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Allen Pitts, W1AGP
Media and Public Relations
Manager
(860) 594-0328
apitts@arrl.org
Newington, CT June 3, 2005 -- The ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, and the USPS, United States Power Squadrons, a national boating and educational organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable, will formally announce ratification of a new Memorandum of Understanding on June 4, linking the two services in their efforts to better serve the public.
"The organizations have each served the people for almost a century and combining their efforts will allow them to better serve our country", said Darrel Allison, National Chairman of USPS's Marketing/Public Relations Committee.
Dave Sumner, CEO of the ARRL added, "ARRL and USPS have long and distinguished histories dating back to 1914, but both organizations have their focus on the future. It is a pleasure to be working together."
The ARRL provides organizational and technical assistance to Amateur Radio enthusiasts and supports a large number of educational programs throughout the country. With approximately 152,000 members it is the largest organization of radio amateurs in the world and a leader in the eyes of some 2.5 million ham radio operators around the globe.
The national ARRL headquarters in Newington, CT is also the location of the International Secretariat of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), which is composed of similar organizations from over 150 countries around the world. The ARRL publishes the monthly journal QST as well as newsletters and many texts and publications covering all aspects of Amateur Radio.
USPS has 50,000 + members organized into 450 squadrons across the country and in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Japan. These boating families contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating through education. Local squadrons offer public boating safety courses on a regular basis. USPS squadrons have offered these courses for almost a century and have educated more than 4 million boaters to date. Successfully completing a USPS boating course qualifies boaters to meet the educational requirement for boat licensing and operation in most states and meets one of the requirements for boaters to become members of their local Power Squadrons.
USPS is "America's Boating Club," the largest network of families and friends in the world having fun on the water today. Organized in 1914 as a non-profit boating organization, USPS is a world leader in speaking out for and promoting the needs of all recreational boaters. USPS teaches classes in seamanship and navigation to help our members improve their boating skills, confidence and performance on the water. In addition, through a cooperative program with the US Coast Guard, squadron members conduct Vessel Safety Checks to make sure boaters have all US Coast Guard required equipment aboard.
"This was a great way to introduce boating education to the thousands of ARRL members," said Don Stark, ham radio operator and USPS member. "Many hams are also boaters and see the value of continuing boating education. The USPS advanced and elective courses are a natural for this kind of study". Stark also noted, "Often USPS on the water events are coordinated using Amateur Radio, so the match of boating and Amateur Radio operations and a good fit."
"It's also a great way to introduce boaters to Amateur Radio," said Allen Pitts of the ARRL. "Time and again hams have shown that Amateur Radio gets emergency messages through when other systems fail or are overloaded. The ability to have such a resource on board would make any skipper safer and better able to render aid if needed."
A new Amateur Radio Learning Guide for Boaters, which was a cooperative effort by USPS and ARRL, was recently released. This new publication will be carried at the USPS Ships Store as well as the ARRL Book Store. The publication can also be obtained at major book stores and many retail booksellers on the Internet. "This new publication is a great reference to anyone interested in ham radio operation, ashore or on the water," indicated Darrell Allison of USPS Marketing. Allison also noted the many other common interests between hams and boaters, including GPS, APRS, RADAR and Marine Electronics.
For over 90 years, Amateur Radio operators have had formal and informal relationships to coordinate communication during emergencies and advance the radio arts. At the local level, hams may participate with local emergency organizations using voice and digital communication methods. Hams often aid state emergency management operations and also operate through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) which is coordinated through the ARRL and its field volunteers and through the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) which is coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The MOU can be seen at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/mou/#usps
More information about the ARRL is available at www.arrl.org
Information about the USPS is available at www.usps.org
