ARRL Board of Directors Creates Emergency Communications and Field Services Committee

From the ARES Letter:

At its just-concluded July 2021 meeting, the ARRL Board of Directors approved By-Law changes creating a third Standing Committee that joins the existing Administration and Finance Committee and Programs and Services Committee.

The charter of the new Emergency Communications and Field Services Committee (EC-FSC) is to develop and recommend new or modified Board policy and programs for emergency communications through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) and National Traffic System™ (NTS™) entities.

The committee also will offer enhanced support for its Field Organization leadership volunteers, including Section Managers, and an increased focus on ARRL-Affiliated Clubs.

The EC-FSC will further provide guidance to the CEO in translating Board policy into prioritized tasking, funding, and staffing of programs, services, and training in support of amateur radio emergency communications, field organization volunteers, and recruitment and retention of new and existing members through assistance to Affiliated and Special Service Clubs.

The EC-FSC will have additional responsibility for monitoring and assessing trends in emergency communications technology and participant skills worldwide, and for identifying “best practices” for voluntary emergency communications provided by ARES and NTS, coordinating and cooperating with other amateur radio national societies as appropriate. — Thanks to The ARES Letter

ARRL 2020 Annual Report Now Available to Download

ARRL logoFrom ARRL News:

The ARRL 2020 Annual Report has been posted and is available to download. The report summarizes ARRL program and fiscal activity for the year.

In his introductory remarks, ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, said that 2020 was a difficult and challenging year for ARRL. “The coronavirus pandemic changed everything, from the way we socialized, to the way we worked, to the way students learned,” Roderick wrote. “Events we look forward to every year were canceled and the future seemed uncertain. Hamfests, club meetings, and other gatherings looked different, as videoconferencing became the new way to conduct business and get together.” [Full story]

 

ARRL Re-Opening Ceremony Featured Dignitaries, Full Board and Newington Staff, July 15, 2021

Members of the ARRL Board of Directors, staff, and politicians were in attendance for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut on July 15, 2021.  The re-opening coincided with the bi-annual Board of Directors meeting in Windsor, Connecticut. 

Attendees included:  U.S. Representative John B. Larson of Connecticut’s 1st congressional district; State Sen. Matt Lesser; State Rep. Gary Turco; Beth DelBuono, Mayor of Newington; and Town managers; Glenn Field, KB1GHX, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NOAA / National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts; a local American Red Cross representative.  New England Director Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, and Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, were among the attending board members.

Photo: Rep. John Larson awarding ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, with a commemorative plaque.
U.S. Rep. John Larson awarding ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, with a commemorative plaque during the ribbon-cutting. -K9HI photo

Email to ARRL Life Members

ARRL Life Member logoFrom ARRL News:

To keep member records up to date, ARRL emailed Life Members on June 16 and will be sending a follow-up email in the next few days, asking them to verify their mailing address. Be assured that it is a legitimate request sent from ARRL. Thank you to all those who responded.

If you need to update your address information, call (860) 594-0200, email membership@arrl.org, or respond to the email you received. If your email client does not recognize the text as a link, you will need to cut and paste it into a web browser to access the verification web page.

New England Contest Advisory Committee Representative Appointed: Rudy Bakalov, N2WQ

ARRL logoFred Hopengarten, K1VR, writes:

New England Division members may recall that earlier this year I asked for expressions of interest in working on the ARRL’s Contest Advisory Committee (CAC). Several good people raised their hands.

I’ve now asked Rudy Bakalov, N2WQ, of Westport, CT to be the New England Representative to the CAC. I first met him during an operating break at K1LZ. As I recall it, we were #1 USA multi-single or multi-two that year. Before selecting him, I asked the CAC Chairman, K9CT, to have a chat with Rudy. As a result of that conversation, they both seem energized about Rudy joining the committee.

So I asked Rudy to introduce himself to the New England Division. He wrote:

“I began my journey in ham radio at LZ1KBD in my early teens, attracted to the hobby by the opportunity to make friends around the world. Soon thereafter I discovered contesting at LZ1V and was hooked for life. After getting my Extra ticket (AD4LC) circa 1993, my US contesting career began, first having a tiny station in a walk-in closet in our NJ townhouse, then joining the teams at K1TTT and K1LZ, and finally building my own stations VE3EID and HQ9X.

“As technology and ham radio in general innovate and evolve, it is inevitable that contesting must evolve as well to remain relevant. I also believe that contesting can be a powerful force in attracting new hams to the hobby.

“I graduated with a BS in Computer Engineering from Technical University of Sofia in 1991, and then pursued an MBA from Wake Forest University. In my professional life, I deal with Board-level and C-suite issues of cyber security strategy, governance, and operations for large global enterprises.

“I look forward to joining the CAC and working with the League to further grow contesting, balancing opportunities to change vs. the spirit and legacy of League sponsored contests.”

I think Rudy will serve New England well.

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ARRL New England Division
Director: Fred Hopengarten, K1VR
k1vr@arrl.org
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