The question you address is ages old. For example, my employer had a policy that we employees could not accept gifts of any significance from supplier to the Company. The question this raised is the definition of significance. Throughout our European company, this meant accepting absolutely nothing (e.g., not even a simple wall calendar). In the US, this meant nothing that exceeded $ 25 in value. In Asia, this meant following the typical good business standards of the country. I agree it would be appropriate and helpful guidance as to what "reimbursement" can be accepted (e.g. payment of expenses, a hot dog, a rig to replace one that was devoured during the activity, a contribution to the club's emergency comm. Station, an event T-shirt, other). I would not suggest becoming overly definitive, though. 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: Tom Frenaye [mailto:frenaye@pcnet.com] Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 10:18 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:13512] payment for services One of the issues that I've heard about our HamAid program centers on the payment for services. Some hams (and some ARES volunteers) believe any reimbursement is not permitted. In thinking about it I can't put my finger on anything we have that gives volunteers guidance in this area. I looked through the Public Service Communications Manual and didn't find anything. I looked at the FCC rules and found rules permitting VEs/VECs to be reimbursed. I didn't spend a whole lot of time looking so I could have missed some key documents. I think we did the right thing with HamAid, and don't have a problem with the reimbursement program. What I do think is that we should probably have some clear information in our publications and web site helping volunteers understand where the line is between being reimbursed $25 for a days worth of volunteer operating, and a days pay for someone who works for a first responder or other non-profit and thinks ham radio can be used to help them do their job. Or have I missed something along the way? I got the sense (I was away and out of touch during the key 10-day period after Katrinia hit) that the HamAid program was necessarily implemented quickly and some key decisions made without a much policy input from the Board. Understandable under the circumstances, but I think it'd be useful to all come to some agreement on what guidance we want to give volunteers in the future. -- Tom ===== e-mail: k1ki@arrl.org ARRL New England Division Director http://www.arrl.org/ Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444