Sounds like the themesong to Italian politics;-) Maybe agrarian feudalism would work... Sorry. We disagree on this one.
I will not participate in ARRL contests. Does QRZ have any contests? I suggest a QRZ DX contest, add up the distance from your house to stations you exchanged real reports with and the one with the most total miles (i.e. distance (DX)) wins. After this post by AA7BQ I am surprised, there are any ARRL apologists left. The ARRL seems all for supporting young people yet to be a director you must be a member for four years. And it appears to dissuade, women, people of color and anyone who does not quaify to be an Old Timers club member and AARP.
The deck is not stacked against YOU. You're famously not an ARRL member. You can't sign a petition, because you didn't vote, and if you did before your expiration, your signature on a petition isn't valid-- and for good reason because only members can sign them. This is the big difference. You can moan about the ARRL from your armchair and you have no skin, only lips in this endeavor. The fundamental part about changing an organization is that you must be a member. Staying in this discussion is far more meaningful if you pay your dues. Only then can you do something real about the situation, one way or the other. The rest is lip flatulence. Change is hard. 73 Tom W9YW
I was a 73 and QST subscriber back in 1978 and 1979. The ARRL was making friendship outreaches to third-world countries, who each have one vote in the WARC, the same as the USA. Wayne Green was predicting the near complete loss of HF spectrum to international broadcasters. I "got out my popcorn" and watched. After the World Administrative Radio Conference concluded, Amateur radio had added new allocations at 30 meters, 17 meters, and 12 meters. Regarding keeping things from the League membership, if you were paying attention, Minute 38 of the July 2023 Directors' meeting, in order "to foster a more collaborative relationship amongst the Directors," revised Standing Order 05-2.38. In order for a Director to request a roll call vote on an issue, the request now must be moved, seconded, and receive five affirmative votes before there will be a roll call. Our only voice is to select our Division Directors, and it is now harder as, Chip says, to tell "the gold dust from the mouse poo." de N1YR, ARRL Life Member p.s. One can donate to the Spectrum Defense Fund without buying a membership.
100% agree. That's it, hit the nail on the head. All the rest of this shenanigans is just a distraction from the fact, the organization is useless, totally ineffective.
Do not donate to the spectrum defense fund. It just goes in the general fund. Read the ARRL IRS Form 990. Besides, ARRL spectrum efforts have been tiny, and ineffective, for 15 years.
2023, some things are harder to find on store shelves due to long term shortages and supply chains, you have to order a car two years before it is delivered, and now you can be thrown out of an organization for violating secret rules and can't even be told what rule you broke or how you broke it. I dunno, things just seem to be a little bit closer to the Soviet Union every year....
Don't forget, Real ID required to fly between the states. Remember in Hunt For Red October, the Soviet captain was astounded, no passport required to travel between the states?
I have served on a number of charitable and industry boards. Some of what BL46 contains is boiler plate contained in all board documents. After reading all the citations in Fred's, K1VR, document I find the confidentiality terms troublesome in respect to communicating with donors and members. Yes there has to be a level of confidentiality in areas such as ongoing litigation and real esate dealings, and personnel issues. Beyong that everything needs to be transparent with timely access to by the membership. Votes need to be transparent too. Hiding behing a board secrecy document just so board members aren't taken to task over his/her vote is antithetical to a membership driven organization. I'll be dropping a note to my director and vice director voicing my displeasure. I left the ARRL in the early 2000's over the good old boys running the contest branch. I had hoped that things had changed in the 20 or so years I was away from ham rdio and the ARRL. Some things have but apparently the underlying culture hasn't. Gary K7FR
I posted this in the docs thread but RATPAC had a comprehensive presentation by Marty Woll, N6VI. Marty is the past vice-director of the Southwestern division.
