ARRL Board Okays Volunteer Grassroots Lobbying Effort

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, wielded the gavel for the July Board session.

Pacific Division Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG (left), chats with New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, during a meeting break.

International Affairs Vice President Rod Stafford, W6ROD (left), and Radio Amateurs of Canada President Daniel Lamoureux, VE2KA, who greeted the Board meeting's opening session.

Southwestern Division Director Art Goddard, W6XD, shares a laugh with ARRL Field and Educational Services Manager Rosalie White, K1STO.

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ (left), presents a 40-year membership certificate to Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF.

(L-R) Vice Directors Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF (Hudson), Bruce Frahm, K0BJ (Midwest), and Mike Raisebeck, K1TWF (New England).

The Board commended ARRL COO Mark Wilson, K1RO, who will depart the ARRL Headquarters staff in September after 24 years of service.

NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 20, 2004--The ARRL Board of Directors has formalized a grassroots congressional lobbying program--with an initial focus on BPL. Acting July 16 during its second meeting of 2004--held in Windsor, Connecticut, and chaired by ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP--the Board acknowledged the need to "immediately begin a BPL grassroots lobbying campaign" this year. To establish a coordinating structure, the Board created the positions of Division Congressional Action Chair, Congressional Action Coordinator and Congressional Action Assistant. The Board authorized the League's 15 division directors to appoint qualified volunteers to these positions. Hudson Division Director Frank Fallon, N2FF, who headed the Ad Hoc Committee on Grassroots Lobbying, sees the creation of a national "political machine" as a practical way to protect Amateur Radio spectrum.

"We're really, in essence, changing the culture of how we operate," Fallon said after the meeting. "We're going to use our members as constituents to talk to key legislators." Fallon said the campaign will zero in on BPL in the near term but eventually could expand to support bills dealing with spectrum protection and deed covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs), and their impact on amateur antennas.

"It can be more effective for two or three constituents to walk into a lawmaker's office to pitch their cause," Fallon said, adding that such contacts also open the door to later meetings between members of Congress or their staff members and League officials. He said first and second tier contact lists already are under development.

The committee's report notes that the FCC alone no longer decides Amateur Radio's fate. "There was a time when good technical arguments to the FCC could win the day for us," the report says. Over the last decade, however, Congress and, more recently, the Executive Branch, have become involved in spectrum and telecommunications issues. "Politics has raised its head," the report continues. "We find now that we must engage in the political/legislative as a pragmatic solution to protect our spectrum from pollution and grabs by business interests."

Under the plan the Board adopted, the Division Congressional Action Chair, one in each ARRL division, would be a cabinet-level volunteer with some experience in lobbying activities. There would be at least one Congressional Action Coordinator in each state, ideally selected in consultation with section managers. These volunteers also would be members of the director's cabinet. Working with the director, the Congressional Action Coordinator will designate and develop a number of Congressional Action Assistants to "accomplish the mission of getting the ARRL message to legislators," the ad hoc committee report explained.

"A key task of the Congressional Action Coordinator and his or her team will be to bring about face-to-face meetings with key congressional committee members," the ad hoc committee report says. Fallon says that while arranging personal get-togethers with members of Congress often is difficult, meeting with key aides is not. "Making these initial contacts is at the core of our grassroots campaign," the ad hoc committee said in its report.

"In effect, the 'grassroots team' will be opening the door for President Jim Haynie and others to deliver our message in Washington," the committee report predicts.

Fallon said the grassroots lobbying effort will fold into a comprehensive broadband over power line strategy, which the Board discussed at length but did not make public. The Board expressed the hope that the lobbying effort could be up and running by fall.

Other members of the ad hoc committee included Great Lakes Division Director Jim Weaver, K8JE; West Gulf Division Vice Director Dr David Woolweaver, K5RAV; ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD; Western Washington SM Ed Bruette, N7NVP; North Texas SM Roy C Rabey III, AD5KZ, and James "Mike" Lout, WB5RFK. The committee consulted with John Chwat of Chwat & Company, which represents the ARRL on Capitol Hill.

"ARESCOM" Plan to Enhance Emergency Communication Capability

The Board adopted a resolution encouraging further development and expansion of an inaugural network to enhance the emergency communications capability of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). The Board had designated an ad hoc committee, dubbed "ARESCOM," to develop an augmented ARES telecommunications system that would include rapid and accurate handling of long-range emergency communications between states, nationally and internationally. ARESCOM recommended deployment of a digital e-mail system based on Winlink 2000 software.

The Board's motion encouraged the deployment of e-mail via Amateur Radio--as exemplified by Winlink 2000--"as an additional emergency capability provided to agencies served by ARES."

In its report, the committee said situations arise when ARES must "pass message traffic across the nation quickly and accurately," and it said the need for such a nationwide capability within ARES is likely to increase in light of the ARRL's Citizen Corps partnership with the Department of Homeland Security.

A two-part series appearing in the August and September 2004 issues of QST, "Winlink for ARES," by ARRL South Texas Section Emergency Coordinator Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, outlines an enhanced ARES network that would include e-mail capability over HF links. Winlink 2000--a worldwide Amateur Radio digital radio e-mail system--already is widely used by the blue water boating and recreational vehicle communities to pass e-mail around the world.

"The momentum is moving strongly in favor of our recommended digital message source," said the report of the committee, chaired by Great Lakes Division Vice Director Dick Mondro, W8FQT.

Members of the ARRL Programs and Services Committee witnessed a Winlink 2000 demonstration at ARRL Headquarters the day before the board meeting. ARESCOM said it wants to adapt the already-proven communications network to meet the needs of served agencies and other organizations involved in providing disaster communications.

"The digital network will provide a value-added service for ARES and will continue to be viewed very positively by our served agencies," the committee said in its report. "This allows ARES to be viewed as modern and necessary instead of antiquated and invasive."

The ARRL Board extended the committee's charter until its January 2005 meeting so ARESCOM can complete an implementation plan that ensures that ARES has "the prominent role" in managing the national network and that ARES officials at all levels as well as appropriate ARRL Headquarters staffers have an opportunity to formally critique the network's operation to ensure it meets the requirements of ARES and its served agencies.

In addition, Winlink 2000 technical experts are to "positively address the results and findings of this critique," ARESCOM will develop a plan "to assure timely upgrading of the network as new technologies emerge and future ARES requirements evolve" and it will complete necessary negotiations and agreements to assure ARRL access to the Winlink 2000 software.

The Board praised ARESCOM for exceeding its expectations by demonstrating a working network that implements the basic capabilities of the comprehensive program it had requested. It also commended the committee's members for their "efforts and expertise" in inaugurating the system.

ARRL Long-Term Membership Recognition

The Board approved a system to automatically recognize long-term League membership and to express appreciation of that support through a system of awards. Ten-year League members will get a certificate, while 25-year and 40-year members will receive a certificate and a pin. Those logging 50, 60 or 70 years as ARRL members will receive a certificate, a pin and a one-year Diamond Club membership. Plaques would be available to 50, 60 and 70-year members at cost plus shipping.

During the meeting, Director Fallon was presented with a 40-year membership certificate and pin.

Other Business

In other business, the ARRL Board of Directors:

• designated the next Dayton Hamvention as ARRL National Convention 2005. Hamvention will take place May 20-22 at Hara Arena near Dayton, Ohio. President Haynie appointed an ad hoc planning committee to report to the Board by September 1.

• directed the filing of an application with the FCC for an experimental license authorizing low-frequency operation for specified Amateur Radio stations.

• directed the filing of a petition with the FCC to permit security of data for computer-to-computer communications on domestic transmissions above 50 MHz.

• approved revised wording for bylaw 24, to add provide for the recall of a vice director.

• established as policy that ARES groups and any group using the ARES logo shall formally acknowledge ARES as an ARRL program, including in their bylaws or other organizational documents, and agree to abide by all rules and guidelines the League establishes. Since both ARES and Amateur Radio Emergency Service are registered ARRL service marks, ARES groups are to utilize the ® symbol in any printed or electronic media and note that the logo is used by permission. All ARES records, membership rosters and other data pertaining to the ARES program, wherever located, are the property of the ARRL.

• resolved to have President Haynie appoint a study committee to recommend effective means of promoting "constructive relations and open lines of communication" between the League and the Amateur Radio industry. The committee will solicit input from the Industry Advisory Council and report to the Board at its January 2005 meeting. ARRL Vice President Kay Craigie, N3KN, will chair the panel. Other members include First Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, Rocky Mountain Division Director Walt Stinson, W0CP, ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, and ARRL Marketing and Sales Manager Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV.

• recognized and thanked ARRL Chief Operating Officer Mark Wilson, K1RO, for his longstanding service and dedication to the League and wished him well in his future endeavors. Wilson has announced that he'll be leaving ARRL September 10 to move to New Hampshire. He's been a member of the ARRL Headquarters staff for 24 years.

The official minutes of the July 2004 meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors are available on the ARRL Web site.

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