Philip,
Thank you for posting your comments and feedback, as well as the link to the email addresses.
You spent some time researching the two Directors that are proposing the Change in Bylaw 46
with their New Code of Conduct, I greatly appreciate your well stated position and thoughtful comments.
I am eager to see the proposed replacement of Bylaw 46 fail,
personally because the next step of those wanting this is not only easy Removal or Censorship
of any Director that does not agree with them, but both Parties of ARRL member Elected Officials (Division Directors and Section Managers).
Our ARRL West Gulf Division Director will be our first loss.
Why do they want to oust John Robert Stratton, because the creators of the replacement of bylaw 46
do not want a member with Our Board of Directors that offers any transparency of policy to the members that elected them.
Their next step is to extend these new Draconian rules to Section Managers, our other Member elected officials.
I am at the top of the list of those that the CEO desires gone.
Because I am too Vocal to our members about what is occuring at the ARRL that is less about or for members and more about the leaders
making the changes they want for their benefit, not members.
I heard from a ARRL NTX Club president which recently decided to no longer be an ARRL member.
He was apologizing to me, because he could no longer support the ARRL now and that he greatly appreciated my last visit this summer to their club,
where I showed them how to view ARRL Board of Director Minutes.
At that meeting we looked at the minutes from the July 2023 Board meeting
and dissected what occurred.
Let’s just say a great number of ARRL members Jaws dropped to the floor in shock.
First why had they heard little to nothing on the changes made, that were definitely not for or on the behalf of members.
When I showed them in the published minutes, where the Board of Directors changed Three Bylaws, just so they could
stop printing and mailing the ARRL Journal to Members, they were in shock, the non verbal feedback in that room when seeing that was truly a Deer in Headlights reaction. Startling to say the least, especially when one member asked me – why did they make those three changes.
Of course the answer is, those bylaws had to be changed to allow non shipment of QST or OTA (On The Air) magazine by US postal Mail to currently paid Members.
Many faces started turning Red.
Why, because every ARRL member within that meeting were expecting to see QST in their Mailbox until their renewal date sometime in 2025.
Those same ARRL members were well aware of the recent at that time Membership Survey,
which of course had no mention of the recindece of QST from ARRL Members.
More than a few asked me if they could sue the ARRL for breach of Contract,
I stated I was not an attorney, even though I did sleep at the Holiday Inn the night before their meeting.
However, they could consult one on the practicality of a suit and the possible postal regulations that might play a part.
The Key issues is a great majority of our Fellow amateurs did not and many still to this day do not realize
The balance of this year there will be no printed QST in their mailboxes, even if they renewed a year ago and have close to 24 months left in their current membership term. In early 2023, the league sold many Renewals for a term of Three years.
Why are our fellow amateurs being blindsided by the one organization that pledges to support them and our great hobby….
Because The ARRL CEO does not believe in full transparency, his statement during the ARRL Forum at the Huntsville Alabama Hamfest Convention
“We the ARRL do Not have a Transparency problem” – Quote David Minster
There were more than a few in that ARRL Forum that bristled at that comment from him.
If the CEO had explained to our members the need to separate QST from Membership with the ARRL
I believe he would have gained trust and found all but a small majority willing to accept the change,
we will never know as he decided to just blind side us all.
Fellow amateurs do not do that to each other, Lie, Cheat, and do underhanded things.
To be clear the ARRL Board of Directors made the changes, not the CEO.
However, he proposed these changes, I think our members and fellow amateur radio ops are smart enough to figure that out.
And many members are leaving the ARRL, we have lost 3.5 percent as of the end of November (Published membership stats are always a full month behind and are available to ARRL Section Managers and Board of Directors).
I am hopeful that more than a few of our ARRL members will voice their opposition to any changes in bylaw 46
with emphasis on Not adopting the Proposed New Code of Conduct and all three of its Parts.
And are For Honoring current Membership Contracts,
as well as in favor of the motion for a reduced ARRL Membership Youth rate.
(The following two documents are hosted on my google drive space and should be accessible to anyone with the Link)
For those that wish a detailed explanation on the reasons they should be against any replacement of ByLaw 46 with the Proposed “New Code of Conduct” please read the document at the following link…
The creator of the document at the following link is Mr. Fred Hopengarten K1VR, he is a widely respected amateur radio operator and a past ARRL Division Director.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NfMGQ5B07_wZmKJ3ar2VnF5StqLroL7p/view?usp=sharing
Also a FAQ file on the Proposed replacement of bylaw 46…….
(Disclaimer I do NOT know the originator of this FAQ File,
However, what I saw there bears facts as I know them and reinforces in plain language that the replacement of bylaw 46 that we have now with the “New Code of Conduct – Toe The Line” is very bad.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14vTWDLWZYISyRDuEEiVdqoPqXu99FRqa/view?usp=sharing
I know this dialogue above is long
And as your ARRL North Texas Section Manager
I greatly appreciate your time in reading my post
In summary….
I am hopeful that The Proposed Motion which will be brought forth by our West Gulf Division Director to
Honor current ARRL membership Contracts passes – we Vote for this.
Changes to ARRL Bylaw 46 with the Proposed “New Code of Conduct and all three of its parts”
We Vote against this.
Create a Reduced Youth rate for ARRL Membership
We Vote Yes!
Cheers!
Steve KG5VK
ARRL NTX Section Manager
