In-Newsletter Vol. 25, No. 14 April 8, 2002 Upcoming Meetings April 20th in Ft. Worth, TX at 8:00am A&F Committee Development Development was represented at the Maryland Convention in Timonium last weekend. The visit resulted in good contacts that may benefit our Education and Homeland Defense fund raising efforts. Thanks to Kay Craigie, Bernie Fuller and the Atlantic Division for their hospitality. Responses to our first quarterly planned giving mailing have resulted in two new commitments and 20 requests for more information. RSVPs to the Dayton Reception are light so far due, in part, to concurrent activities on Friday, May 17. Invitees have until April 30 to respond. The Education and Technology Program campaign has produced $3000 so far. To date we've received one $1000 contribution and one $500 to the program. Follow up letters will be mailed at the end of April. Publications The following have been released to the printer: A new book, Simple and Fun Antennas for Hams; The May/June issue of QEX; New printings of the General Class License Manual, the Handbook CD and Your Introduction to Morse Code; The Southeastern VHF Conference Proceedings Membership Services Awards Branch WAS QSLs 450 WAS Certificates 44 WAS Endorsements 33 WAC QSL Cards Checked 114 WAC Certificates 41 WAC Endorsements 15 5 BWAC Certificates 2 A-1 Operator Nominations 3 A-1 Operator Certificates 2 Long Term Member Inquiries 2 VUCC Initial Awards 2 VUCC Grids (Data Entry) 337 VUCC Endorsements 1 VUCC Grids (Data Entry) 100 VUCC Awards Mailed 7 VHF Awards Manager Appt.: Brian E. Bayus, N1KC, Reston, VA. For the coming week-U.S. WAC, RCC, OTC, Friendship awards, Extra Class certificates, and Code Proficiency awards. DXCC Branch Weekly Report April 7, 2002 Beginning Cards 53,930 Cards Received 2,290 Cards Processed 10,665 Ending Cards 45,555 Applications Pending 378 Backlog Time 1 Week Year-to-date Cards Received 146,154 Cards Returned 220,005 QRP Issued this week 7 QRP YTD 184 Card Return: DXCC is currently mailing applications received on March 22, 2002. Card Processing: We are entering cards received on March 27, 2002. Kathy Kostek gave her notice that she will be leaving. Contest Branch We had a flurry of activity relating to the phone and CW Sweepstakes results. Sweepstakes is the first contest that will be published in expanded form on the Web site, in addition to QST. Much of the effort this week involved updating and proofing the score databases, preparing the various SS CW boxes and scores, and editing the writeup prepared by K5ZD. The draft versions of the SS Phone boxes were prepared and forward to VE4XT, who is doing the SS Phone write-up. For other events... Entry of paper logs for 2002 January VHF SS was completed and work on the electronic logs has begun by log checking team. Data entry for 2002 ARRL DX CW paper logs has begun. The electronic lists of logs received lists for the 2001 160 Meter and 2001 10 Meter contests were received from the log checking team. The master logs-received list for those contests were prepared and posted to the web. The plaque order for the 2001 June VHF QSO party was prepared and sent to purchasing. Shipment of various plaques that arrived during my absence was done, and follow-up was made on several back-ordered plaques. I would like to commend Contest Branch Assistant Kathy Allison, KA1RWY and Membership Services Assistant Sharon Taratula for their outstanding work on keeping things on track and going during my sick leave. QSL Branch QSL Service status: Current. Cards mailed year to date as of 04/07/2002 - 650,700. Cards mailed on 04/05/2002 - 120,225. Janet Rocco spent 4 hours conducting tours around HQ. W1AW Scott Gee worked on slow and fast code practice runs for the month of April. He handled evening phone sales calls in the 5 PM to 8 PM time slot. Due to a "severe failure," Joe Carcia had to make a repair to the power line feeding the 20-meter amplifier. He answered regular W1AW QSL card requests. He is also experimenting with running a single PC (old Compaq server) locally for "networking" the contest program "CT" for various contests operated from W1AW. W1AW telephone sales year to date: $3,176. Field & Educational Services Rosalie gave two of the 27 talks (on hardware and administrative issues) presented at the ARISS International Meeting at the Canadian Space Agency. Hams (24) from Japan, Russia, Canada, Europe and the USA attended, plus staff from Johnson Space Center, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and NASA Hq. Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, and Mark Steiner, K3MS (of GSFC) got an audience with the head of the Canadian Space Agency, who gave nice remarks about ARISS. Rosalie retained the jobs of ARISS International Secretary-Treasurer and chair of the ARISS International School Group. Field and Educational Support Team Linda Mullally updated 58 clubs, including 2 club reactivations and 1 club deactivation. She registered 6 Instructors and 3 Teachers. Linda noticed an increase in Exhibit Kits this week with 15 kits requested. She updated 49 CCE students as passed, and sent out graduation letters. A representative for the Girl Scout National Council Convention contacted Jean Wolfgang about support from ARRL at their National Convention that will take place during October in Long Beach, CA. ARRL has supported this event in past years, and will study the best ways to do so again this year. Gail Iannone sent 8 application packets, 11 approval letters, and processed 12 door prize orders and 2 label requests. She sent the deposit check for the Dayton Marriott Hotel and reviewed quantities of handouts for distribution at the Dayton Hamvention. She coordinated travel for HQ staff for the following conventions: Bill Moore, NC1L, Alabama State on May 4th-5th in Birmingham; and Wayne Mills, N7NG, West Gulf Division to be held June 7th-8th in Arlington, TX. Margie Bourgoin thanks Jon Bloom who made changes to the ARRLWeb page for individual club information, so that club contact addresses now appear with the rest of displayed info, plus, can be changed by persons making club update changes in the appropriate ARRLWeb change screen. Margie also reports that an email message sent to ACCs and SMs regarding Special Service Clubs seems to have a big impact as she has received 9 renewals and 2 new applications this week. Mary Lau worked with Margie Bourgoin to draft text for an Registered Instructor survey in advance of a planned database purge of inactive instructors. She also sent a request to Jon Bloom for automating the ARECC (CCE) Mentor Stipend process. Field Organization and Public Service Team Leona contacted all 71 Section Managers via e-mail with a quarterly report of their section budgets and she also sent out labels for new hams to the SMs. SM Workbooks were prepared and shipped to the new SMs starting this month, and Leona handled 35 cancellation, 21 appointment and 10 changed entries into our database. Steve Ewald attended and spoke at the Amateur Radio Session of the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando. Among those in attendance were Section Managers Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP (NFL), Dave Armbrust, AE4MR (WCF), and Section Emergency Coordinators Paul Toth, NA4AR (WCF), Jim Goldsberry, KD4GR (SFL). John Fleming, of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, was also one of eight main speakers. Steve is preparing a trip report and a potential news article with pictures. Regulatory John Hennessee updated VC referral records and other general maintenance on the RIB Web page and assisted amateurs with covenant restrictions in Montgomery County, OH (N8XCR) and St. Johns County, FL (W4JWM). He assisted amateurs with local government zoning restrictions in Culpepper County, VA (NC4JD), Aurora, CO (W0JRF) and Orange Township, OH (K8MP). Brennan Price graded one successful OO exam; the queue is empty. He initiated the process of getting contributors to the 2002-2003 ARRL Repeater Directory paid, giving coordinators one last chance to return releases. He established contact with a Part 5 Experimental licensee using 448 MHz in Guam for command-destruct operations for space launches from Japan. The convention is for experimental licensees to clear usage with the frequency coordinator for the area but there is no frequency coordinator for Guam or any other Pacific insular territory. CCE Steve Blair reports being busy his first week back from Easter break. He updated classroom and exam session results, updated Drop-Out Survey results on an Excel database sheet, and gathered HF Digital course comments. He also formatted Level I revision lessons and began compiling the revised Level I coursebook. Dan Miller reports 49 CCE graduates this week: 25 Level I, 15 Level II, and 9 Level III. All courses are doing well. The Big Project Jerry Hill reports that he learned a tremendous amount while attending the National Science Teacher Association conference and will apply this knowledge to the National Council on Teachers of Mathematics upcoming conference. 73, Sincerely, Mark Wilson, K1RO Chief Operating Officer MW:lk Staff Absentee List Name Date(s) Reason Dave Patton 4/5-4/11 Vacation Carol Patton 4/5-4/11 Vacation Steve Ford 4/9-4/19 Jury Duty Steve Ford 4/25-4/26 Vacation Diana Lamson-Lucas 4/12 Vacation Leona Adams 4/15-4/17 Vacation Joel Kleinman 4/10-4/12 Vacation Eileen Sapko 4/11-4/12 Vacation Joe Carcia 4/12 Vacation Mary Lau 4/18-4/19 Vacation Zack Lau 4/18-4/19 Mt. Airy VHF ARRL Night