ODV:

The A&F Committee will be holding a meeting via Zoom this coming Saturday.   In response to Director Ritz’s query:  it isn’t a question of an “open” or “closed” meeting: It is quite simply a meeting of a standing committee of the ARRL.  Due to extenuating circumstances we are attempting to conduct business in a manner that is different than what has been traditional.

As this would be the first such committee meeting held at which the attendees will not all be in the same room, my goal is to approach— to the greatest extent possible—conditions which allow attendees to see and hear each other in real-time, without interruption, using the current state of the technology.  Having worked in the telecom/Internet business all of my adult life, I am very conversant and comfortable with this technology.  I have very good Internet bandwidth/speeds in my home office.   What I can’t control is the bandwidth available to other committee members.  I also can’t control the platform being used nor the experience with using the technology at the ‘other end’ of the QSO.  

As the date of the previously scheduled meeting approached, I started receiving requests for non-committee members to attend. Since everyone was  ‘stuck at home’ I suppose there was nothing better going on and folks may as well stop by the A&F!!  Sure: why not?  That scenario was just a bit concerning in that all of a sudden I’m thinking about trying manage a meeting with 40 participants…. people coming and going throughout the meeting which would in and of itself be disruptive.   I imagined myself spending time walking committee members through their Zoom settings so they can select the right views, turn off non-video participants, etc. and who knows how much additional time dealing with other tech issues.  Every additional participant adds bandwidth that gets distributed to every other participant.  It became more about managing the technology than managing the meeting.   In the wake of those concerns, I cancelled the previously scheduled meeting rather than excluding anyone.

I’ve subsequently spoken one-on-one with committee members and the consensus is we should hold a meeting. 

If  a non-committee member wishes to listen in to the A&F Meeting they can do so by dialing in with a phone, audio only.  Send me a personal email (k0rm@comcast.net) and include the phone number from which you will be dialing in.  I will forward the invite to you.  Please dial in prior to 8:50AM Mountain Time and I will admit visitors in listen-only mode. (Make sure your caller ID isn’t blocked!)   After 8:50 AM  I will not be monitoring the waiting room as I will be busy with the meeting. 

Thank you es 73,

Jeff, KØRM