Chris,
You are right on and I tried several times
to say much the same thing. The sad
fact is that there are quite a number of members as well as likely even more
non-members who view ARRL with suspicion. This theme ran through the written as
well as the unwritten comments I received.
As a result I truly believe some sort of white paper would be very
useful in allaying the fears, unwarranted as they may be..
Director, Great Lakes
Division ARRL
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: W3KD@aol.com
[mailto:W3KD@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 4:39
PM
To: arrl-odv
Subject: [ARRL-ODV:11036] Re: ARES
TRADE MARK & PROPERTY
In a message dated 8/1/2004 5:29:53
PM Eastern Standard Time, K8JE@arrl.org writes:
The major concern is that anything that comes to the
attention of local ARES managers will be open game for ARRL to come in and
confiscate.
I answered the questions of many members. Some seem to
be totally satisfied; others indicate they would like to have a legal opinion
(from Chris) on the extent to which materials held or owned by ARES will be
potentially vulnerable to disclosure and/or confiscation by the League.
Well, Jim, it would be easy to write up a justification for the Board action,
but the idea that ARRL might have some entitlement to "confiscate"
property worries me a bit. It sounds as though these folks don't feel like part
of the ARRL field organization at all. Of course we aren't going to take
anyone's property. But the basis for the Board action was that some ARES
groups, including entire section ARES organizations, wanted to incorporate, and
to do that would make an ARES group separate and independent of ARRL. ARES is
an ARRL program, purely and simply. We were merely trying to figure out a way
to allow groups to incorporate, so as to be able to accept donations of
equipment, and avoid liability, and enjoy the other benefits of incorporation,
without giving up an ARRL program (and the ARES logo, which we have decided to
protect by registering the mark). It is that simple. The idea that ARRL intends
to come and take their truck away is, frankly, raging, screaming paranoia. If
they don't want to incorporate, they don't have to do much of anything in
response to the Board motion. But they have to abide by our ARES rules. If they
don't want to do that, they can call themselves something else and organize any
way they want to. In that case, they will have to give up ARES
member/participant rosters so that the Section Manager and SEC can re-form an
ARES group in their area.
This is not rocket science, or even Extra Class theory here. It should be
pretty basic stuff.
Chris