An Open Letter to Members of the ARRL Board-- Incumbents and Newbies
Today, Christmas Eve, I had the distinct pleasure of talking to Royce Goodwin, WA4AFE, and Joe Gault, W4WZ, both in the Carolinas and both in their mid 90’s. I talk to them every week, most often on CW. These guys got me in to Amateur radio as a 13-year-old, taught me the code and helped me with the theory. They are both active, in life and in radio--especially CW. When I oversaw Amateur radio enforcement at FCC, I considered myself to be working for people such as them, as well as FCC.
It
occurred to me that we stand on their shoulders. People like
Joe and Royce gave us this wonderful avocation that joyfully occupies
our lives. I cannot imagine not having radio as a major part of my
life, and I suspect you feel the same-- because we all love the magic of
radio.
If
this activity joyfully occupies our lives, why can’t we approach the duties of
the ARRL Board the same way? Just because so much of society and government is
dysfunctional doesn’t mean we have to be. This is
our watch.
We need to rid ourselves of this
vitriolic attitude toward those who disagree with us. If every member of the
Board always agreed on every topic, we’d only need one Director on the Board.
But we can disagree without being disagreeable, and we can lose on any
particular issue without seeking to burn down ARRL headquarters.
None
of this conflict is lost on the FCC. I still have constant contact with the FCC,
and whether I go to the FCC in Washington or in Gettysburg, the first question I
always get is “How is the Board getting along?” The ARRL is the ONLY voice
Amateur radio has. Each month of continued infighting, back stabbing and
bitterness and plotting moves us one notch closer to the outer circle on the FCC
radar, i.e., towards irrelevance.
We
need the FCC for protection on two fronts: spectrum protection, and enforcement
protection. If our biggest enemy is ourselves, and if we implode by aggravating
ourselves to death, the FCC doesn’t have to give us the time of day—except in
the rare legal proceeding on the scale of BPL, which costs the ARRL dearly in
legal fees (but was a wonderful victory still celebrated today by some in the
FCC). But those situations are extremely rare. In every other way, and on a day
to day basis, we will slowly lose status and respect at the FCC and die a slow
death.
This
is OUR watch and we owe it to the Joe Gaults and Royce Goodwins of our Amateur
radio world to make sure our highest priority is not ego or revenge or getting
our own way, but rather Amateur radio itself. At the end of the
day, if our actions—whatever they are—have not gained one new
Amateur (especially a young one) or one new League
member, we are spinning our wheels. All of us are experienced
enough in life by now to know that when we think we know all the answers, it’s
probably because we haven’t thought of all the questions.
I
spent every working day and most weekends of my life for almost 10years trying
to restore Amateur radio to its rightful place in the American communications
infrastructure after 12 years of neglect by the FCC. That neglect was due to
other priorities such as explosive growth in paging, land mobile and then
cellular. Do you remember the early 90’s, when you were very afraid to
demonstrate Amateur radio to anyone such as a neighbor or grandchild, for fear
of what you would hear on 75 meters, or even on a repeater? We are way beyond
that now and it is because the FCC respected us and appreciated our service and
contributions and supported a new enforcement initiative in our service.
But
I implore you to realize that these vitriolic conflicts are known and watched by
the FCC, which in this era has a gazillion other
things to deal with besides Amateur radio; and as with every agency, it is
looking for things not to have to deal with anymore. Please let’s don’t make
ourselves irrelevant. I plead with you to realize that we can
work together as friends and stewards of Amateur radio, paying back what we owe
this joyful avocation and respectfully trying to resolve our disagreements;
or we can perish together as fools. This is our time, and if
there’s one thing we have learned in our time, it’s that
anything can fail.
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