myARRLvoice formed to question ARRL Code of Conduct, Board Proposals

I guess this is a sneaky plug for the new HamRadioNow Episode 379, One League Under the Siege (apologies to Jules Verne). In that episode, David W0DHG and I review responses we received from several ARRL Directors and Vice Directors regarding the Board's 'Code of Conduct' (a favorite topic on the Zed), and several proposals coming before the Board at its January meeting that some hams find sketchy.

We also talk about a new group that formed just after the new year called myARRLvoice, with a web site at http://myARRLvoice.org. The group has a 'Steering Committee' with several prominent ARRL supporters (Maxim Society and Legacy Circle members) and former Directors and Vice-Directors. They say on their web site:

There have been a range of troubling policy and governance actions taken by the League’s leadership over the past two years, as well as actions planned to be formalized at the Board meeting on January 19, 2018 in Newington. We are working hard to inform our fellow members across all segments of our community, and to encourage them to convey their feelings on these issues to the ARRL Board and management.​

Among the issues are: concern over the Amateur Radio Parity Act; the limits that the Code of Conduct places on Directors who want to discuss policy with members; Directors who have been censured or disqualified from the ballot; and proposals to give the President and three VPs all votes on the Board (stacking the deck against less 'cooperative' Directors?).

While I am not a member of this group, I'm concerned about the lack of transparency required by the Code of Conduct. Over and over, the Directors say they can't comment on issues like the censure of SW Division Director Dick Norton N6AA because 'the issue is closed.'

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The Directors have had their email inboxes filled with comments. For sure, these issues will have a prominent place at the January Board Meeting in a few days. Most of us don't care much about League politics and infighting (OK, a lot of you here on the Zed care a lot), but this might be worth some of your time. The myARRLvoice group lays out their case pretty clearly. The Directors are mostly keeping quiet ahead of the meeting. Depending on how some votes go, they may have to keep quiet afterward, too.

73, Gary KN4AQ

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Gary, it IS a bit hyperbolic ('One League...siege'), but clearly there is an issue at hand.

It would be wise and prudent for the board to table any vote on proposed bylaws changes, and request additional feedback from the membership on same. These bylaw changes seem to have a sense of urgency driven by the board members, not by the membership nor any alleged crisis within the amateur radio service. Good time to sit back and reflect before taking action, with the luxury of time.

As for the presently worded ARPA, independent counsels should be pursued, who most assuredly will come to the same conclusion as known antenna lawyer and FCC lawyer experts: the presently worded HR555 is a fatal disaster if passed.

ARPA is a great idea. This wording in HR555 is not.

73
Chip W1YW

 

I am glad that at least one of the streaming shows about amateur radio deems it worthy content for ongoing coverage.

 

I say Siege because, well, I like interesting titles. But mostly I'm referring to the Directors who say their inbox is flooded with comments on these issues. Not too many are saying "good job"

 

Hams should learn, ARRL is not not "your friend".
They do whatever they want to, "representation" is a mere facade.
Give them all your bucks...
...so they can take the lobbyists to lunch, and cut some of those sweet CC&R antenna deals that the realtors like.

 

I trust you have evidence relating to this (real evidence) not hearsay. Look, I don't agree with everything the League does but the good they do for the hobby FAR outweighs the not so good.
The ARRL can be your best friend in ham radio, they gave me good information when I needed it and when I visited the HQ and W1AW I was treated like a VIP!
When you have a question or need authoritative information you have two choices, the FCC or the ARRL!
The ARRL does not just do what they want, that just isn't so. they have a board they have to answer to. "Give them all your bucks?" I hope you make more than $49 a year....
It's funny, hams want the benefits and freedoms of ham radio but when it comes time to pay a measly $49 a year to an organization that had done more for the hobby just in the last 25 years alone is beyond me. Most hams are great people but I'm acutely aware that hams can be among the most opinionated and cheap people on Earth! Just go to a hamfest and observe!
Ham radio isn't a hobby for the poor, it is an expensive hobby.

I read the ARRL's annual financial reports EVERY year, I don't see nor have I ever seen any mismanagement or abuse. The ARRL is incorporated, they have way too much to lose by abusing our funds we have donated, In fact I believe they have been good stewards of our contributions, the Annual reports indicate so.
You show me the lobbyist lunches and antenna deals?
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/About ARRL/Annual Reports/ARRL 2016 Annual Report.pdf

-Mark
W5TXR

 

Cool beans. Several years ago, I learned the ARRL is far from transparent and is governed by a clique at the top. I asked for a copy of the Agenda for the National Board Meeting, and was told it was not- available - even to lower echelon Directors - until just a few days before the meeting - hardly designed to engender Director preparation and foster informed, documented debate. Instead, it was clearly designed to foster to enable a top-down style of management, with Directors expected to follow suit, not rock the boat with other ideas and foolish debate. Further, it was obvious rank and file members are not intended to KNOW let alone PARTICIPATE in the process in any meaningful way. If we cannot learn what topics are on the table, how can we prepare well-informed and documented comments - and even the lower level Directors are as hamstrung as members. It was quickly obvious the ARRL is a corporate entity out for its own purposes, and only incidentally represent individual members, and does not intend that members participate in the process in any meaningful way. Having once worked for large labor unions, I see certain unseemly parallels in how the ARRL moves.

Just MY take. ... your mileage may vary. JHR

 

If you do some reading in the other threads on this subject, you will find a number of people whose personal experiences directly support the summary provided by @KQ6XA.

In other news, I cast my vote for @KN4AQ to make this his new avatar...

 

Thanks for lighting this Issue up Gary. More voices on this one the better.

 

If members cannot have faith and confidence in their leaders, there is not much of an organization to follow. I have been reading with interest many of the posts on this issue and in many cases i have to side with them. The ARRL is a member organization, from its conception, to support and promote amateur radio. My own experience, being a life member, and having been licensed for over twenty five years now, is the league has seemed to loose its focus very much like our federal and state governments. The league seems to be moving more toward a AARP business model rather than focusing on the membership. My argument follows the watering down of the so call "Amateur Radio Parity Act", it has been compromised plumb into oblivion. While some say, yes, but it's a step in the right direction..... well, so was the American Health Care Act....the comparison being its has to be a gorilla in the room in order to work. Another major grievance now that i have put fingers to keyboard, is the outright dumping a very successful incentive licensing program for the shear sake of numbers. I will be the first to acknowledge we need new amateurs flowing in to compensate for us aging ones, however in my opinion, they threw out the baby with the bath water....Even more troubling....they know it and rather than step back and try and correct some of the deficiencies, according to last months minutes, they want to give more privileges to beginners just to make them happy.... With 700,000 plus or minus licensing, 160,000 members doesn't seem to equate to what it cost to get those new members....maybe it's just me???? And by the way, WE get to use Amateur Radio as a HOBBY.....Amateur Radio is a SERVICE..... We are obligated by our License to be ready to help in an emergency.

 

There is not a corporation in the free world that is not governed by a team of executives (What you refer to as a clique) at the top. This system of management is called LEADERSHIP. It is my belief that the ARRL is doing a fantastic job when it comes to leadership. It is easy to point your finger at the leaders when you don't know why things are done the way they are. Every negotiation in the world is based on give and take. This includes parenting, marriage, and dealing with the government (FCC). There is no such thing as take it or leave it. The "my way or the highway" mentality will only accomplish one thing; you will have a sore butt at the end of the day because someone with more power will kick it into next week for you. The ARRL is a representative democracy. Members control its policies by voting. The ARRL Articles of Association and By Laws give direct responsibility to set ARRL policy to the elected Board of Directors. Fifteen Directors are elected on a regional basis, one in each ARRL Division. Directors receive no pay for their service. Do you work for free? NO. Of course not. The ARRL Officers are chosen by the Directors. Each Director has a Vice Director to assist him. Vice Directors are elected by ARRL members in each Divisionn. Section Managers are elected by the ARRL members in their sections. Each Section Manager has a number of active hams to help conduct Section business. How can you possibly believe that at the end of the day, the ARRL should always get its way when negotiating with the FCC over any ham radio related issue? Any salesman will tell you that sometimes, when you get your foot in the door, you get the door slammed on your foot. Tell me this... How much have you as an individual accomplished to further ham radio? Have you been a teacher to help a young person get his or her Technician ticket? Have you been an Elmer to a new ham? Have you become a Volunteer Examiner and assisted in the testing process? Have you provided emergency communications when disaster struck? When hurricane Maria wiped out Puerto Rico, were you there to help the survivors? The ARRL was. They sent trained hams, radios, generators, antennas, and more, to help in the emergency. That is where my $59.00 per month goes and I am proud of the ARRL for being there when the lines were down. The ARRL has done a tremendous amount of GOOD for ham radio. We all owe the ARRL a lot more than the $59.00 per year dues. Have you bought a magazine or news paper lately? Just the QST magazine itself is worth more than $59.00 per year. The way I see it you have three choices. (1) Don't join. (2) Join and do nothing (3) Join and vote. Just remember that voting does not mean that the vote will always go your way. If you don't join and vote, you really can't complain about how the vote does turn out. After all, you had an opportunity to make a difference and didn't take that opportunity. I personally appreciate everything the ARRL has done for ham radio. My wife and I are both members and and we fully support the ARRL. I will be a dues paying member of the ARRL as long as I am able to take a breath. 73 and GOD Bless.

 

NO! You can help in an emergency but it's not a requirement or condition of license. A lot of the current problems and silly proposals can be directly traced to the emcomm
push from HQ to boost membership.

 

And we're supposed to be able to make informed decisions about those votes. We're not supposed to be left in the dark.

It's easy to take either side of the argument; but when you look at the facts....the ARRL has some serious case of "going corporate", in which a few at the top dictate over others against the will of the members.

If people aren't allowed to even talk about policy...if members are under threat of having a membership dropped for being critical of the league...that's no longer a democracy.

 

Not having the agenda available until a few days before the meeting is standard for most large organizations. I was vice president and president of another national organization a few years ago and our agenda wasn't available until about a week before the meeting. The reason for this was simple - anyone on the board could request items be added to (or removed from if they added them in the first place) the agenda. Making the agenda available earlier than that would "freeze" it, and people would not be able to make last minute changes to the agenda. But also board members talk all the time - not just at the meetings, and if something that's going to require studying by the members is going to come up, people knew about it ahead of the agenda coming out. In the two years I was on the board no one was surprised by a major item suddenly appearing.

 

I'm with Mark on this. Where's your evidence? Just lo0king at posts on this forum is hearsay. Where's your evidence?