myARRLvoice formed to question ARRL Code of Conduct, Board Proposals

Guess many of us are on the same page over these latest proposal to cloak even more actions by the ARRL board.
For many years, I have believed ARRL operated the same as a man kissing a girl in the dark. "You know what you are doing, but nobody else does." We talk about attracting "youth" to amateur radio, one would think that more youthful members on the board of directors is also a necessity to replace the old farts and their attempt at safeguarding their seats. When I say "youth," I'm talking about the 25-35 year olds who would bring a new way of thinking to the board, and many who of them have children of their own that they can stimulate to join the Amateur Radio Fraternity and carry on after us old farts are in the grave. There has been a lot of board "hanky-panky" carried on over the last couple of years and it needs to STOP right now. If they vote to pass the proposed "new" board rules, to protect their "good ole boys club," I shall not renew when my membership comes due again, this year. The celebrated Hiram Percy Maxim is rolling over in his grave.

 

Oh boy.

 

There is no "issue". This is all about dues increases and nothing more. All this ARRL hate is coming from people that think gasoline should be $0.18/gal like it was in the early 60's. They still want a Pepsi for $0.05. That's all this is about. It all boils down to this... If you don't like the way the ARRL is run, take your Baofeng and go play radio somewhere else. Don't try to spoil it for the rest of us. It is my belief that the ARRL is doing an outstanding job. I will continue to support this worthy organization. The ARRL has done so much good for ham radio that I don't mind the dues increases. I have read the rest of the proposed changes and they are absolutely necessary. There is not a corporation in the free world that does not have the right to censure or terminate an employee for misconduct. It makes no sense to me to even begin to think that the ARRL should not have this right too. That's like saying that a priest should not have the right to defrock a priest for child molestation. It is painfully obvious that there are a lot of people here pointing their finger at the ARRL who have no idea how to run a corporation.

 

Oh, I think enough "stink" has been raised, that this will be tabled at the meeting. At least until the mole, that let the cat out of the bag, is identified, located and most likely dealt with in the usual ARRL manner. Although all he did was alert us to happenings that we otherwise would not have seen, in detail, until after the vote, he is viewed as a traitor to his peers and the leadership (?) of ARRL.

 

Oh, puhlease! Good English is good English. Don't debase the language with PC fads.

 

You know what.....I'll back her statement up with some actual proof. It seems that no one here has ever had one single class in non-profit management, grant writing, or taxation (because yes, non-profits do still pay taxes on some items). Since the ARRL "operates" as a non-profit and they don't qualify for an exemption, they are required to file a full Form 990 every year unless something drastically changes in the organization.

Here's the excerpt from their 2016 Form 990 that shows their total lobbying efforts:

I have little doubt that number is going to change much with their 2017 filing.

I also attached the full Form 990 so you can see all of their expenses including salaries. The ARRL is garbage. We're simply hanging on to them because for what ever reason, people think that in this age of the Internet, Social Media, and a rapidly changing hobby, that we still need an organization that operates as if it's still the 1950's. We don't. The ARRL has simply become irrelevant and I would venture to say that most of the government agencies that interact with them would say the same thing.

I'll continue the laughing for you, K7QI but it'll be for all the hams that continue to believe that an organization that in my eyes often jams up everything it touches, still makes any difference at all.

 

This is, in fact, not about a dues increase. It is, in fact, about changes in governance that - just to pick three easy targets - (a) dilute the voting power of members by giving management voting rights that are unusual, (b) restricts a member's ability to know the point of view of the person elected to represent, (c) makes board and management operations more opaque.

I don't give a damn about dues increases; if the organization represents me and my interests as a amateur radio operator, I am happy to pay them. Unfortunately, the leadership of this organization, which claims to represent me as a member, seems to be focused on insuring that their actions are not subject to oversight or in need of support from that same membership.

I have no idea who you are or what your background might be, viz a viz corporate management or governance, but if you'd care to debate me regarding the "absolute necessity" of these changes, I'd be happy to do that. 73 de Bill K7WXW

 

No, Jim K7QI,
I certainly won't keep quiet.
That's not how this forum works.
Don't mansplain me.


The facts are, that ARRL execs have spent a boatload of our money under the guise of "Lobbying" with nothing to show for it.
Some of the so-called lobbying money was spent on things that they wouldn't want the membership to know, and the members will never will know about.

I've seen those board-packing techniques before, utilized by corporate boards to water down the "shareholders". Usually those are done in privately held corporations when specific shareholders have large investments. But, it isn't a technique that is considered reputable for high profile non-profits (ARRL is supposedly a non-profit) .

ARRL wants to be the national organization, with international reach.

ARRL BOD should act like a bona fide national-level corporate entity, and quit acting like a local men's club.

 

So...they spent a whole $124K (line 1c) for lobbying in 2016, a paltry amount for lobbying...and that is a problem why??

And what else specifically in the 990 do you think is a problem?

 

Huh? Negative copy. RST 591. Y chromosomes are deaf to BAD TONE !

Just teasin'Bonnie! Rock on Riot grrrl !!

73 de John WØPV

 

I've been an ARRL member since High School in 1965. Today I'm a lot older and my dues are a lot higher. I keep getting the printed version of QST just so I have something to show for my money.

I've been looking for an excuse to drop out of the ARRL, and now I have one.

. . . John (WA3CAS)

 

There, I fixed it for ya

 

Why does the League have to go toes-up before another organization can be formed? They may claim that they are "the" national organization for AR, but there are several others, and there's no reason why there can't be another in the mix. The last time the FCC issued a large R&O, they not only considered the comments of several organizations and individuals alike, but they quoted several of each in their R&O discussion. AR in the US doesn't need a large monolithic organization.

Why not have several small organizations, each of which serves its particular members needs and aspirations, and when something big comes along, they can cooperate to address it. Hams cooperate to organize and operate huge contests, build enormous Field Day sites, and construct and maintain enormous linked repeater systems. They should be able to cooperate on something as simple as an RFI enforcement restoration bill.

 

Quit beating around the bush. State your claim and 'evidence' clearly. I see nothing in the IRS 990 that shows the ARRL is operating like a 1950's organization (nor is there necessarily anything wrong with that) nor that they are ineffective.