At the Radio Club of America, when I was counsel to the club the board determined some time ago that the concerns raised here were accurate. The equipment appears to be sold only to pay the administrative costs of the Radio Club of JHS22. That school was actually closed long ago. Most of (or all) the income is used for the administrative costs (salary) of the principal of the organization. More information on the RCA position might be available from our RCA Teacher of the Year award recipient, Carrol Perry, who is sure it is a bogus charity. What we do with this information is a business decision. RCA decided to not do business with that “charity”.
Bob Famiglio, K3RF
Vice Director, ARRL Atlantic Division
610-359-7300
www.QRZ.com/db/K3RF
As a IRS qualified 501[c](3) non-profit, The Radio Club of JHS22 NYC Inc must make its annual IRS 990 filing available on demand. I just checked charity analysis website www.guidestar.org, and the report for JHS22 shows no 990-form available. This doesn’t mean one wasn’t filed; it just means it’s not available conveniently on Guidestar. By contrast, the last three years of ARRL’s 990 forms are available on Guidestar.
The 990 form shows the efficiency of a non-profit by revealing what percentage of donations goes for administration vs. actual deployment on behalf of beneficiaries of the non-profit’s mission. Recommend that the right person obtain and analyze the last three annual 990 filings. JHS22 is showing as active with the New York Secretary of State’s Non-Profit Corporate filings division.
73 de Bill, N2COP
Bill Morine - N2COP
Vice Director – Roanoke Division
Serving ARRL members in the Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina sections
ARRL – The National Association for Amateur Radio™
Simple.
Our members and a Director have raised questions as to whether we are unwittingly participating in a scam.
A polite inquiry into the "status and health" of a junior high school club is NOT "an investigation into a NY charity". If the suggested inquiries raise no concern, then no harm, no foul. If on the other hand, the answers are inconsistent with the existence of a JHS 22 Club or that Club being supported by a 501(c)(3), then competent inquiries need to be made. As Doug said, we represent that we "vet" our advertisers. If that statement is true, then we need, in order to protect the League, make the necessary inquiries.
If the responses set off alarm bells, then the League will have make a decision regarding accepting future advertisements from WB2JKJ. There was and is not a suggestion that "we" investigate a "NY charity". We have a clear obligation to protect the League and our members.
If an investigation by Federal, NY or other authorities is warranted, that is not the ARRL's business.
73
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John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Office telephone: 512-445-6262
Cell: 512-426-2028
PO Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
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On 10/24/16 11:33 AM, Christopher Imlay wrote:
Why is ARRL the proper entity to do an investigation of a New York charity?
On Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 12:29 PM, JRS <jrs@hamradio.us.com> wrote:
Doug, Tom, Rick
Someone from HQ should contact the administration of JHS 22 to obtain more information about the "club" — how long it has been active, number of members, administrative sponsor, source(s) of support/funding, etc.
If there is no club or WB2JKJ has no contact/relationship with an existing club, then the matter should be turned over to competent CT counsel for further investigation.
If the worst allegations about/against WB2JKL and The Radio Club of JHS 22 are or appear to be true, the ARRL needs to be very careful as the falsity of the fundraising effort would implicate Federal and state laws regarding fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud.
If the inquiries/investigation proves there is no basis for concern, then the League will have done its due diligence and will have a safe harbor if anyone were to bring a complaint against the League.
73
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John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Office telephone: 512-445-6262
Cell: 512-426-2028
PO Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
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On 10/24/16 11:03 AM, Doug Rehman wrote:
A member has complained to me about The Radio Club of JHS 22 NYC Inc which has been a QST advertiser for a very long time. Their half-page ad is on page 124 of the November issue.
The allegations are that there isn’t actually a radio club at JHS 22; the founder, WB2JKJ, is said to have been a teacher at that school decades ago. The allegations continue that when asked, WB2JKJ will not divulge where the money is actually going.
Here is a multi-year eHam.net thread: http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php?topic=75401.0
A couple questions:
1. What vetting has been done, and how recently, to determine if this is currently a legit charity or basically a self-serving scam? (I.E. what percentage of donations go to “administrative expenses” versus to actually helping students?)
2. Do we know if there is actually a radio club at JHS 22 in NYC? If not, the ads are deceptive as everyone I’ve asked believes there is an actual active radio club at that school that is being supported by the proceeds.
3. Are the ads being discounted?
Doug
K4AC
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Christopher D. Imlay
Booth, Freret & Imlay, LLC
Silver Spring, Maryland 20904-6011
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