ARRL Board of Directors Meeting

[NN4RH]

I was wondering what all had gone on at the ARRL Board of Directors meeting last weekend. Here's the only mention of it I find on the ARRL web site ARRL Letter (http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/07/0727/)

In particular, I wanted to find out what if anything they decided about so-called "regulation by bandwidth". Apparently nothing. The only thing in the ARRL Letter article that may be alluding to it is this:

Quote[/b] ]In a related action, the Board thanked those involved in digital networks that serve ARES, specifically radio e-mail systems, for creating a system that facilitates Amateur Radio's ability to provide emergency communications. The League affirmed its desire to work with developers of digital systems to improve efficiency, address control issues and enhance compatibility with other users of the Amateur Radio bands.

Glossary:

"radio e-mail systems" = #"Winlink"
"control issues" = "robots running amok"
"compatibilty with other users" = "Pactor interference"

[W3MIV]

It always takes about two weeks or so for the official minutes of the meeting to be posted on the ARRL website. Once that posting has been made, you will be able to read in detail everything they did at the meeting.

[KA4DPO]

Quote[/b] (W3MIV @ July 28 2007,06:48)]It always takes about two weeks or so for the official minutes of the meeting to be posted on the ARRL website. Once that posting has been made, you will be able to read in detail everything they did at the meeting.
First they have to be sanitized..... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[AE6IP]

Quote[/b] (W3MIV @ July 28 2007,03:48)]It always takes about two weeks or so for the official minutes of the meeting to be posted on the ARRL website. Once that posting has been made, you will be able to read in detail everything they did at the meeting.
"in detail"?

I didn't know the ARRL had finally started posting meaningful minutes.

[W3MIV]

Quote[/b] (AE6IP @ July 28 2007,13:41)]Quote[/b] (W3MIV @ July 28 2007,03:48)]It always takes about two weeks or so for the official minutes of the meeting to be posted on the ARRL website. Once that posting has been made, you will be able to read in detail everything they did at the meeting.
"in detail"?

I didn't know the ARRL had finally started posting meaningful minutes.
The detailed version is strictly for the cognoscenti, Martin.

For the unwashed, there is an abridged version. A few short lines of pap.

And for those of you with pavement-scarred knuckles, there is but a single middle phalange, held rigidly aloft in salute.

You all know who you are.

[wa6itf]

In my humble opinion, the most important thing done was to ban the use of ARRL funds for use in League political campaigns. Since the creation of ARRL, incumbents have had an almost automatic edge in that they could use their ARRL paid mailings (and more recently e-mail accounts) for campaign purposes. Effective immediately that has stopped. An incumbent can still campaign using any method he/she wishes -- but at his/her own expense -- just like his/her challenger.

Frankly, this move really surprised me in that those who voted for it were the ones with the most to loose if it passed. It says a lot very positive for those on the ARRL BoD who voted "yes."

de
WA6ITF

[ky5u]

Quote[/b] (wa6itf @ July 28 2007,11:49)]In my humble opinion, the most important thing done was to ban the use of ARRL funds for use in League political campaigns. Since the creation of ARRL, incumbents have had an almost automatic edge in that they could use their ARRL paid mailings (and more recently e-mail accounts) for campaign purposes. Effective immediately that has stopped. An incumbent can still campaign using any method he/she wishes -- but at his/her own expense -- just like his/her challenger.

Frankly, this move really surprised me in that those who voted for it were the ones with the most to loose if it passed. It says a lot very positive for those on the ARRL BoD who voted "yes."

de
WA6ITF
Good point Bill. Thanks for calling our attention to it.

[W3MIV]

Quote[/b] (wa6itf @ July 28 2007,14:49)]In my humble opinion, the most important thing done was to ban the use of ARRL funds for use in League political campaigns. #Since the creation of ARRL, incumbents have had an almost automatic edge in that they could use their ARRL paid mailings (and more recently e-mail accounts) for campaign purposes. #Effective immediately that has stopped. #An incumbent can still campaign using any method he/she wishes -- but at his/her own expense -- just like his/her challenger. #

Frankly, this move really surprised me in that those who voted for it were the ones with the most to loose if it passed. #It says a lot very positive for those on the ARRL BoD who voted "yes." #

de
WA6ITF
It has always been prohibited, but the growing presence of paid campaign ads on the web and elsewhere was deemed a sufficient cause to bring new clarity to those rules to very clearly include these relatively new avenues of electioneering.

It is tempting for an incumbent to use the "franking" privilege (in this case, electronic) in the same ways that our illustrious elected officials in Washington use it, so the rules were modernized in an effort to even the contests. Pray Washington would follow suit, but don't bet any money on it.