficit exceeded the planned deficit by an additional $200,000, leading to a change in Development strategy for the remainder of the year. He believes that it will become necessary in the short term to evaluate each program and activity and adjust the level of benefits and services provided. The reasons for the greater than expected budgetary shortfall include flat membership levels; contributions less than projections in a challenging economic time; and reduced revenues from program fees.
24. Mr. Roderick, as Chairman, reported that the Election Committee had no action requiring it to have met and, therefore, had nothing to report. The Board recessed at 5:24 PM until 8:35 AM on July 19, reconvening with all persons hereinbefore mentioned except Mr. Chwat and Mr. Riker.
25. Mr. Walstrom, as Chairman, continued with the report of the Volunteer Resources Committee. On motion of Mr. Walstrom, seconded by Mr. Fallon, the following resolution was proposed:
WHEREAS, there are situations when the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) must have the capability to pass traffic across the nation quickly and accurately, and
WHEREAS, future expectations of ARES for such a nationwide emergency message handling capability will likely increase, especially with the ARRL's recent new Citizens Corps partnership with the Department for Homeland Security, and
WHEREAS, such a capability is not currently available to ARES,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Directors of the American Radio Relay League immediately establish an ad hoc committee of members to develop a comprehensive program to enhance the current ARES emergency communications capability to include rapid and accurate handling of long range (inter-state, national, and international) emergency communications. The efforts of this committee will be coordinated with the ARRL Headquarters Field and Educational Services Department and overseen by the Volunteer Resources Committee. This committee will provide a preliminary plan to be presented to the Board at its Annual Meeting in January, 2004, and a final plan to implement these new capabilities of the ARES to be presented to the Board at the July 2004 meeting.
On motion of Mr. Stinson, seconded by Mr. Milnes, it was voted to AMEND the original motion by striking "WHEREAS, such a capability is not currently available to ARES." The question then being on the motion as amended, the resolution was unanimously ADOPTED.
26. On motion of Mr. Walstrom, seconded by Mr. Butler, it was unanimously VOTED to ADOPT the following resolution:
WHEREAS, there are now numerous sources of information on amateur radio available from the ARRL via the ARRL Website and email bulletins directly to the membership, and
WHEREAS, the Bulletin Manager (BM) and Official Bulletin Station (OBS) appointments have had an important function in distributing information to the membership in the past, and
WHEREAS, overall, the Bulletin Manager and the Official Bulletin Station appointments are no longer supported by many of the Section Managers in the Field Organization,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that no new Bulletin Manager or Official Bulletin Station appointments be granted, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that existing Bulletin Manager and Official Bulletin Station appointments may be renewed at the discretion of the cognizant Section Manager, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bulletin Manager and Official Bulletin Station appointments be eliminated from the Field Organization at such time when there are no active Bulletin Manager and Official Bulletin Station appointments, respectively.
27. On motion of Mr. Walstrom, seconded by Mr. Fallon, it was VOTED that the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) in all seventy one (71) American Radio Relay League Sections shall develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive Section Emergency Plan no later than December 31, 2003. A current copy of each plan shall be maintained on file by each SEC with the SEC's Section Manager and the Field and Educational Services Department at ARRL Headquarters. This comprehensive Section Emergency Plan will be reviewed and updated annually.
28. On motion of Mr. Fuller, seconded by Mr. Roderick, it was VOTED to ADOPT the following resolution:
WHEREAS, the efficient functioning of the ARRL Field Organization depends on the leadership ability of the elected Section Managers, and
WHEREAS, leadership training is an important part of the preparation of Section Managers to assume their roles, and
WHEREAS, the ARRL conducts periodic Section Manager Orientation sessions,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Chief Executive Officer is directed to, in consultation with the Section Managers, formally establish courses to convey leadership training as part of the Section Managers' orientation sessions. Such courses may take the form of resident training at ARRL Headquarters; on-line web-based courses; or correspondence courses. Travel expenses will be reimbursed to Section Managers by the Field and Educational Services Department.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that participation in leadership training courses is considered an essential element of the duties and responsibilities of all Section Managers.
29. On motion of Mr. Roderick, seconded by Mr. Butler, it was VOTED, with Mr. Frenaye noted in opposition, that the Chief Executive Officer is directed to study and determine the necessary action to implement the recommendations contained in the "Volunteer Resources Committee Final Report to the ARRL Board of Directors, An Evaluation of the ARRL's Field Organization" not otherwise specifically addressed by separate motion to the Board of Directors. An action plan for the implementation is to be completed and submitted to the Board of Directors no later than December 31, 2003 for consideration at the January, 2004, Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors.
30. At this point President Haynie presented a long term membership award for 40 years of consecutive membership to Mr. Huntington, and ten 25-year awards to other Board members and staff personnel. (Applause.)
31. Mr. Haynie delivered the written report of the Executive Committee, which has partially finished its review of the ARRL Standing Orders. This study has determined some to be obsolete and others to need further study. On motion of Mr. Harrison, seconded by Mr. Roderick, it was unanimously VOTED to ADOPT the following resolution:
WHEREAS, the Executive Committee has initiated a review of the Standing Orders of the ARRL Board, and
WHEREAS, the first stage of the review identified the following Standing Orders as obsolete,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Standing Orders 3, 6, 7, 20, 116, 83-2.20, 84-2.25 and 98-1.47 are deleted;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Executive Committee is requested to complete the review of Standing Orders at its earliest convenience, consistent with other organizational priorities.
The Board was in recess from 9:45 AM until 10:03 AM.
32. Vice President Harrison reported on a study performed by the Technical Relations Office and the office of the General Counsel with assistance from the First Vice President, in response to Minute 56 of the July 2002 Board meeting. On motion of Mr. Harrison, seconded by Mr. Vallio, the report was ADOPTED. On further motion of Mr. Harrison, seconded by Mr. Frenaye, it was unanimously VOTED that ARRL band plans for the Amateur bands between 902 MHz and 24.25 GHz inclusive are to be revised. New band plans will be developed using as a goal the full Amateur deployment of each band. The President is authorized to appoint a band plan committee of volunteers and staff for the purpose.
33. On motion of Mr. Harrison, seconded by Mr. Roderick, it was unanimously VOTED that the President, with assistance from the General Counsel and Technical Relations Manager, is directed to explore specific terms of expanded partnering plans with the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) looking toward greater integration of Amateur operation in the bands 902 MHz to 24.25 GHz in public safety and homeland security communications.
34. International Affairs Vice President Stafford, as Chairman, supplemented the written report of the Ad-Hoc Recruitment and Retention Committee. He noted that the committee has designed and is testing several different programs to increase membership and interest, such as a manufacturers pilot program, major retailer pilot program, the use of outside ARRL sales representatives and greater use of the Members Only portion of the website.
35. The report of the ARRL Ad-Hoc HF Digital Committee was submitted by Mr. Frenaye as Board liaison. The Committee investigated the possibilities for specifying subbands for digital data based on bandwidth rather than modes. Amongst several recommendations, the committee recommends that fully-automatic, unattended machine-to-machine operation be phased out of the HF bands.
36. First Vice President Harrison, as Board Liaison, summarized the report of the SAREX Working Group with the assistance of Ms. White. The committee noted the continued strong support and funding from NASA. Every ARISS QSO continues to score media hits for Amateur Radio and spread goodwill around the globe. Ms. White mentioned that the 100th ARISS QSO took place on April 15, and that a Kenwood TM-D700A radio is scheduled to be sent to the ISS.
37. Mr. Huntington, as Chairman, presented the report of the Technology Task Force and noted that each of the sub-committees of the TTF, the Digital Voice Working Group, the Software Defined Radio Working Group, and the High Speed and Multimedia Working Group have generated good publicity and results with their projects. The TTF recognizes the achievement of the SDRWG to bring SDR articles and equipment to Amateurs frequently over the last year. Four articles about SDR appeared in QEX and a significant number of SDR transceivers have been purchased by the Amateur community.
38. Mr. Huntington, as Board Liaison, delivered the report of the RF Safety Committee. The group, led by Dr. Greg Lapin, N9GL, has been very active with reviewing various scientific studies and claims. The general interest in RF safety issues has declined as recent events have overtaken earlier concerns.
39. Mr. Harrison, as Board Liaison, explained the report of the Amateur Radio Interference Assessment (ARIA) Project. The ARIA's original purpose was to assess the impact of Part 15 devices on the Amateur spectrum—particularly in the VHF and UHF and microwave bands. The ARRL Lab has created software and equipment to measure noise across the spectrum. Dr. Lapin, N9GL, and Ed Hare, W1RFI, ARRL's Lab Manager, have proposed to refocus this study on the HF bands to listen to BPL interference across the country with the help of volunteers.
40. Mr. Bodson, as Chairman, supplemented the written report of the Electromagnetic Compatibility Committee with an update of the future of EMC. Interference to hams appears to be the present major work of the committee, and line noise problems the most prevalent type of complaint—70 such cases on the books in 2003. RFI from unlicensed devices poses a major threat to Amateur Radio at this time, and he reported that this problem will continue to require significant committee and ARRL staff attention.
41. Dr. Woolweaver, as Board Liaison, delivered the report of the Public Relations Committee. The committee's PR Handbook is available in both print and on the ARRL Web site. The Committee has put forth several recommendations for the Board to consider, including a new PR Committee mission statement, stronger uses of "Grass Roots" initiatives, and increased use and recognition of Public Information Officer techniques at the local level.
On motion of Mr. Day, seconded by Mr. Vallio, it was unanimously VOTED that the PR Committee resolicit nominations for the 2003 Philip J. McGan Silver Antenna Award.
42. On motion of Mr. Goddard, seconded by Mr. Isely, the following resolution was unanimously ADOPTED:
WHEREAS, Dave Bell, W6AQ, has made many significant contributions to the ARRL, including his work on "Amateur Radio Today", and
WHEREAS, he has served with distinction as Chairman of the PR Committee, has written many articles in support of Amateur Radio, and
WHEREAS, he has produced many films and videos promoting Amateur Radio such as "The Ham's Wide World", "This is Ham Radio", "Moving up to Amateur Radio", "The New World of Amateur Radio" and "Ham Radio Olympics",
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Directors of the American Radio Relay League confer a "Lifetime Achievement Award" to Dave Bell, W6AQ. (Applause.)
43. On motion of Mr. Walstrom, seconded by Mr. Fallon, it was unanimously VOTED that the ARRL Board of Directors adopt the revised PRC Mission Statement as contained in the accompanying report:
"The PRC is a national-level committee which reports to the ARRL Board of Directors via the Board Liaison. Members are appointed by the ARRL President for one-year terms, with options for reappointment. The PRC has two primary missions. The first is to provide guidance to the ARRL PR staff in presenting the story of Amateur Radio to the public at large, the press, and to the amateur community at the national level. This includes recommending strategies for attracting new hams, and for recruiting and retaining ARRL members. The second is to support and encourage the development of the local Public Information Coordinators and Public Information Officers in the field by providing PR education, guidance and public relations tools to assist them in their efforts. The PRC also from time to time undertakes special projects as assigned by the ARRL Board of Directors and/or the ARRL President."
44. Mr. Frenaye, as Chairman, presented the report of the Historical Committee. He noted the Committee's loss of a friend and expert in Jim Maxwell, W6CF, who relished studying the history of Amateur Radio. Perry Williams, W1UED, continues to work on the inventory of more than 100 file cabinets full of material stored at Headquarters. The job is proving more extensive than originally anticipated, but the content is rich and will make for excellent research and display material in the future.
45. Mr. Bellows, as Chairman, reported that there is no written report from the Antenna Defense Committee as the Committee has no pending matters. Mr. Harrison, as Chairman, reported that there is no written report from the Industry Advisory Council. Mr. Harrison has visited with nearly every member of the IAC to discuss many ideas. There will be a significant report for the 2004 Annual Meeting. The Board was in recess for luncheon from 12:08 PM until 1:07 PM reconvening with all persons hereinbefore mentioned.
46. On motion of Mr. Harrison, seconded by Mr. Roderick, it was unanimously VOTED that the ARRL Board of Directors select Barry Malowanchuk, VE4MA, as the recipient of the 2002 ARRL Microwave Development Award recognizing his contributions to the amateur community in microwave equipment design and development. (Applause.)
47. On motion of Mr. Frenaye, seconded by Mr. Walstrom, it was unanimously VOTED that the ARRL Board of Directors select Jonathan P. Taylor, K1RFD, as the recipient of the 2002 ARRL Technical Innovation Award recognizing his contributions in the development and support of Echolink. (Applause.)
48. On motion of Mr. Bodson, seconded by Mr. Milnes, it was unanimously VOTED that the ARRL Board of Directors select Dan Hampton, K4ITL, as the recipient of the 2002 ARRL Technical Service Award recognizing his contributions as Technical Coordinator and toward enabling a network of repeaters on the coast of North Carolina serving emergency communications. (Applause.)
49. Mr. Frenaye, as Board Liaison, discussed the Contest Advisory Committee's brief report as prepared by Chairman Joe Staples, W5ASP. The committee did not have an assignment during the last period, but did hold an informal meeting in Dayton.
50. Vice President Craigie, as Board Liaison, reported for the DX Advisory Committee, noting that there is no written report available at this time. She added that the DXAC has had no formal assignments over the past six months.
51. Mr. Sumner, on behalf of Mr. Joe Moell, K0OV, related the activities of the ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding Coordinator.
52. On motion of Mr. Bodson, seconded by Mr. Goddard, it was MOVED that Article 4 of the ARRL Articles of Association be amended by striking the words "two or" from the second sentence so that the sentence will read, "The Directors shall be elected for terms of three years by the members eligible to vote, according to the schedule prescribed in the By-Laws." A roll call vote being required, the motion was unanimously ADOPTED.
53. On motion of Mr. Bodson, seconded by Mr. Goddard, it was MOVED that Bylaw 23 be amended as follows:
As amended the Bylaw would read: "In the year 2003 and every third year thereafter, a Director and a Vice Director shall be elected in the following Divisions: Central, Hudson, New England, Northwestern, and Roanoke. In the year 2004 and every third year thereafter, a Director and a Vice Director shall be elected in the following Divisions: Pacific, Rocky Mountain, Southeastern, Southwestern, and West Gulf. In the year 2005 and every third year thereafter, a Director and a Vice Director shall be elected in the following Divisions: Atlantic, Dakota, Delta, Great Lakes, and Midwest. The terms of Directors and Vice Directors shall begin at noon on the first day of January of the year after that in which they are elected." A roll call vote being required, the motion was unanimously ADOPTED.
54. On motion of Mr. Stinson, seconded by Mr. Heyn, it was unanimously VOTED that the following resolution be ADOPTED:
WHEREAS, Joe T. Knight, W5PDY, has served for 27 years as a Section Manager in New Mexico; and
WHEREAS, during this time he has distinguished himself as a leader among leaders and
WHEREAS, he has gone above and beyond the call of duty by volunteering on many occasions to help train and orient newly elected Section Managers from throughout the country at the invitation of the Field Services Department;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Knight Distinguished Service Award is hereby established to recognize exceptionally notable contributions by a Section Manager to the health and vitality of the League, with the first such award being presented on behalf of the ARRL Board of Directors to Joe T. Knight, W5PDY. (Standing ovation.)
55. On motion of Mr. Stinson, seconded by Mr. Frenaye, the following resolution was proposed:
WHEREAS, Directors and Section Managers are increasingly utilizing the ARRL web-based email distribution service to communicate and coordinate with members on a wide variety of important issues; and
WHEREAS, it is essential to promote expanded use of this service due to its efficiency and speed;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the following sentence shall be inserted in paragraph B of the ARRL Web Privacy Policy: "Directors and Section Managers may communicate with members in their divisions and sections, respectively, on ARRL business unless the member has opted out of receiving such communication."
On motion of Mr. Butler, seconded by Mr. Milnes, it was moved to AMEND the resolution by adding the following sentence to the end: "In addition, all members shall be opted-in and given notice to go to their member files and reset the flag to opt-out at their option." All being in favor, the amendment was ADOPTED. The question then being on the original resolution as amended, the resolution was unanimously ADOPTED.
56. On motion of Mr. Goddard, seconded by Mr. Stinson, the following resolution was unanimously ADOPTED:
WHEREAS, a newcomer's interest in Amateur Radio has the best chance of flourishing under the guidance and encouragement of one or more experienced Radio Amateurs; and
WHEREAS, one of the most critical points in a new licensee's career is the transition from license study to on-the-air operation; and
WHEREAS, recent license restructuring and likely future changes in licensing requirements make early guidance and encouragement even more critical; and
WHEREAS, Amateur Radio has a tradition of mentoring (Elmering), that is, of amateurs who are willing to dedicate time and effort to bring new people into the hobby - and are willing to guide those people through the licensing process and beyond; and
WHEREAS, nationally organized programs of mentoring have been successful in bringing new people into other skill/knowledge-based avocations such as general aviation where, for example, AOPA's "Project Pilot" has brought in more than 30,000 new pilots in six years, now therefore it is
MOVED, that the Volunteer Resources Committee is instructed to develop two or more viable options for a program that will establish an ARRL Volunteer Mentor (Elmer) program providing for the promotion, support and growth of mentoring in Amateur Radio. Said options shall be presented to the Board of Directors at its 2004 Annual Meeting.
57. On motion of Mr. Isely, seconded by Mr. Bellows, the following resolution was proposed:
WHEREAS, the ARRL is increasingly involved in regulatory issues that affect the Amateur Radio Service; and
WHEREAS, the existing method of appointing State Government Liaisons is balkanized in those states with multiple sections and in those ARRL Divisions that encompass parts of one or more states;
IT IS THEREFORE MOVED, that the appointment of the State Government Liaison be made by the ARRL Division Director, and in those states that are included in more than one ARRL Division, the respective ARRL Directors shall jointly appoint the SGL.
IT IS FURTHER MOVED, that the change shall be effective October 31, 2003.
Mr. Fallon moved to amend the motion by striking "and in those states that are included in more than one ARRL Division, the respective ARRL Directors shall jointly appoint the SGL." But there was no second.
On motion of Mr. Stinson, seconded by Mr. Fallon, it was VOTED to AMEND the resolution by striking the third paragraph and replacing it with the following:
IT IS THEREFORE MOVED, that the appointment of the State Government Liaison be made by the ARRL Division Director in those states that include more than one ARRL Section."
On motion of Mr. Vallio, seconded by Mr. Weaver, it was VOTED to lay the motion on the table.
58. On motion of Mr. Fallon, seconded by Mr. Walstrom, it was VOTED that
The ARRL President's Award is created:
This award is presented to ARRL members who have shown long-term dedication to the goals and objectives of ARRL and Amateur Radio, and whose support of individual programs and/or goals has been above and beyond the normal efforts of ARRL members. It is presented only to those whose truly outstanding efforts have benefited ARRL and/or Amateur Radio operators in the state, the region, or the nation.
59. On motion of Mr. Fallon, seconded by Mr. Butler, it was unanimously VOTED that the Executive Committee is tasked to review and recommend any changes it determines necessary to the MOU with the National Frequency Coordinating Council at the January, 2004 Annual Meeting.
60. On motion of Mr. Harrison, seconded by Mr. Frenaye, it was unanimously VOTED that the following resolution is ADOPTED:
WHEREAS, ARRL, in concert with the IARU, successfully represented Amateur Radio at WRC-03; and
WHEREAS, the League, as the Amateur Radio representative in the United States will, through its democratic process, review input from its members as to the impact and implementation of these results to the Part 97 rules;
THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED, the ARRL Board of Directors thanks the members of the IARU and ARRL WRC-03 team for their tireless and dedicated efforts in promoting Amateur Radio and congratulates them on achievement of the IARU goals for this WRC;
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Chief Executive Officer, General Counsel, and Executive Committee develop recommendations on ARRL policy for an FCC filing to implement the results of WRC-03, and report back to the ARRL Board at the 2004 Annual meeting.
61. On motion of Mr. Fuller, seconded by the entire assembly, it was unanimously VOTED to thank staff, especially Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ, and Debra Johnson, for their hard work to ensure the success of this meeting. (Applause.)
62. There being no further business, those present were invited to make informal closing comments and the meeting was adjourned at 4:00 PM. (Time in session as a Board: 12 hours, 59 minutes.)
Respectfully submitted,
David Sumner, K1ZZ
Secretary