Jay, I fully endorse your suggestion. Jim Weaver, K8JE, Director 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040 E-mail: k8je@arrl.org; Tel: 513-459-0142 ARRL Great Lakes Division ARRL, the Reason Amateur Radio is! Members, the Reason ARRL is! -----Original Message----- From: John Bellows [mailto:jbellows@skypoint.com] Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 1:07 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:13279] Tis Better to Give ---- Can We Still Afford It? For as long as I can remember ARRL has been the premier advocate, resource and promoter of Amateur Radio and radio amateurs, ARRL members and non-members alike. As the national association for Amateur Radio we should expect no less. We all know the task of continuing to perform those roles at a time when fewer and fewer people are inclined to join membership organizations, particularly service or hobby organizations. ARRL has undertaken a substantial effort to meet current challenges and future needs by establishing an effective Development Department and has now targeted the membership recruitment and retention issue by hiring a membership manager. While ARRL needs to maintain its role as an advocate and promoter for all of Amateur Radio, there is an ongoing question as to the extent to which the League ought to be an open resource to non-members and other organizations. We all agree the League ought to provide information and assistance to those interested in becoming Amateurs or current Amateurs interested in furthering the goals of ARRL. I think a more open question exists as to the extent to which the League ought to provide access to ARRL resources and other assistance to non-members have expressed little or no interest in joining the League and other organizations who look to dealings with the League as “all take and no give.” There is a limit to the ability of ARRL to stretch our dollars to provide needed services. Though ARRL is the national association of Amateur Radio, we owe a heightened duty to those individuals and organizations that support the League and its goals. It seems to me that it would be worthwhile to devote some portion of the January Board meeting to considering the extent to which we ought to continue to make League services freely available to “all take and no give” individuals and organizations. 73, Jay, KØQB