[Steven Smith]

What is ARRL and why should you care?

The ARRL or Amateur Radio Relay League is the leading national
organization for amateur radio in the United States. “Ok, what does
that mean?” you may ask. The league is a member supported and more
importantly, member governed organization whose mission statement is to
advance the art, science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio. Also, to get
this said way up front, the league acts to protect and expand the hobby
for the enjoyment of hobby enthusiasts, like yourself!

The League has leadership in at least two important levels: Nationwide
and “Area” wide. Hopefully nationwide is rather self-explanatory. As
for area wide, that will take a moment to explain. The United States is
broken down for league purposes into a small number of Divisions (15 to
be exact) and these 15 Division are further broken down into 71
Sections.

If you are local to me then you are probably in the North Texas Section
and your Section Manager is Steve Lott KG5VK and Steve lives well
outside but in the area of Paris Texas. Steve has a staff of assistants
who focus their attention of particular problems, challenges or issues
which arise regularly in the everyday radio operating lives of ARRL
members in the section. (Other sections are organized pretty similar in
this fashion.)

This is where the work of the ARRL is done on a daily basis. Our
Nationwide leadership insures that our spectrum (radio frequencies) are
kept available if not expanded (in addition to addressing many other
concerns) while our section wide leadership teams helps get information,
assistance, and training to the individual ham radio operator.

“How do we (at the Section level) do this, you may ask.” First is to
listen. We attend whenever asked and possible individual club meetings
and are present and participating in numerous ham festivals, conventions
and events across the span of the 68 counties comprising the North Texas
section. We listen and offer advice and assistance. Checkout our
upcoming “Mentor Fest” this April 2, 2022.
More info on Mentor Fest may be found at……

https://arrlntx.org/WP/blog/2022/02/20/mentorfest-spring-2022/

There you will be able to attend discussions about setting up your first
radio station and proper grounding both in the station and out. Of
course there will be numerous opportunities to speak with Section
personnel and other seasoned operators.

Section Staffers assist in a variety of other areas. In addition to
Steve Lott, there are a number of Assistant Section Managers: Army
Curtis, AE5P; Johnnie Young, KG5CQO; Mark S. Pritchard, K4GVN; Bill C.
Caldwell, AC5BC; Ken E. Mitchell, KD2KW; Michael J. Reitz, W5EVT; Dale
E. Finely, KB5NFT; and Joseph David Martin, K5YFO. All these help keep
the boat moving in the same direction. John E. Hamilton, KD5INM, is
Technical Coordinator for the Section; Katherine Forson, KT5KMF, is
Youth Coordinator for the Section; Ken Hansen, N2VIP is the Section’s
Affiliated Club Coordinator; Aaron M. Hulett, K8AMH is the Section’s
Traffic Manager; Greg E. Evans, K5GTX is the Emergency
Coordinator/Assistant Section Manager; Perry A. Schrag, N0PAS is the
State Government Liaison for the Section and I, Brent Boydston, KF5THB
am Public Information Coordinator for the Section. Together we provide
“hands on” assistance to our ARRL Affiliated Clubs and Members in
the resolution of problems or challenges which interfere with the
everyday use and enjoyment of the ham radio hobby.

In future articles, we’ll take a quick look at the ways which these
folks help out.

We’re ham radio, how can we help.

Brent Boydston
KF5THB
ARRLNTX Public Information Coordinator

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ARRL North Texas Section
Section Manager: Steven Lott Smith, KG5VK
kg5vk@arrl.org
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