IN-Newsletter
Vol. 27, No. 2
January 14, 2004
Upcoming Meetings
January 15th in Windsor, CT at 8:30am
A & F Committee
January 15th in Newington, CT at 8:30am
Volunteer Resources Committee
January 15th in Newington, CT at 9:00am
Membership Services Committee
January 16-17, 2004 in Windsor, CT
Board Meeting
Development
The 2004 Spectrum Defense Fund has reached the $249,000 mark with
contributions from more than 5,500 donors.
The W1AW Endowment campaign will be in the mail the week of Jan 19.
Materials will be posted in the Development section of the ARRL Web site
as well. This is the first campaign that seeks multi-year pledges -- an
important test of the pledge concept that could be used for other
Development fund raising strategies.
A new planned giving commitment has been received from a member in
California.
The Notice of Fund Availability for a new Learn & Service grant was
posted last week. Grant applications for Homeland Security related
education proposals are due March 9, 2004. ARRL will apply for one of
the 6 - 10 grants awards that are each for $500,000 for two years.
Media Relations
ARRL's views on the BPL issue got more exposure recently, after Dave
Sumner did an interview with IDG News Service, a worldwide publisher of
technology-related magazines, newspapers and other publications. The
finished piece appeared in Info World, IT World and PC World. The
United Press International (UPI) wire also picked up the story, and it
appeared in The Washington (DC) Times.
Dave also spoke with a freelancer with Mobile Radio Technology magazine
who is in the research phase for his story on BPL.
Jennifer received a call from WILI, an AM radio station in Willimantic,
Connecticut. The morning host is interested in doing a story on ham
radio, including emergency communications and preparedness. Jen agreed
to be an in-studio guest, and she'll be looking for one or two other
hams in the station's listening area who would like to participate. The
host is open to doing the story fairly soon, or waiting for an
opportunity such as Field Day. It's up to us.
ARRL Staff and Officer bios are complete, and will be posted to the PR
Web pages within the next week. Some edits may be necessary after the
Board meeting. Jen is extending the project, to include Directors and
Vice Directors, and that call for information has been sent out.
Production/Editorial
We checked printer's proofs of a new printing of The ARRL Operating
Manual.
Maty Weinberg has been covering for Helen Dalton while Helen is out of
the office. We wish Helen a speedy recovery from recent surgery.
Rick Lindquist reports The ARRL Letter Vol 23, No 02 (Jan 9) distributed
to 67,245 members. Rick wrote and/or edited news stories on the upcoming
ARRL board meeting, BPL in Austria, In Brief (18 items), new Web-based
Cabrillo program, ISS air leak, Ohio ARISS school group contact, and QRP
Community column for January. Rick voiced/edited/produced ARRL Audio
News with voiceover assistance from Brennan Price and Jennifer Hagy.
Dave Hassler prepared the monthly CNCS Emergency Communications Course
grant report, with the aid of Dan Miller. He also prepared several
features for the ARRL Web site and edited several others.
Joel Hallas has turned in the March 2004 installment of the Product
Review column, as well as an item for Short Takes. The March/April
issue of NCJ is coming together, thanks in part to an overflow of
articles from the last issue.
Sales & Marketing
Prepare Initiative: More input from staff with their thoughts on changes
to all areas of our business that could be affected by license
restructuring rolled in. This input is being compiled into a working
document that will be refined once the Board has established the ARRL's
position on this key issue. The intent is to map out what needs to be
done - short, intermediate and long term - to best prepare for changes
in the license requirements.
The Warehouse crew is catching its breath after the hustle and bustle of
the Holiday season. The crew shipped close to 6000 publications packages
in the month of December alone -- 60,083 year. In addition, more than
60,000 Supplemental issues of QST, each an individual package, were
shipped from the Warehouse during 2003.
The time has come to discontinue offering ARRL's Annual Automatic
Membership Renewal program. We started offering this service in 1999
when we began offering individuals the opportunity to place a credit
card number of file with us to use for an automatic renewal of their
annual membership dues. Participation in the program grew to include
7500 members. Over the past few years, financial institutions have
significantly increased their security systems to combat the growing
volume of credit card fraud. Requirements and security checks are much
more stringent than in the past, and we are now experiencing
approximately 50% declined auto-renewal credit cards transactions each
month. Each declined transaction requires special handling and
administrative follow-up, and the net result is a renewal rate for these
members that is actually lower than those who are in the normal renewal
program and who hear from us annually. The auto-renewal program is no
longer effective and is not meeting its goal of improved member
retention, and we are phasing it out. Auto-renewal will be deleted as an
option from the on-line membership application and printed renewal
notices upon reprint.
December 2003 preliminary publication sales reports, membership figures,
a membership renewal rate analysis and the final analysis of September
2003 membership mailing were assembled and distributed.
Author royalty payments were computed and sent, along with author
reports, to Comptrollers for processing. Billings were also submitted
to Comptrollers for February QST advertising including a new detail
report for double-checking purposes.
A follow-up color promotion advertising mailing for the ARRL New Ham
Express (advertising booklet to be included with our new ham mailings)
and Antenna Time! (Antenna theme tear-out for April QST inclusion) was
sent to our list of current and potential advertisers and Dealer
network. The color promotion was graphically created in record time and
printed in-house by Di Szlachetka. Handling the promo in this manner
allowed us to use the color we were looking for--and a very speedy
turn-around--without the usual associated high costs.
Joe Bottiglieri and Deb Jahnke are hard at work procuring ads for March
2004 QST, the ARRL New Ham Express and Antenna Time! Joe and Deb have
sent e-mail solicitations as well as PDF files of our most recent
promotions. Telephone follow-ups are in the works.
Lisa Tardette is working with Bob Inderbitzen on a New Year's edition of
the Dealer Newsline. The new edition of the ARRL Operating Manual will
be featured along with a selection of other titles. We will also
present a roster of new titles and their approximate debut dates
throughout the entire year. Advertisers received this approach very
positively with our January issue of Advertising Matters and we want to
provide our dealers with as much long-range information as we can, as
well.
The mailing list and solicitation pieces have been sent to the printer
for January's large membership campaign.
New resources to assist Section Managers with membership recruitment
have been posted to the SM web area. For some time, the site has
included a download-to-print Membership Application. The application,
for use by Section Managers, is uniquely coded for tracking purposes.
New additions to the site include extensive "Tips on Recruiting" and a
sign-up poster. Printed forms are also available from the Sales &
Marketing Department. We are working with Steve Ewald to let SMs know
of the new resources and remind them that we continue to offer them free
copies of the ARRL Repeater Directory to use as new membership
incentives.
Membership Services
Awards Branch
WAS QSL Cards Checked 300
WAS Certs. (800 QSLs F/C) 16
WAS Certs. (200 QSLs ES/C) 4
LTMA Inquiries 19
50 Year Member Awards 2
Also, ordered the 50- and 60-year member plaques for the 42 recent
qualifiers. Processing Status: Current or up to four weeks. For the
coming week-WAS Specialty awards, VUCC awards processing/mailing, mail
out all awards processed the last two weeks, and filing chores
associated with the most recent LTMAs issued.
DXCC Branch
For the week of:
January 11, 2004
Beginning Cards 124,033
Cards Received 1,608
Cards Processed 21,032
Ending Cards 104,609
Applications Pending 811
Processing Time 11.2 Weeks
Year-to-date (2003)
Cards Received 2,232
Cards Returned 21,032
DXCC is currently mailing applications received on October 21, 2003.
DXCC is currently entering cards received on November 4, 2003. In the
previous week, DXCC staff completed work and mailing of all September
2003 applications. Also, data entry of all October work was completed
in the same week.
QSL Bureau
QSL Service Status: There is a delay of three weeks. Cards mailed as of
01/04/2004: none. No cards were mailed this week.
W1AW
Joe updated the web code practice files and created the texts for the
January W1AW Qualifying Runs. He repaired the Harris 17-meter amplifier
and processed some regular W1AW QSL card requests. He also began to
compile the 2003 FMT results.
Scott worked on slow and fast code practice files for the month of
January. He also handled some evening phone sales calls in the 5 PM to
8 PM time slot.
Field & Educational Services
Pacific Section SM Bob Schneider, AH6J, the Pacific Section SM-elect
Kevin Bogan, AH6QO, be allowed to begin his term early. In consultation
with Bob Vallio, Rosalie approved this request.
Rosalie also set the agenda for, and moderated, the ARISS education
committee teleconference and drafted minutes. The ARISS packet
equipment is working correctly now.
Field Organization/Public Service Team
Steve Ewald and Dan Miller joined Connecticut ARES leaders at the State
Office of Emergency Management on Wednesday for a statewide discussion
and simulated exercise. Reps were there from state agencies and public
service groups; reps of the Department of Homeland Security observed.
It was a good opportunity to meet representatives from served agencies,
leran more about their needs and expectations, and talk up Amateur
Radio's capabilities.
Steve was at Hq on Saturday, as CT SEC Allen Pitts hosted a meeting of
ARES DECs. Steve took part in the teleconference on the Ad-Hoc
Committee on ARES Communications, and prepared a paper requested by
Citizen Corps.
Leona Adams has been updating Field Organization appointments and sent
over a dozen initial supply packages. A number of new appointments have
been submitted from the new SMs in Alabama and Tennessee whose terms
just began on January 1.
Chuck Skolaut received two monitoring requests from the FCC's Riley
Hollingsworth about two unrelated cases. Chuck is getting the word to
the Official Observer Coordinators in the affected regions of the
country.
CCE
Jerry Ellis set up classes to open for January, put out a Mentor call
for the Level I course due to open next week, and processed mail
registrations for various classes. He recruited Mentors for the new
Antenna Design Course due to open January 13, and processed mentor
placements and issued mentor rosters. He continued work on Field Exam
kits, and prepped the current class graduate grant refund lists,
including printing certificates and ID cards for same in preparation for
mailing.
Field & Education Support Team
Gail Iannone kept the Dayton Marriott at bay. They wanted to raise the
hotel room rate, but Gail negotiated a rate the same as last year. She
sent 21 hamfest approval letters and 2 convention approval letters to
sponsoring committees confirming Division Director's approval of the
events as ARRL-sanctioned. She processed 2 label requests and continues
to catch up on e-mails after returning from vacation.
Tom Cote processed 2 SSC applications and 1 club vanity email request.
He also processed one new club certificate and assisted Jerry in
processing emcomm graduation certificates and mentor stipends.
Jean Wolfgang received the final JOTA numbers from BSA HQ. According to
them, JOTA participation in the USA increased again this year by almost
4,000 participants, bringing the number to 14,981! The number of US
stations more than doubled bringing that total to 1,773. She began to
handle award nominations sent in via email, and is working on changes to
the letters to make it easier for the support information to come by
email.
Linda Mullally updated 48 affiliated club records with 2 reactivations.
She registered 5 Instructors and 7 Teachers, and she worked on club new
ham labels, entering new ones into the database. Linda checked the club
roster of 1 affiliated club application. She totaled the December F&ES
program fees at $2114.
Mary Lau completed Board of Directors reports and transferred same to
Lisa for inclusion in the Board Book. She also processed last-minute
(2003 tax deduction) contributions for the Foundation. Balloting
continues on the approval of 2003 Bill Orr, W6SAI, Technical Writing
Award recipient.
Amateur Radio Education & Technology Project
With holidays over, Mark Spencer saw significant rise in quantity and
quality of correspondence. Questions and suggestions continue on the
code practice oscillator project used by schools and groups -- they want
more of this sort of thing. The first requests for Activity Boards have
come in. Formal notification went to new Big Project schools; they are
sending equipment wish lists. Progress grant requests for other schools
for text materials are being processed. Mark met with the Connecticut
State Board of Educational Services for the Blind who will distribute
our information to their teachers.
EmComm Grants
Dan continues to update and improve his seminar. A two-hour version
will be presented next week at Ham Radio University 2004 in Oyster Bay,
Long Island. Participation in emcomm courses over the holidays was more
brisk than in previous year-end holiday time. Perhaps the upgraded DHS
alert status has played a part in this.
Regulatory Information
John Hennessee assisted amateurs with local government zoning problems
in Stevensville, MD (WA3JGI) and assisted amateurs with covenant
concerns in Kamuela, HI (AH6FC) and Helena, MT (W4SA). He saw an
increase in regulatory questions about the 60-meter band. He proofread
the changes for the next printing of The ARRL FCC Rule Book.
73,
Sincerely,
Mark Wilson, K1RO
Chief Operating Officer
MW:lk
Staff Absentee List
Dave Sumner 1/16-1/17 BOD Meeting
`` 1/29-2/5 Vacation
Mark Wilson 1/16-1/17 BOD Meeting
Barry Shelley 1/16-1/17 BOD Meeting
Mary Hobart 1/16-1/17 BOD Meeting
Lisa Kustosik 1/15-1/17 BOD Meeting
Dennis Motschenbacher 1/16-1/17 BOD Meeting
Rosalie White 1/16-1/17 BOD Meeting
Wayne Mills 1/16-1/17 BOD Meeting
Dave Patton 1/16-1/17 BOD Meeting
Dan Miller 1/16-1/18 ARRL NLI Section
Convention
