All:

First Mike, thanks for pointing out the discrepancy. I know Carla has been meaning to get to this project (updating the Directors’ Workbook) for a while now. Her goal, which I know has been communicated to some of you who have asked, is to get this done before the next elections.

Second, I’ll admit this is a low priority. Given what has happened since the beginning of the year (changing CEOs, dealing with a pandemic and moving everyone to a remote workforce); and given all the other things we were trying to accomplish, I didn’t think this was a priority. If I was wrong, I apologize, but I think it was the right decision.

Having said all that, and while I have your attention (an assumption on my part), the Travel Expense section of the Directors’ Workbook has long been a bone of contention. I agree with Mike, the Directors’ Workbook (and many of our corporate documents, excluding the Articles and By Laws) are mind numbing and probably way too detailed and/or archaic. They likely do more to get in the way of an efficient operation than they do to facilitate it. But yet we tend to focus on them to the exclusion of other, more important, issues.

If I had a magic wand, I would go through all of the various documents that make up what might be loosely described as the rules and regulations of the organization, and bring them up to date for the current century. I would hope, after that was completed, there would be a much more streamlined and current set of guiding principles for the organization. Before you think that’s a good idea, understand that in the current operating environment, it would take Board review and approval for any modifications. This is not a staff project. As an example, several years ago now, the staff made recommendations to update the Travel Expense section of the Directors’ Workbook and the then A&F Committee couldn’t come to agreement on making the changes.

If there are any other inconsistencies you discover, please let me know and I’ll make sure they’re incorporated in any updates.

73,

Barry, N1VXY

From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> On Behalf Of Michael Ritz
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2020 7:24 PM
To: arrl-odv <arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org>
Subject: [arrl-odv:30635] Director Workbook and Standing Order 16-1.38

The more I dig into ARRL governance documents, the larger my headache becomes. It's all mind numbing.

I was reviewing the current ARRL Travel Policy contained within the Director Workbook, Section 7.2, as published on our website today and noticed it doesn't appear that Standing Order 16-1.38 ever got incorporated into the document as approved.

Website (http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ODV/Section%207.pdf  ):

"Directors -- Travel within their own Division is at the discretion of each Director. Travel to neighboring Divisions on official ARRL business shall be coordinated with and approved by the President, with advance notification to the Director of the Division being visited"

Standing Order:
"16-1.38) Section 7.2 of the ARRL Travel Policy is amended as follows:
Directors – Travel within their own Division is at the discretion of each Director. Travel to neighboring Divisions on official ARRL business shall be coordinated with advance notification to the Director of the Division being visited. Division budgets may be used for travel on official ARRL business to the Dayton Hamvention, extending stays at headquarters and making an additional trip annually to Headquarters for those Directors serving on committees that do not hold four meetings a year there."

Was this document never meant to be updated, since the revision appears as a stand-alone Standing Order? If not, shouldn't there be a reference to the overriding Standing Order in the Travel Policy document? 

73;

Mike

W7VO