This may be a bit too radical, but have we thought of timing the meetings differently? What if we had the meetings in April and October instead (just pulling months out of the air). Those months offer more predictable weather and it gets the July meeting out of the summer vacation window where the airlines seem to implement "take no prisoners" airfares. I also see advantage to a meeting in October as it gives you time to implement budgets and policy changes before the next calendar year is already underway. Just thinking about options here, and I know it's likely too late to change the timing of the next meeting (or perhaps not for either meeting in 2006). -- Andy Oppel, N6AJO At 09:32 AM 10/6/2005, JIM WEAVER wrote:
Building on the comments of other, I'd like to add just a couple of thoughts.
The idea of moving Board meetings around the country to meet the locals has appeal to me. Doing this would require a bit of planning to avoid anyone having the impression we would rent the local opera house to hold open sessions, however. A reception on Saturday evening for interested locals, as an example, might work out nicely to demonstrate we either have no horns at all or they in the least are retractable. Cash bar, of course.
There may be advantage to holding the "annual meeting" in Hartford simply because we typically do more business at this meeting than at the second meeting. Being nearer to staff and files (even in the electronic communication age) could be useful.
Considering the above thoughts, there is no reason we could not modify our governing documents so that the "annual meeting" came in July and in Hartford, and that the January (second) meeting could be held elsewhere in the country.
If we're going to think outside the box, let's think outside the box.
Jim Weaver, K8JE Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL; http://www.arrl.org/ 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040 Tel.: 513-459-0142; E-mail: k8je@arrl.org ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio Is! MEMBERS: The reason ARRL Is!
-----Original Message----- From: John Bellows [mailto:jbellows@skypoint.com] Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 1:38 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:13177] Re: January Meeting
Again this is a generic reply not specifically geared to Rev or Mike's comments. I previously express a preference for Hartford but understand that making the Meeting more visible could have some advantage. If we are going to change a policy we really ought to do it in a straight forward manner and amend the By Laws to eliminate the preference for a January meeting "in the vicinity of" Newington, CT.
In the past eight years I can only recall two meetings away from Hartford where there was any contact or involvement with local members. I recall one meeting in Memphis where the Tennessee DX Assn hosted a reception and a meeting in Dallas where there was a presentation to a local Amateur by President Haynie. With those two exceptions I believe our "away" meetings involved no contact with local members. If we are serious about "showing the flag" in other parts of the country we should make some effort to invite local Amateurs to come a view the meetings.
Finally, if we are looking to "show the flag" in other parts of the country" Dallas doesn't seem look the place to start. In a real sense it has been a home away from home for ARRL meetings in the past few years.
73,
Jay, KØQB
-----Original Message----- From: warren morton [mailto:mortonwg@bresnan.net] Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 10:50 AM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:13174] Re: January Meeting
Jim: In addition to staying as far away from the snow as is reasonably possible, Mike brings up a very good point. I also believe that it would be quite prudent to "go on the road" with one of our BOD meetings and give the membership an opportunity to meet their Board members. When I served on the BOD of the American Association of Professional Landmen we held two of our four annual Board meetings on the road and it was very well received by our membership. Furthermore this would also enable us to change Rick's favorite song to "On The Road Again" by Willy Nelson. 73, Rev "Road Kill" Morton WS7W
On Wed, 05 Oct 2005 09:09:22 -0400 w5jbp@aol.com wrote:
It is time to consider the location of the January board meeting. For the last two years we have not been fortunate from the weather standpoint. Last January 21 of us were stranded for an extra day due to the airport being closed. I have not discussed this with Barry Shelley, but a guess would be that the cost was in the area of an extra 5K.
I know that many of you like to harass the staff, but another location that is not so prone to snow and cold weather (Dallas) might be something you want to consider.
What are your thoughts?
Jim Haynie, W5JBP