If I recall correctly, there was an attempt in the 1990's to write a code of ethics for the Board, but the effort foundered. Having one for the ARRL Board is probably a good idea, especially considering the appalling behavior the public has discovered on the part of people in a position of trust in other organizations in the past several years. However, with a code of ethics must go non-trivial consequences for violating the code. Professions with meaningful codes of ethics also have disciplinary committees of some kind empowered to keep the house clean. A code of ethics with no teeth is a waste of ink and would really be kind of dishonest -- the appearance of having principles without the reality. A code of ethics *with* teeth implies the collective will to call a colleague on the carpet, to provide for due process, and to impose significant sanctions -- up to and including removal from office -- if a violation is shown to have occurred. We have just found it disagreeable to get crossways with someone most of us don't even know. Think how much fun it would be to hold a formal disciplinary hearing for a Board colleague, with whom we have worked in the past and may have to work in the future. Think about explaining to the members in the XYZ Division how come the Board dared censure or even remove from office the person they elected to represent them. Think about having the some members in the XYZ Division (who presumably voted for the other guy) lay a complaint against their Director for alleged ethics violations. Instead of going the tough route of a recall attempt, couldn't they just dump the skunk in the lap of the Board and say, "Here, you skin it"? Yes. Ouch. This is no reason not to pursue the code of ethics idea, but let us not go in that direction believing it will make the pain, and the potential for litigation, go away. We have to assess our collective will to live with the consequences of having a code with teeth, and really we have to assess the mind-sets of future Boards whose make-up we can't possibly know. I have no interest in a code of ethics that is a load of pious hooey, with no consequences for crossing the line. If, on the other hand, we have the fortitude to create a code that we and future Boards have the courage to live by and enforce, then definitely count me in. 73 - Kay N3KN