K1VR: Thanks for your thoughts. Comments below. From: arrl-odv [mailto:arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org] On Behalf Of Greg Sarratt Sent: Monday, July 15, 2019 1:40 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:28372] Re: Vendor Meeting Motion Fred, I don't think we need a formal motion to do this. Many, if not all of us speak to vendors at hamfest. I speak to as many as I can but at the large hamfest it is difficult to speak to many vendors. If a vendor has a problem or input they don’t hesitate to bring it up with me. I see the vendors at hamfest are very busy and it will be hard to schedule a meeting or have a meeting. Initially they are moving in and setting up, cover up and leave. During hamfest they are busy and quickly leave at the end of the day, and they pack up and when the Hamfest is over they leave as soon as possible. We have the ARRL booth to work and forums, so cannot take time away from our members. [FH:] I agree that the vendors are busy on the convention floor. I agree that we, the directors, are busy on the convention floor. I suggest that meetings with vendors be proposed in quiet, back at a hotel, and out of the earshot of other vendors, so that they may be candid. At the second and third largest hamfest in the US, which are in my Division. Orlando HamCation with 23,000+ attendees has ~350 vendors. Huntsville hamfest with 7,000 attendees has ~180 vendors. My smaller hamfest with attendance of over 1000 has 25-50 vendors. [FH:] I do not view the 350 vendors at Orlando as the universe of people we should be seeking out for advice on policy. I think the real number is closer to 15 – likely K,I,Y,E, F, HRO, DXE, TAPR, West Mountain, etc. At present, issues on which I think the Board would benefit from consultations are those such as technician class license privileges, new approaches to private land use issues, WinLink controversies, mesh networks, recruiting new hams who will get on the air (i.e., not merely nominal), and so forth. I have my doubts that the guy who sells PVC spud guns that he makes in his garage is thinking hard about FCC and governmental policy issues. If we have a motion saying we will meet with vendors and miss some they will be upset. [FH:] I’m prepared to say to small vendors that we haven’t gotten to them, or that we had no idea they might wish to contribute on national policy issues. If we take up time with some vendors (time away from their customers) they will be upset. [FH:] Back at the hotel, as mentioned above. If we are not in the ARRL booth for our members they will be upset. [FH:] The reason for not using up show time, but rather using time before, after, or evenings. Because of busy vendors, we cannot meet with every vendor and don't need to take time away from ARRL duties I don’t think we need this motion. [FH:] I’m suggesting that amateur radio is moving and complex, and that we need to take advantage of the views of vendors who sometimes see what is around the bend, or have ideas on present challenges. I think we have things to learn from vendors, and that we will learn more by setting up appointments in advance with the imprimatur of a Board request to meet. For these reasons, I urge an affirmative vote on the Board motion. By the way, the motion contains within it the idea that you would be in meetings in Orlando, and that the Great Lakes Director would be in the meetings in Dayton. Thanks, Greg, W4OZK On Wednesday, July 10, 2019 10:46:35 PM EDT, Fred Hopengarten <hopengarten@post.harvard.edu> wrote: Upon further reflection, I have modified my proposed motion to include Orlando (the ARRL National Convention) and HamVention. I’m open to adding Visalia, if we can’t squeeze in enough meetings in Orlando and HamVention. I welcome thoughts on whether the meetings should be one vendor at a time, or a group meeting to solicit input. My own thought is that vendors will be more candid and forthcoming if meeting alone with a few Dirs or VDirs. The latest version of the motion is attached. Notes: · I should have remembered, and I am grateful to N2RJ and K3RF for calling to my attention, that “personal investigations” are legal once again, now that the Code of Conduct has been repealed. If not done already, I hope Dan Henderson or Carla Pereira will scrub the CoC from the ARRL web page. · Please note that this is an experiment. The motion does not call for the creation of a permanent committee, nor continuing meetings. If the benefit is weak, in comparison to costs (of all kinds), the idea can be abandoned. The latest version of the Vendor Meetings motion is attached. <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=icon> Virus-free. <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=link> www.avast.com _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus