Hi,

 

I wanted to share this with the Board as well as the staff.  I welcome your comments and input.

 

73,

Harold, WJ1B

 

Harold Kramer, WJ1B

Chief Operating Officer

ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio

860 594 0220

 

From: Kramer, Harold, WJ1B
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 2:37 PM
To: HQ Staff
Subject: The ARRL Task Force for Growth of Amateur Radio

 

To: HQ Staff

From: Harold Kramer

August 30, 2005

 

 

The ARRL Task Force for Growth of Amateur Radio

 

Overview

 

            We have a great opportunity before us here at the ARRL.  During the last two weeks, the management team and some other folks have met to discuss the FCC changes which could include a new entry level license and the elimination of code requirements.  We believe that the FCC actions, no matter how they resolve, will have an extraordinarily positive impact on our operations and membership. 

 

We convened these meetings to discuss the release of the FCC NPRM WT Docket No. 05-235.  (Notice of Proposed Rule Making) on licensing restructuring.  As you may be aware, the FCC has initially denied our petition for a new entry level license and they have proposed the elimination of the Morse code requirement from all licenses examinations.  We still support code testing for the Extra Class license.  Our Board will be filing some additional information to support our position for the entry level license but, in the meantime, we need to prepare for whatever occurs at the FCC.

 

These management meetings are an outgrowth of previous work done on Restructuring including work completed by a previous task force led by Dennis Motschenbacher and more recently work done by Mary Hobart, Steve Ford, and Mark Spencer.  We have also enlisted the help of a professional strategic planner and meeting facilitator, Brian Fernandez, K1BRF, who has volunteered his services to help us.

 

            During our discussions, we realized that, along with restructuring, there are other, interrelated, critical issues confronting Amateur Radio and the ARRL.  We believe that the proposed rulemaking and our actions can make a very positive impact on amateur radio as a result of the new licensing structure and requirements.  

 

We have, therefore, identified the first in a series of critical questions that we need to answer.  They also align with two pillars or our long term strategy: Education and Membership.  We need to address these topics no matter what the FCC does!  Our plan is to split into teams (more about this later) and develop action plans to address these issues.

 

The questions that the teams will address are:

 

  1. Educational/Instructional Materials and Methods:

How can we improve and enhance our educational materials and instructional methods related to licensing new amateurs?  How can we better support instructors? 

Team Leaders:  Steve Ford, Debra Johnson, Mark Spencer

Deadline: October 1, 2005

 

  1. Question Pool Improvement and Enhancement:

 How can we improve the Question Pool for the Technician Class license?  What new approaches might we apply to licensing examinations?  How can we make the question pool more relevant and educationally sound?

Team Leaders: Mary Hobart, Norm Fusaro

Deadline: October 1, 2005

 

  1. How Can We Attract New Members From The Current Pool Of Licensees?

Who are our targets for new membership?  What are their demographics and characteristics?  Why aren’t they members now?  How can we involve the amateur radio industry in this effort?

Team Leader: Bob Inderbitzen

Deadline: October 1, 2005

 

  1. Regulatory Issues:

What is happening at the FCC?  What will we submit to support our position that we need a new entry level license? 

Team Leader: Harold Kramer, with Officers and the Board

Deadline: Ongoing

 

  1. How Do We Make It Easier For New Licensees To Get On The Air?  How Do We Attract New Members From New Licensees?

Our research tells us that 25% of new licensees never get on the air.  What can we can we do to fix this?  How can we increase awareness and benefits of ARRL membership to new licensees?

Team Leaders: Jon Bloom, Dennis Motschenbacher

Deadline: October 1, 2005

 

 

Purpose of the Teams

 

            The teams will meet during the next six to eight weeks to put forward plans and recommendations.  Once they make their recommendations, the management team will review and prioritize them.  We will be able to implement some of them immediately.  Other recommendations will need to wait until they can be added to the budget and the Board will need to review policy related recommendations.

 

 

Employee Participation

 

            We hope to enlist the help of all employees, at their option, to participate in these teams.  We encourage participation in a team by anyone on staff who is interested in the particular topic and who has some knowledge or ideas to contribute.  Our employees have a significant breadth and depth of knowledge and experience that they can contribute to this process.  Everyone will have an opportunity to make a positive impact on the future of Amateur Radio and the ARRL.

 

You will need permission of your supervisor to participate.  The commitment might be something in the order of an hour or two per week, more or less, depending on the team.  You may also elect to simply email the team leaders with your views and comments.  

 

            These are not easy issues to solve.  They will require some hard work and effort by all of us.  The process itself is not perfect!  There will be frustrations and difficulties, but it can be done.  Many of the other managers and I have gone through similar efforts in our past careers and we know that while the road may sometimes get a little bumpy, we will ultimately reach our destination.

 

            If you choose not to participate it will have no bearing on your future employee reviews or employment status.  Like the Pride Committee, this is strictly voluntary.  There may even be some employees, in critical positions, who, simply cannot be spared from their assigned duties.           If you are interested in serving on one of these teams, please let me know and I will make, along with your supervisor and the team leaders, the final decisions regarding participation.  If you have any questions about participating in the teams, please see Debra Johnson, who is acting as team coordinator.  You can also contact Mary or me if you have any questions.

 

Communications

 

            Whether you serve on a team or not, we will keep you informed of our progress.  We plan to hold a company meeting or meetings, depending on scheduling, sometime during the next few weeks to communicate our progress to everyone. 

 

At the top of this email, I referred to this effort as “The ARRL Task Force for Growth of Amateur Radio.”  Mary Hobart came up with the name.  It’s a great statement about our future and we all look forward to moving ahead.