At a local convention last Saturday, one of the SMs commented about what has been happening on the SM reflector. I assume he meant the official ARRL reflector. He was upset at the postings of other SMs to the point that he suggested including a session on reflector etiquette at the Section Manager sessions at ARRL headquarters. On the other hand, comments I receive from members are still overwhelmingly negative. It is hard to find things on the site. My own recent experience was an attempt to find the current members of the Public Relations Committee. After a few futile web-site searches, I got out the workbook from the July board meeting and looked at the printed PR Committee report. 73, Dick Norton, N6AA On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 9:41 AM, Kay Craigie <n3kn@verizon.net> wrote:

A Director told me he has heard that some Section Managers are upset because they believe the Board does not care about the web site or about the problems that Section Managers have experienced with it. They apparently believe this because the July Board meeting Minutes do not have a Minute saying "Directors gnash teeth and tear hair about web site" or something like that.

The discussion among Section Managers seems to have been carried out on their unofficial reflector. Some Section Managers may have contacted you, their Directors and Vice Directors, to see if it's true that the Board isn't paying attention and doesn't care. That would be a sensible way to find out the answer to a question, wouldn't it? Ask the people who are in a position to know. Other Section Managers may have been content to pool their lack of information and further convince themselves that since *they* don't know, *we* don't care. This contributes to the counterproductive "us versus them" atmosphere between the Board and Section Managers that has existed for a number of years.

Of course the Board cares. We care very much. There was discussion of the web site in July by the committees and the full Board plus informal discussion -- it just didn't happen in a way that would be recorded as a Board action in the Minutes.

I would like to suggest, respectfully, that you talk with your Section Managers, in whatever format or venue you and they prefer, and find out if they share this belief that the Board doesn't care about the web site and ignored it in July. If they do think that, then you can address it with information. May I suggest that as part of the discussion you might explain to them how an ARRL Board meeting works, and does not work. Explain to them how the Standing Committees work. Explain to them that the Minutes of a corporate board meeting are not a transcript or play-by-play.

It's been suggested that I should write a message for the official SM reflector assuring Section Managers that the Board cares about the web site. I'm willing to do that if all else fails (to coin a phrase). However, I believe that their respective Directors and Vice Directors are the best people to discuss this with them and address their perceptions. They are your members. You were elected to represent them. You know them -- their particular attitudes and personalities. You know where in your Division the land mines and the cow pies are.

It may be that just a few Section Managers on the unofficial reflector are acting like they speak for the others, when they don't. We know that has happened from time to time. On the other hand, I'd be remiss in not drawing to your attention the possibility that some of your SMs may be sitting over there on their unofficial reflector letting wrong assumptions fester.

I would not presume to tell you how to deal with your Section Managers. I just want to make sure you are aware that an incorrect perception may exist, so you can look into it and deal with it in the way that works best for you, your Section Managers, and your Division.

73 - Kay N3KN