The ARRL Letter
Vol. 14, No. 4
March 1, 1995

Long-range plan details aired
	April QST has more details on the strategic long-range 
plan for the ARRL that was approved by the ARRL Board of Directors 
at its meeting in late January. Here are some of those details, as 
described by Executive Vice President David Sumner, K1ZZ, and 
Field Services Manager Rick Palm, K1CE, in QST.
	In May 1994, during the first of two "retreats," the 
Board's members recognized that they first needed a vision: a 
simple and concise statement of an ideal desired future for the 
organization. With this vision as guidepost, they could then 
develop a strategic plan and, ultimately, annual operational 
plans. 
	This first retreat concluded with the Board agreeing on a 
mission statement and set of long-range goals. Because Board 
members wanted to ensure that their plans were grounded firmly in 
reality, they also assessed the internal and external factors that 
would either enable or impede progress toward each of these goals
	An initial set of strategies for meeting the goals was 
drafted in July 1994, with vice directors and senior staff 
offering their input. Following this, in August 1994 the resources 
available for plan implementation were assessed and potential 
obstacles identified.
	Finally, all Board members gathered for a second retreat 
in October 1994, and developed the strategic plan that was 
ultimately adopted.
	Following the Board's approval of the plan at its annual 
meeting in January, ARRL President George S. Wilson III, W4OYI, 
named three committees--Transition Management, Governance, and 
Volunteer Enhancement--to initiate implementation.
	Four long range goal statements form the core of the 
adopted strategic plan.

Assumptions
	Any plan is inherently based on a set of assumptions, and 
the League's is no exception. The Board based its planning on 
specific assumptions categorized by external, future opportunities 
and threats, and the League's current strengths and weaknesses, 
discussed below.
	Examples of external opportunities that can be exploited 
are the public's increased comfort with the use of technology 
(thanks largely to the explosion of personal computers in the 
home), lower cost of electronic hardware, and increasing needs for 
local public-service communication. 
	But with opportunities, there are also threats: spectrum 
challenges, new personal communication services having no 
examination requirement, more competition for discretionary time, 
perceived biological effects of RF, restrictive covenants, and so 
forth.
	Internally, the League enjoys the benefits of many 
strengths, including enthusiastic volunteers. The League has a 
large membership with clout--there is strength in numbers. This, 
combined with a capable professional staff and experienced 
volunteer leaders, makes the League a strong advocate in 
Washington.
	But, there are weaknesses, too. In the League, as in most 
associations, "volunteer power" is a scarce commodity. Amateurs 
pursue a growing number of special interests within Amateur Radio; 
it is difficult for a large, broad-based organization to keep pace 
simultaneously on all fronts. These are among the liabilities to 
be overcome. 

Core membership
	The Board members knew that whatever plan emerged, it must 
take into account  a realistic assessment of the "core membership" 
of the League, and that whatever ARRL does, it must meet the true 
needs of this group first and foremost, before the needs of other 
members and nonmembers. Thus, all of the products, programs, 
services, publications, and activities the League produces and 
engages in, that come about as the result of plan, must be 
designed to directly or indirectly benefit the core member. 

	A "core member," as seen by the board, is:
	Male, over 40, HF-active, very active in Amateur Radio, 
holder of a higher class of license, economically advantaged, 
participating in ARRL programs, and sharing the need for advocacy 
at the federal level to protect the spectrum.

	The future ARRL core member is envisioned as:
	Over 40, very active in Amateur Radio,  economically 
advantaged, participating in ARRL programs, more computer 
literate, communicating more without the use of Amateur Radio, and 
having an increased need to share in advocacy at the federal level 
to protect the spectrum.
	These two descriptions look much alike, but the 
differences are important ones. For the future the board sees 
Amateur Radio as more family oriented. HF operation (including 
listening) will continue to be significant, but increasingly there 
will be core members who are active solely on VHF and higher and 
the class of license held will be less important in defining the 
extent of their activity.

Mission statement
	With all of the above in mind, the group drafted a concise 
statement of what they want the ARRL's role to be in Amateur Radio 
five years hence:
	The American Radio Relay League is the principal 
representative of the Amateur Radio Services, serving members by 
protecting and enhancing spectrum access and providing a national 
resource to the public.

Long range goals: the nucleus of the Plan
	Consistent with the mission statement are four goals that 
will focus the League's efforts for the next five years, the time 
frame of the plan. These goals speak to:
	* The need for excellence in ARRL leadership;
	* Information, training, knowledge, and personal 

achievement programs; 
	* Financial security and stability of the organization; 
and
	* Advocacy in the formation and implementation of national 
communication public policy.

Goal: ARRL as leader
	The planning group defined several strategies to move 
toward this goal over the next several years, among them the 
committing of more resources to representation on the 
international front and increased participation in influential 
telecommunication advisory bodies.
	The League also should increase communication with, and 
services and membership opportunities for, the growing number of 
amateurs who are outside the United States. More involvement with 
specialized Amateur Radio organizations and interest groups both 
in the US and abroad must be sought. The League will seek to 
reduce barriers to international movement of radio amateurs and 
equipment. It will continue to promote the development of the 
International Amateur Radio Permit.
	There will be some challenges to progress, however, and 
the board wanted to ensure it painted a realistic picture of the 
factors that will stand in our way. These include the perception 
that the League has sometimes reacted slowly to new developments. 
Of course, the League, like any other organization, has limited 
financial resources. And as things stand now, although we have 
never had a larger number of members, in recent years we have seen 
a decline in the percentage of licensed amateurs who are League 
members. 
	To address some of these potential roadblocks, the 
League's governance structure and process will be reviewed by the 
newly constituted Governance Committee to identify possible needed 
changes. 
	The Board also believes it is important to change the 
unfortunate and inaccurate perception that Technician class 
licensees are second-class or incomplete amateurs, and to convey 
the message to one and all that Amateur Radio is fun.
	Changes may also be on the horizon for traditional field-
based programs as the ARRL works to strengthen its ties to local 
amateur communities. Review of the Field Organization's mission 
and structure, including the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and 
the National Traffic System, will be handled by the new Volunteer 

Enhancement Committee. 

Goal: Information, training, knowledge, achievement
	To achieve this goal, the League will employ new 
technologies to deliver information and services. Recent examples 
of this policy are the League's use of the Internet and various 
commercial "on-line" services.
	The League will promote the use of new technologies in 
Amateur Radio operating, and will expand opportunities for new 
amateurs to participate in personal achievement programs.
	A strong publications program and a Field Organization as 
old as the League itself are solid foundations on which to build, 
as is the League's pre-eminent position in volunteer examining.
	There will be some challenges, however: It is not news to 
any active radio amateur today that we are increasingly 
fragmentated into separate special interests. While to some extent 
this is healthy, in recent times, amateurs in special interest 
groups have pitted themselves against one another in "turf wars" 
over issues involving band planning, regulation, and mode. With 
the amateur ranks divided, the unity we need to obtain actions for 
the common good from the regulators, both domestic and 
international, is undermined.

Goal: Financial stability, security
	The strategies for achieving this goal include some that 
are fairly straightforward, such as increasing the number of ARRL 
members. We will look at the desirability of further 
differentiating the services and benefits that are provided to 
members versus nonmembers. New sources of nondues and nonmember 
revenue will be sought, and ways to encourage voluntary 
contributions will be developed.
	Factors that will help the League achieve this goal are 
its professional business staff, increasing reliance on computer-
based productivity tools, expanded marketing opportunities, and 
our growing reputation for quality services. The League enjoys a 
loyal core membership and high renewal rate, and our membership 
numbers are increasing.
	On the liability side of the balance sheet, aside from the 
obvious economic realities of increased operating costs and taxes 
(yes, nonprofit organizations still pay taxes), is that we're 
unlikely to see much further growth in revenues from traditional 
sources. We must define new products and services of interest to 
radio amateurs.

Goal: Advocate in setting national communication policy
	To see that loss of spectrum is limited, additional 
spectrum is acquired, and impediments to Amateur Radio are 
minimized, the League will seek to improve its process of 
developing legislative and regulatory policy and position 
statements. A long range plan will be developed, and effective 
legislative and judicial monitoring programs at the state and 
local levels will be enacted.
	To accomplish this will require expansion of our 
Washington-based operations and improvements in how we get 
information from industry and government. It is likely that the 
ARRL will increasingly work together with other organizations who 
share similar public policy positions to further our goals.
	Already, the League is lobbying harder for more effective 
enforcement of the FCC rules. We will seek to increase our role as 
a consumer protection advocate in matters involving radio 
frequency interference and RF safety. We will work to improve our 
programs to promote good operating standards among amateurs.
	Perhaps the greatest obstacle we face is the inclination 
toward apathy among many amateurs. When it comes to advocacy on 
behalf of Amateur Radio generally, the League's core members carry 
the ball for all of us. Understanding regulatory issues, 
particularly when spectrum management is involved, is very hard 
work. If your perspective is defined by the coverage of your local 
repeater, what happens in Geneva and Washington may seem very 
remote indeed.
	Conveying the importance of our role in influencing 
communication public policy to members and prospective members 
won't be easy, but we have to succeed if we're to reach this 
essential goal.

Implementation
	Experience shows that some 80% of all long range strategic 
plans developed by not-for-profit associations like the League are 
not fully implemented, because there is no plan for 
implementation. Board members felt strongly that such a  plan for 
action needed to be developed. Hence, a companion to the strategic 
planning document is the "Implementation Plan."
	Critical to the full integration and implementation of the 
strategic plan are the following actions:

	ARRL members must be informed of the new direction, 
changes and resulting benefits to them, individually.

	Organizational infrastructure must be modified for 
alignment with the strategic plan. Infrastructure includes:

	Membership development; programs; work force (staff and 
volunteers); financial capabilities; and governance (management of 
the organization strategically); also, a transition team to manage 
and monitor the implementation of the plan must be developed.

	Everything is on the table, including those "sacred cows" 
that tend to accumulate within any organization as old as the 
League. You will see the League develop a sophisticated membership 
profile data base, a new marketing-oriented annual report format, 
a responsibility for membership development that is shared with 
volunteers, and better marketing of the League's goods and 
services generally.
	You can expect to see surveys of members with respect to 
existing programs and future programs. Better information will 
allow for more knowledge-based program decisions.
	The League's work force will be reviewed, including 
volunteers and committees as well as staff, to ensure their 
activities are linked directly to the strategic plan. Staffing 
will follow specific functions consistent with the plan. More 
staff resources will be devoted to advocacy, marketing, membership 
development and the application of technology.
	A long range financial plan will be developed, linked to 
the new strategic plan.
	We will better educate amateurs on the benefits of 
belonging to the League, and educate the public on the mission of 
Amateur Radio and the League. Staff and volunteer leaders will 
receive better orientation on their proper communication roles and 
responsibilities. Improved methods for gaining membership feedback 
and closer ties with volunteer leadership will be effected. 	
More media training will be provided to national and local-level 
volunteers.

Governance
	The Board of Directors also will examine its own role in 
the organization. It will do more to help itself focus on 
direction setting, policy development, oversight and evaluation of 
the strategic plan rather than on the operational details. It will 
ensure that the roles of staff, committees and other 
organizational components are clearly defined, and that those 
roles are clearly communicated throughout the League.
	Overall, the Board will use the strategic plan to direct 
the League's operational work activities on an annual basis, while 
delegating them to work groups (committees, ad hoc groups, and 
staff), and holding them accountable for accomplishment, based on 
annual performance reviews.
	And finally, the Board will update the strategic plan, as 
required.

SECTION MANAGER ELECTION RESULTS
	Ballots have been counted in ARRL section manager 
elections for the Arkansas, Mississippi, and Orange sections. Here 
are the results:
	Arkansas:
George Mitchell, KI5BV, 485
John Woolem, N5TKG, 105
Mitchell was declared elected.
	Mississippi:
Ernest Orman, Jr, W5OXA, 217
Betty Dobbs, N5DUZ, 199
Orman was declared elected
	Orange:
Joe Brown, W6UBQ, 1125
Rich Heryford, WD6ESZ, 140
Brown was declared elected
	Six other sections were not contested and the following 
were declared elected:
	Arizona: Clifford Hauser, KD6XH; Iowa: James Lasley, N0JL; 
Kentucky: Steve Morgan, WB4NHO; Montana: Darrell Thomas, N7KOR; 
North Texas: Bob Adler, NZ2T. Wyoming: Rev Morton, WS7W.
	Terms of office for all the above begin April 1, 1995.

12 WIN QST PLAQUES FOR ARTICLES IN 1994 
	Here are the winners of QST "cover plaque" awards for 1994 
(winners are selected by the Directors from non-staff written 
articles in each month's issue):
	January:  "An Inexpensive SSTV System," by Ben Vester, 
                   K3BC.
	February: "Working Satellite RS-12--The Ultimate 
                   Satellite Primer," by Robert Capon, WA3ULH.
	March:    "Cellular Radio and the Modern Amateur," by Norman 
                   Stone, WG1C.
	April:    "Digital Signal Processing:  The Final Frontier," 
                   by Robin Moseley, WA3T.
	May:      "Yukon DXing with Flair," by John Reisenauer, NL7TB.
	June:     "Inexpensive Interference Filters," by Alan Bloom, 
                   N1AL.
	July:     "144-MHz Sporadic E," by Emil Pocock, W3EP. 
	August:   "Direct Digital Synthesis--An Intuitive  
                   Introduction," by Howie Cahn, WB2CPU.
       September: "A Smart Charger for Nickel-Cadmium Batteries," 
                   by Steven Avritch, WB1EOB.
	October:  "What is QRP?," by Rich Arland, K7YHA.
       November:  "3Y0PI--The Peter 1 Island 1994 Expedition," by 
                   Robert Schmieder, KK6EK.
	December: "A "Universal" VHF/UHF Antenna," by Dave Miller, 
                   NZ9E.

TURKMENISTAN, BURKINO FASO APPLY FOR IARU MEMBERSHIP
	Amateur Radio societies in Turkmenistan and Burkina Faso 
have applied for membership in the International Amateur Radio 
Union. The IARU Region 1 executive committee found both 
applications to be in order and current member societies are now 
voting, through June 19, 1995, on proposals for their admission. 
The ARRL has voted in favor of both applications.
	The president of the Turkmenistan Radio Amateur League 
(LRT) is Eugene M. Zwontsov, EZ8BO (ex-UH8BO).  LRT says it has 24 
members, 23 of whom are licensed to transmit.  The total number of 
licensed amateurs in Turkmenistan is 32.
	The Association des Radioamateurs du Burkino Faso (ARBF) 
says it has 29 members, including a number of officials of the 
Office National des Telecommunications.  ARBF president is 
Youssouf Kaba, XT2KY.
	Current IARU membership is 144 national societies.

ANTIQUE WIRELESS GROUP TO COMMEMORATE 'TESTS
	The Antique Wireless Association is building a replica of 
the famous 1BCG transmitter used in the 1921 ARRL Transatlantic 
Tests--the first amateur station to send a complete message across 
the Atlantic.
	The AWA hopes to have the transmitter operating sometime 
this fall and to be able to work amateurs who participated in the 
1921 Tests.
	The AWA knows of only one licensed amateur (other than 
1BCG) still active who was heard by at the station set up by Paul 
Godley, in Scotland--Jim Russell, now W8BU, then 8BU.  Another 
participant, Bob Morris, W2LV, also is still active.  The AWA 
would like to hear from other amateurs who might have heard 1BCG 
during the tests, including amateurs in the US.  1BCG was operated 
from East Greenwich, Connecticut, by members of the pioneering 
Radio Club of America.
	1BCG was on 230 meters in 1921--the AWA, using the call 
sign W2AN, will put the replica station on 160 meters.  The 
transmitter will be identical in all respects except that a 204 
vacuum tube, vintage 1923 or 1924, will be used.
	Details of the ARRL Transatlantic Tests appeared in 
February 1922 QST and have been reprinted in several ARRL 
publications.
	If you can help, contact AWA Curator Bruce Kelley, W2ICE, 
59 Main Street, Bloomfield, NY 14469.

FCC PROPOSAL WOULD SIMPLIFY COMPLIANCE FOR COMPUTERS
	The FCC has proposed to permit manufacturers and suppliers 
of computers and computer peripherals to market their equipment 
without having to apply for equipment certification and await FCC 
approval, in ET Docket 95-19.
	These devices now must be FCC-certified to ensure that 
they do not cause interference to radio services, including 
amateur.  Certification requires that all measurement data and a 
detailed description of the product be submitted to the 
Commission's laboratory for review and approval.
	The certification process can take 35 days or more, the 
FCC said, and eliminating the wait could save the computer 
industry some $250 million a year, the industry has said.  The FCC 
called the current regulations "particularly burdensome for small 
manufacturers" and said its proposed new authorization procedure 
would "align" FCC requirements for personal computers with those 
"used successfully in other parts of the world."
	Under the proposed new procedure, FCC authorization would 
be replaced by a process based on a manufacturer's or supplier's 
Declaration of Conformity (DoC).  The Commission also has proposed 
the option of permitting personal computer compliance to be based 
on tests and DoCs of individual components, without further 
testing of completed assemblies.

DIGITAL MEET SCHEDULED
	The 14th annual ARRL Digital Communications Conference 
will be held September 8 to 10 at the LaQuinta Conference Center 
in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas.
	Co-hosts for the conference are Tucson Amateur Packet 
Radio Inc. (TAPR)  and the Texas Packet Radio Society.
	The ARRL Digital Communications Conference is an 
international forum for radio amateurs and experts in digital 
communication, networking, and related technologies, at which they 
can meet, publish their work, and present new ideas and techniques 
for discussion.
	Presenters and attendees can exchange ideas and learn 
about recent hardware and software advances, theories, 
experimental results, and practical applications.
	Anyone interested in digital communication is invited to 
submit a paper for publication in the proceedings of the 
conference.  Attendance at the conference is not required for 
publication.  Papers are due by July 21, 1995, and should be 
submitted to Maty Weinberg, at ARRL Headquarters.
	For more information on the conference, registration, and 
hotel reservations, contact TAPR at 8987-309 E Tanque Verde Rd, 
No. 337, Tucson, AZ 85749-9399 USA. Phone 817-383-0000; Fax 817-
566-2544; Internet: tapr@tapr.org.

LEAGUE SETS OUT AMATEURS' STAKE IN MICROWAVE BANDS
	The ARRL has filed comments in an FCC notice of proposed 
rule making concerning frequencies above 40 GHz, pointing out 
amateurs' interest in these "millimeter-wavelength" frequencies.
	The FCC proposes to make available 16 GHz of spectrum 
between 47.2 and 153 GHz for commercial use, on a shared basis 
with existing and future government users, as well as two GHz in 
the 40.5 to 42.5 GHz band for nongovernment users. The FCC says 
that the spectrum above 40 GHz is little used at present.
	The FCC proposes to provide for vehicular field 
disturbance sensor systems at 76 to 77 GHz, systems under 
development by automobile manufacturers.
	The ARRL points out in its comments that although there 
are few users above 40 GHz, amateurs are on the books there, and 
notes that amateurs are particularly interested in their 
allocation at 4 mm (75.5 to 81.0 GHz).  The League calls a 
statement by the General Motors Research Corporation, in a 
petition to the FCC, an overstatement; General Motors said "the 
band (76 to 77 GHz) is not currently used by amateur operators."
	The League said that the 4-mm band has potential for 
future amateur short-range, high-speed data communication, an area 
in which amateurs have made significant contributions in the past.  
The FCC should not, the League said, make any allocation decision 
based on assumptions about the current level of amateur use of the 
4-mm band, and asked that no change in amateur allocations or 
rules be made at 76 to 77 mm, and that there be no change 
whatsoever for the segments 75.5 to 76 mm and 77 to 81 mm.

BRIEFS
	* As announced in March QST, a free year's ARRL membership 
can be yours by signing up four new members. Details on this 
membership drive are on page 176 of April QST.
	* CQ Magazine has joined Yaesu USA as a corporate 
underwriter of the Amateur Radio Newsline 1995 "Young Ham of the 
Year Award." Yaesu has been the sole corporate underwriter of the 
Young Ham of the Year Award program since its
inception. Nominations are open until June 30, 1995 (applications 
from 28197 Robin Ave, Saugus, California 91350).
	* Wanted: Photos of unique, functional and attractive 
mobile installations, for possible publication.  If you've got 
one, or know of one, send us a glossy print (or several, if you 
prefer).  Save the negatives, as prints can't be returned.  
Include the photographer's name and call sign (if any), along with 
the name and call of the station operator.  Send the photos, along 
with a brief description of the installation, to Joel Kleinman, 
N1BKE, at ARRL HQ.
	* The ARRL is looking for a few good lawyers and engineers 
for the Volunteer Counsel and Volunteer Consulting Engineer 
programs. Contact the Regulatory Information Branch at HQ for 
details on these programs.
	* Electronic filing works! Thanks to this new FCC program 
begun late last year, a prospective ham can learn his or her new 
call sign and be on the air in as little as two weeks after 
passing the examination. Call the FCC's Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 
office (800-322-1117) to determine your new call sign.
	* The FCC report and order on vanity call signs appears in 
full on page 41 of April QST. Please note that although the new 
rules become effective March 24, the first "gate" to apply for 
call signs is not until late April at the earliest. The FCC will 
announce opening of each gate--watch W1AW and other ARRL news 
outlets for these announcements.
	* Help W1AW help you by responding to the listener survey 
now being conducted. Details were on page 51 of March QST.
	* The newest book from ARRL is Packet: Speed, More Speed 
and Applications; although it's definitely not a book for 
beginners, some topics may be of interest to newcomers to packet 
radio. The book discusses not only the latest techniques but also 
what we should expect in future packet systems. There's an ad on 
page 193 of April QST.


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