LETTER TO ARRL REGARDING CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTOR ACTIVITIES

The following open letter to the ARRL Board of Directors and Leadership is in concert with many others coming from current members in response to the activities occurring at the ARRL Leadership level.

To join in and voice your thoughts, please visit:
myARRLvoice is an independent grassroots group of amateur radio operators working on behalf of our fellow Members of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), monitoring the activity of its leadership and advocating change to optimize the organization’s effectiveness in matters of policy and governance, and to foster ethical and competent stewardship. myARRLvoice acts as a vehicle for ARRL Members to make their voices heard on matters of governance and policy, and to participate in the policy-setting process, holding our elected and appointed leaders accountable. We strive to make the activities of ARRL leadership more transparent by insisting on the creation and dissemination of records of the deliberations and actions of all ARRL Boards, Committees, and the operational Executive Team.
(More information is found after the following open letter)

 


To: All ARRL Directors and Officers

From: NW7US

Many actions–policy and governance–taken by the League’s leadership over the past two years trouble me. Formalization of specific actions planned for the Board meeting on January 19, 2018, specifically worries me.

At this time, any action taken by the ARRL Board of Directors cause me concern. As a result of this, I add my name to those seeking that the Board delay consideration of any ByLaw changes at the January 19 Board meeting.

In particular, I strongly urge you to:

1. Reject any proposal to allow the President and individual Vice-Presidents to vote as Directors.

2. Reject any provision that allows expulsion of an ARRL member “for cause” without delineated criteria.

3. Reject any provision that allows expulsion of any Director, Vice-Director of Officer for bringing ARRL into “disrepute” without specific criteria.

4. Reject any provision that reduces Members’ ability to recall a sitting Director.

5. Reject any current or proposed provision that allows the Board to disqualify candidates for elected office without full disclosure of the reasons for such disqualification.

6. Reject any proposal that would allow the Board to designate replacements for Directors instead of appointing an elected Vice Director or other elective processes.

7. Reject any current or proposed provision that allows censure, removal or other disciplines of a Director for revealing or openly discussing any view expressed at a Board meeting that is not consistent with the Board’s action.

8. Adopt a policy that elected Directors, and Vice Directors are not “personnel” for the purposes of declaring that any information about removal or disqualification is confidential and may not be released.

It is crucial that ARRL remain a solidly democratic, membership-based organization with principles of openness and accessibility through our elected Directors. I urge you to vote per my wishes at the January 19 meeting.

Beyond these issues of governance, I am concerned about the policy-making process of the ARRL leadership–leadership that I feel has become much less Member-driven, and that no longer reflects the needs of the Membership.

Ham radio is in a time of transition. The ARRL must focus on the issues that make a difference for the future success of the hobby.

73, Tomas Hood / NW7US


More information about this effort:

myARRLvoice is an independent grassroots group of amateur radio operators working on behalf of our fellow Members of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), monitoring the activity of its leadership and advocating change to optimize the organization’s effectiveness in matters of policy and governance, and to foster ethical and competent stewardship.

myARRLvoice acts as a vehicle for ARRL Members to make their voices heard on matters of governance and policy, and to participate in the policy-setting process, holding our elected and appointed leaders accountable. We strive to make the activities of ARRL leadership more transparent by insisting on the creation and dissemination of records of the deliberations and actions of all ARRL Boards, Committees, and the operational Executive Team.

myARRLvoice believes that good ARRL stewardship can only be achieved through a check and balance system that includes the watchful eye of the Membership.

Visit the website at www.myarrlvoice.org

Visit, subscribe: NW7US Radio Communications and Propagation YouTube Channel

9 Responses to “LETTER TO ARRL REGARDING CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTOR ACTIVITIES”

  • JIM - W5SPP:

    Just a reminder, The ARRL consists of MEMBERS of a group whose purpose is to promote the quailty and advancement of Ham Radio. This does not mean that there are two classes of members, Super Members ( DIRECTORS AND VICE-DIRECTORS ) and members that are operators that are led by their nose by the Super members. This issue could very quickly turn into a group of Super members with no members to govern.

    I just wanted to put this thought in for consideration by the “Super Members”

  • mark booth W5PYN:

    OK, will somebody please get the “parity act” a priority for the many of us who pay a LOT of money and live in these HOA restricted areas. Remember ARRL? You lying bastards. I never would have purchased this place if I had known that the ARRL was not even close to getting these nut jobs from restricting the antennas we need. Here’s to the ciy of Santa Fe, when you need us, we will not be there for you, by your own ignorance!
    Horses, goats, sheep, all OK, a decent HF antenna..not so much.
    I will tell my fellow HAMS this, stay out of Santa Fe, at least the city, these people are nuts!

  • Bill KOSSI:

    Over the last few years the ARRL Board of Directors have started acting more like Democratic politicians in in a Democrat controlled Congress! In other words, they don’t care what we Little People down here care about! Every year, I question myself if I want to pay my ARRL dues. The only benefit I receive from those dues is QST, and even QST’s quality has deteriorated.

    I agree with the above letter!

    Bill

  • John Van Westen kc5wpj:

    I need to ask…..is there a requirement for board members and other high “ranking” people to be REAL amateur operators, such as extras or long time advanced???If you guys go out on the street and gather POLITICIANS INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO US, we all LOSE………………….

  • KC5YN:

    Thomas, NW7US, raises some serious questions regarding the Board of Directors and what are the real interests and direction the League has taken, is taking and will take. His proposal is well thought out and I am in agreement.

  • Matthew Pitts N8OHU:

    To the comment regarding the Amateur Radio Parity Act; last I knew, that was hung up in the Senate, due to a stubborn Florida Senator that doesn’t want this legislation to pass. It doesn’t matter how much the ARRL pushes if it can’t even get considered because of who is holding it up.

  • Walt N5EQY:

    I recently renewed my membership for the LAST time in December. The ARRL is apparently composed of liberal progressive old farts who are using OUR organization as a honeypot for thier north eastern progressive corridor club. Its no different than being represented by a progressive politician. Goodbye.

  • David WB4ONA:

    @Matthew Pitts N8OHU:

    You said: “To the comment regarding the Amateur Radio Parity Act; last I knew, that was hung up in the Senate, due to a stubborn Florida Senator that doesn’t want this legislation to pass.”

    The Florida U.S. Senator was Bill Nelson (D-FL).

    You said: “It doesn’t matter how much the ARRL pushes if it can’t even get considered because of who is holding it up.”

    That may be so, and personally I have little doubt Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) has special interests (a.k.a., MONEY) motivating him. But that’s not the REAL problem. The problem is how the ARRL let us down…

    The House bill was recast as:

    H.R.555 – Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017115th Congress (2017-2018):

    https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/555

    S.1534: Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017

    https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s1534

    The ARRL LET US DOWN by allowing HoA’s to STILL ban almost all forms of functional antennas (aside from something tiny – at best), even if H.R.555/S.1534 is passed!

    Read this .pdf (link follows). There are lots of other opinions out there, but most come to the same conclusion – the “OR” inclusion – which CRIPPLES the Amateur Radio Parity Act. THIS IS WHERE THE ARRL LET US DOWN!

    Just Say No to HR 555/S.1534 – kkn.net

    http://www.kkn.net/~n6tv/Just_Say_No_to_S.1534_v4.pdf

    If the Amateur Radio Parity Act is passed as it is today (as the ARRL let it happen), we’re screwed. Thank you ARRL.

  • ROGER MOORE N4RNM:

    THE MAIN REASON I DID NOT RENEW MY MEMBERSHIP WAS THAT I FELT THAT THE ARRL WAS NOT ACTING IN THE BEST INTEREST OF IT’S MEMBERSHIP. IT SHOULD BE AN ORGANIZATION OF THE MEMBERS, BY THE MEMBERS, FOR THE MEMBERS; NOT JUST A BUNCH OF POWER HUNGRY FEW. HAVE JUST HEARD THAT THE ONE THEY DISMISSED AS EAN NTS CHAIRMAN IS NOW GOING TO BE THE NEW ROANOKE DIVISION DIRECTOR. ARRL IS TO WISHY-WASHY TO HAVE THE ONES WE HAVE AS THE ONES WE HAVE OVER IT.

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