This feature--including convenient Web links to useful information--is a quick monthly update of some of the things ARRL is doing on behalf of its members. This installment covers the month of August.

ARES field volunteers working in and near the affected areas and from their home QTHs, along with ARRL members and HQ staff have been supporting a number of disaster relief efforts along the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. For details, see the September 2 edition of The ARRL Letter. President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, issued a statement on Amateur Radio's role in the disaster relief efforts.

Both local and national media have covered Amateur Radio's significant role in the relief efforts.

Any ARRL Member with an interest in emergency communication or public service can sign up online to receive the new ARES E-Letter via e-mail, and anyone can read it on the Web site.

A Motorola BPL system has been installed at ARRL HQ.

ARRL members continue to comment on the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes that testing for Morse code be eliminated.

Media Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, was interviewed about BPL by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

At the annual convention of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials in Denver, Colorado Section Manager Jeff Ryan, K0RM, and Assistant SM Tim Armagost, WB0TUB, assisted ARRL EmComm Course Grant Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, by fielding questions about Amateur Radio's role in supporting public safety communications.

Wisconsin Section Emergency Coordinator Bill Niemuth, KB9ENO, reported that Wisconsin hams were on the job before about two dozen tornados touched down in several counties.

A new Web page for reporting the FCC enforcement of Part 15 devices is available, as is a Web page for identifying RFI via recorded sounds.

Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, helped cover the ARRL booth at the Southeastern Division Convention in Huntsville, Alabama, with Director Frank Butler, Vice Director Sandy Donahue, IARU President Larry Price, SM Greg Sarratt, DXCC Manager Bill Moore and EMCOMM Grant Manager Dan Miller, who conducted a well-attended emcomm class. Bill Moore conducted a DX/LoTW forum, as well.

Media Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, presented a Public Relations forum for PIOs at "Summerfest," the Texas State Convention in Austin.

Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, attended the West Virginia State Convention in Weston, and Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, attended both the Missouri and Kansas State Conventions.

The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for June is David R. Fordham, KD9LA, for his article "IEEE 802.11 Experiments in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley."

Bill Barrett, W1WJB, coordinator of the Community Education Project, held a CEP field site meeting in New Hampshire.

Registration opened for the ARRL Emergency Communications (Levels I, II and III), Technician Licensing, Radio Frequency Propagation, Antenna Modeling, HF Digital Communication, Antenna Design and Construction, RFI, Analog Electronics and VHF/UHF--Beyond the Repeater on-line courses. Registration has also opened for the newest online course, Digital Electronics. To learn more, contact the Certification and Continuing Education Program Department.

In response to members' requests, the popular (and free) ARRL E-Mail Forwarding Service will be adding spam filtering and virus scanning on messages sent to <call sign>@arrl.net addresses for forwarding to League members' established e-mail accounts. This enhancement will take effect in early September.

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) has informed ARRL that the League has been deemed eligible for inclusion in the 2005 CFC National/International list.

ICOM America has agreed to be principal sponsor for nearly 150 currently unsponsored plaques for the ARRL Sweepstakes Phone and CW contests.

A new DVD, "The ARRL Goes to Washington," is available for sale.

The October issue of QST was released to the printer, as were the November/December issues of QEX and NCJ.

Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, forwarded several reports of intruding and interfering signals to the FCC.

John Hennessee, N1KB, assisted several members with questions concerning covenant problems and local government zoning concerns.

Media Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, posted the August issue of CONTACT! for Public Information volunteers.

The ARRL Contest Branch has posted the complete list of Logs Received for ARRL Field Day 2005.

The ARRL Education and Technology Program (ETP--also known as "The Big Project")--has expanded by four schools.

The new Amateur Licensing Class Search Page lets prospective hams search for a licensing class in their area.

A new, auto-updating HTML-version of the contest "Printable Line Scores" now is available on the Contest Results Web page.

Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC, and former Western Washington SM Harry Lewis, W7JWJ, were honored as the co-recipients of the Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) 2005 Mentor of the Year Award.

The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved this operation for DXCC credit: T6EE, Afghanistan, from September 19 until October 16, 2004.

Hudson Division Vice Director Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF, led a Volunteer Examiner Team that tested "space tourist" Greg Olsen, who is now KC2ONX.

Section Manager election ballots were counted at ARRL HQ. This month marked the end of the nomination process for Directors and Vice Directors.

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