Friday, February 1, 2019

Dale's Tales for February 2019

Greetings, welcome to "Dale's Tales" for February 2019.

ARRL BOARD MEETING.  On January 18 and 19, the ARRL Board of Directors held its Annual Meeting.  The board welcomed several new Directors and Vice Directors to its membership.

In specific actions, the board approved the launching of a Life Long Learning initiative (LLL).  This will include a Content Management System and an Account Management System as well as significant web site improvements all aimed at bringing LLL to the membership.  This is a lengthy project that will be implemented in several phases.  More will be released by HQ soon.

The Board approved the adoption of new guidelines for the ARES Program, bringing significant upgrades to ARES aiming at improved standards in the organization.  This was the result of a 31 month effort to upgrade the program.  ARES participants registered in ARES Connect will be able to take the newly revised ARRL EMCOMM training course EC-001 for no cost.

An amendment to the Articles of Association brought them into alignment with Connecticut law relating to there being no stockholders in our 501(c)3 organization.

A permanent operating committee was established to insure continued support for Logbook of the World.

The definition of the position of Vice Director has been revised to insure that the holders of this elected office are fully able to step in to serve in the absence of their respective Directors. The fiduciary responsibilities and requirements of operational information were included.

Dir. Hippisley W2RU entered a motion that I supported commending the National Traffic System (NTS) and endorsing the ARES and the rolls they have in emergency communications.

The board accepted the resignation of Chris Imlay W3KD who has served as ARRL General Counsel for many years.

The ARRL Board Code of Conduct was repealed, leaving CT law as the guiding principles for board members.

In standing committee appointments, our Great Lakes Division Vice Director Tom Delaney W8WTD was appointed to the Administration and Finance Committee and I was selected to chair the Programs and Service Committee.

Several awards and honors were granted, currently being announced by HQ. This year, none involved Great Lakes Division members.

SEVERAL ITEMS I covered in the January issue of "Dale's Tales" were discussed with fellow Board members.  Those included a request to return the Rag Chewers Certificate, add a list of new licensees to appear in QST, continuing a down-scaled version of the OO program, increasing the point value for new hams participating in Field Day, adding a point value for GOTA contacts and consideration of a video Amateur Radio training program.  Some of these will soon be examined by the Programs and Service Committee.

TOM'S COMMENTS: We often speculate on the future of ham radio.  With many of us aging, and not so many young people coming to club meetings, we wonder what will happen.  Some steps taken by the ARRL Board at its recent meeting, and other things being done by ARRL staff have certainly increased my optimism for what may happen in the future.

Data gathered by the staff, with assistance from a Connecticut advertising firm, has given us a much better idea of who might be interested in ham radio, what their motivations are for becoming hams, and what they would like to do with ham radio.  That can be translated in action, particularly as we learn to reach out in a different way to prospective hams.  An example of this appears in CEO Howard Michel’s column in the February issue of QST.  I encourage you to read — or re-read — that column.  Howard imagines a grid where we can calculate our interests between using new technology and existing technology, and between hobby and public service.  And each of us fit in various places along those scales.  If we, as individuals and clubs, as well as the ARRL as an organization, can better appeal to newcomers by how they fit that grid, we can help them achieve their goals, and keep them interested in ham radio through the years.

ARRL will be making new efforts to keep all of us interested, by improving training materials.  Just as technology keeps evolving, ham radio does too, and keeping up with the latest interests might be something we all want to do.  Watch for new learning programs, and new ways of presenting the information that we need.

As for reaching out, on the local level, please keep holding those license classes.  Remember that not everyone looking for a license has the same expectations of ham radio as you do.  Young people in particular are drawn to technical and scientific aspects that many of us are not.  Other people are really drawn by the opportunity to serve their communities.  We need to be more aware of all the facets of ham radio, and demonstrate ones that are of most interest to the people we reach out to.  And be sure to welcome everyone to the hobby, encourage them in their interests, and help them get started.

-- 73, Tom W8WTD Vice Director, Great Lakes Division

OUR GREAT LAKES DIVISION web page does carry news from some of the recent events in the Division, useful links and information as well as some neat photos supplied from around the Division.  Check it out:  http://arrl-greatlakes.org/

HAMFESTING:  Here is the current Great Lakes Division ARRL Sanctioned Hamfest Schedule covering the next few months.  These swaps have received their sanctioning approval from ARRL HQ at the time of this publication.  If you plan to request ARRL Sanctioning, please be sure to do it well in advance of your Hamfest date, as this allows adequate time for QST Listings.   Be sure to invite your ARRL Officials as soon as your date is set.  With 52 weeks and 65+ hamfests, things do double up a little.  Plan ahead for requesting your ARRL Officials to attend.

2/2/19             HARA Swap                        Negaunee, MI
2/8/19             Cherryland Swap                 Traverse City, MI
2/17/19           Livonia Hamfest                   Livonia, MI
2/17/19           Mansfield Hamfest              Mansfield, OH
3/2/19             Cave City Hamfest               Cave City, KY
3/3/19             NOARS Winter Fest            Elyria, OH
3/16/19           Gallipolis                             Gallipolis, OH
3/17/19           TMRA Hamfest                   Perrysburg, OH

           
Be sure to check your Section's news pages for the latest local happenings, club and net information.


73, Let's go light up the bands!

Dale Williams WA8EFK
Director
Great Lakes Division