IN-Newsletter [cid:image001.jpg@01D1FA1A.8A8AF030] Vol. 41, No. 29 August 17, 2016 - Covers the period August 7-13. Upcoming In-Person Meetings and Events Section Managers' Workshop October 7-9 - ARRL HQ United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) October 3-7 - ARRL HQ CEO Office Reported by Tom Gallagher, NY2RF Tom Gallagher attended APCO in Orlando and met with ICOM Vice President Nick Pennance seeking final support for ARRL's new teaching curriculum ICOM expressed strong interest. Tom had an introductory meeting in Hicksville with CQ Magazine publisher Dick Ross. Conversations were cordial and helpful. Sales and Marketing Reported by Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R Yvette Vinci prepared the bulk email notification for the September 2016 digital edition of QST, distributed to ARRL members on Wednesday, August 10. The distribution list included 120,901 members. The email included a reminder about the new and improved QST app for Android devices<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.branded.arrl>, which was updated on July 28. Jackie Ferreira is coordinating the cover design for the new edition ARRL Operating Manual. Yvette and Bob will attend the Huntsville Hamfest - the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention, this upcoming weekend, Aug 20-21. They have organized the ARRL membership booth, which will be supported by Division and Section leaders . Bob is presenting at two forums. The entire marketing team has been knee deep in 2017 planning. ARRL has earned $27,208 through July for 2016 royalties attributed to the ARRL Visa Credit Card - a 7% increase YTD over 2015. There are 2,625 open cards. ARRL has earned $7,942 through June for 2016 commissions on new and renewal subscriptions to RFinder, a web and app-based directory of Amateur Radio repeaters. ARRL established an agreement<http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-announces-partnership-with-rfinder-the-worldwide-repeater-directory> with RFinder in February to be our preferred online resource of repeater frequencies. Summary of Sales and Marketing Department telephone group, reported by Yvette Vinci: Week Ending Calls Answered Calls Per Hour Total Talking Duration Average Speed of Answer 8/12/2016 706 15.6 24:25:45 10 seconds 8/5/2016 825 18.3 27:46:09 11 seconds 7/29/2016 775 17.2 27:05:28 20 seconds 7/22/2016 802 17.8 25:07:22 10 seconds Summary of warehouse fulfillment activity, reported by Steve Capodicasa: Week Ending Packages fulfilled Member Premiums 8/12/2016 789 360 8/5/2016 916 397 7/29/2016 971 335 7/22/2016 782 412 Field Services & Radiosport Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N DXCC Paper/Fieldcheck Processing Time 2 Weeks Logbook Processing Time 1-2 Days W1AW Scott Gee worked on slow and fast code practice texts for the two upcoming weeks. He also processed VUCC certificates and endorsements. Joe Carcia processed regular QSL card requests. He processed one Qualifying Run certificate and two endorsements. Field Organization/Public Service Team ARRL members and radio amateurs from Nevada and Northern Florida successfully completed requirements to become Official Observers this past week. The New Mexico Section Manager relayed a report of an interfering signal that has been heard there on 1296 MHz, and it's being investigated. An Oregon radio amateur reports an unidentified signal on 40 meters consisting of continuous long dashes. It, too, is being checked out. Questions handled involved proper identification, zoning regulations, operating overseas, and a pending license application. Chuck Skolaut compiled and forwarded the monthly ARRL Monitoring System/Intruder Watch report to the IARU Region 2 Monitoring Coordinator. Chuck also was at the controls for one morning's code practice run at W1AW this past week. Leona Adams received and processed two nomination petitions for incumbent Section Managers. New York City-Long Island Section Manager Jim Mezey, W2KFV, has been nominated for a new term of office, and South Carolina Section Manager Marc Tarplee, N4UFP, has been nominated for a new term of office for their respective sections. New terms for this particular Section Manager election cycle begin January 1, 2017, and nominations are due at Headquarters by September 9. The Field Organization Team is preparing to counting ballots for the Ohio and Minnesota Section Manager elections on Tuesday, August 23. Education Services Reported by Debra Johnson, K1DMJ Education & Technology Program Tommy Gober, N5DUX led the final session of the Teachers Institute at headquarters the week of July 25. Here's a recap of all three of the 2016 sessions: * We hosted 35 teachers representing 17 states. Participants teach in elementary, middle school, high school, and technical school classrooms, as well as with home school cooperatives. The overwhelming majority of teachers represented schools that are publicly funded, including one off-reservation boarding school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education. * Teacher pre- and post-workshop self-assessment surveys show very solid gains in knowledge and confidence in the topics presented. * Ratings for the quality of instruction were consistently very high. * Teachers expressed appreciation for the range of curriculum topics, with a variety of topics chosen as most informative or useful for their classroom applications. Likewise, all of the resources were appreciated, and rated as "likely" to be used in the classroom, or "will be used immediately." * Ten of the participants were licensed at the start of the TI. 70 % of respondents to the post TI evaluation expressed an interest in getting a ham radio license or upgrading their license. During the HQ session, 3 teachers passed the exam for their Technician license, and 2 upgraded their Tech to General. Other news: We initiated talks with a new kit assembler/ resource builder to supply resources needed for future sessions of the Teachers Institute. We also put out a call to several teachers who have expressed an interest in curriculum development for the Teachers Institute. In addition to the middle school electronics curriculum in development by Nathan McCray, we're looking for curriculum on radio science, at both the middle and high school levels. ARISS The US ARISS executive team met with Barbara Adde, Policy and Strategic Communication Director at NASA' s Satellite Communications and Navigation Program (SCaN) at NASA HQ in Washington on July 22. We discussed strategies for engaging students and audiences about SCaNs role in NASA's mission and increasing the overall educational impact of the program. That meeting was followed by an all-day strategic planning session for the ARISS US executive team. Joe Carcia, NJ1Q and Bob Allison, WB1GCM completed programming of the ARISS loaner ground station to be ready for deployment to Oregon for an ARISS contact planned for Lewis & Clark National Park later this summer. With editorial assistance from Steve Ford, WB8IMY, they also produced a video with instructions on assembly of the ground station equipment, that will accompany written instructions. Guidelines and transmittal documents were developed to manage custody of the equipment. Scheduled ARISS contacts in July in the US with astronaut Jeffrey Williams, KD5TVQ included a summer camp at The Science Museum of Virginia, in Richmond, VA, the ISS R&D conference in San Diego, CA, "Moon Day" at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, TX, the United Space School in Seabrook, TS, and at the Peoria Riverfront Museum in Peoria, IL. Internationally, contacts were successfully hosted in Germany, Switzerland and at the YOTA Camp in Salzburg, Austria. Watch a compelling video<https://vimeo.com/175431977> about youth activities at YOTA. Sincerely Compiled by, Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ Assistant to the CEO Hamfest/Member Contact/ARRL Representative/Meetings/Vacations All Staff 9/5 Holiday Steve Capodicasa 8/22-8/26 PTO `` 9/19-9/23 PTO Steve Ewald 8/26-9/6 PTO Norm Fusaro 8/19-8/21 West Virginia State Convention, Weston, WV Mike Gruber 8/22-8/26 PTO `` 9/26-9/30 PTO Ed Hare 8/31-9/9 PTO `` 10/14 PTO Dan Henderson 8/31-9/6 NC State Convention, Shelby, NC/PTO `` 9/21-9/27 W$DXCC Convention, Pigeon Forge, TN/SEDCO/PTO Gail Iannone 8/22-8/29 PTO Bob Inderbitzen 8/19-8/22 Southeastern Division Convention, Huntsville, AL `` 9/9-9/11 New England Division Convention, Boxboro, MA `` 9/28-10/6 UK National Hamfest, Newark, England/PTO `` 10/7-10/10 RSGB Convention, Milton Keynes, England `` 10/13-10/18 Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, CA/PTO Debra Johnson 8/29-9/4 PTO `` 10/14-10/22 PTO Zack Lau 8/24-8/25 PTO Diane Petrilli 9/2 PTO Chuck Skolaut 8/21-8/29 Kansas State Convention, Salina, KS / PTO Maria Somma 8/22-8/26 PTO Yvette Vinci 8/19-8/26 Southeastern Division Convention, Huntsville, AL/PTO