Here is an update on the Contest Branch Written by Sean Kutzko Thanks for your help, guys! 73, Harold ------------------------------------------------------------------- As the Board requested, here is an update on the Contest Branch as of February 28, 2014: Current ARRL staffers continue to manage the Contest Branch as a group. While MVP Manager Dave Patton, NN1N is leading the management group, many tasks are designated to a specific person, to ease the load. Communications: Dave Patton, NN1N, is spearheading the effort to process the considerable incoming email to the Contest Branch. Phone duties are being split among Dave Patton, Dan Henderson N1ND and Sean Kutzko KX9X. Response times are generally within 1-2 business days. The phone backlog has been taken care of and is down to simply processing the new calls; the Contest Branch email backlog is about 85%-90 processed and we are staying on top of new emails coming in. Many contesters are emailing Dave, Dan and Sean directly with questions, as the community knows they are the ones answering the email. This is acceptable in the short term, but will need to be addressed long-term. Data Processing: Dan Henderson, N1ND, has taken charge of processing adjudicated contest data from the log-checkers and getting it ready for use by the results authors and online presentation of results. All backlogged data has been processed and not a single results article missed its QST deadline. We are now back to the normal schedule of processing incoming contest data. Results Articles: Ward Silver, N0AX, has been the liaison between the results authors and QST, a responsibility he has performed for many years. He has ensured all authors have had the data they need for contest results and has kept authors on task. Again, not a single contest results article missed the QST deadline. We are back to normal as far as contest results publishing goes. Contest Awards: Sean Kutzko, KX9X, is dealing with the backlog of getting late contest awards into the hands of the winners. Since N1TA's resignation on January 23, over 7,000 certificates have been mailed to winners and all outstanding plaques have been shipped. The backlog of contest awards is about 80% completed. At the current pace, we should be easily caught up on contest awards by Dayton. Special recognition should be given to the staff of the ARRL Awards Branch (Sharon Taratula, Sabrina Jackson, Sani Zanovic, Kathy Allison KA1RWY, Kathy Bouchard, Gloria Flores, Effie Mangllara and Dan Wall W1ZFG) for helping process these backlogged certificates and plaques above and beyond their regular duties. Contest plaque sponsorship letters have gone out for all past events except the 2014 DX Contest. Those will be processed once the 2013 DX Contest plaques have been distributed. It would be bad form to request sponsorships before the plaques they sponsored last year have been sent out. Once those are processed, we will be current with plaque sponsorship requests. The Future of the Contest Branch: The job description of the Contest Branch Manager has been updated to more accurately reflect what is required to succeed in this position. It will be posted internally next week and then posted to the website. Even though we have not officially posted the vacancy, we are receiving a few inquiries from active contesters interested in the position. While this interest is encouraging, it must be tempered with the fact that the job requires residence in Connecticut, and not many contesters are willing to move here. Other administrative reforms are being discussed, as well as a long-term vision of how the Contest Branch can be made more efficient through technology. Respectfully submitted, Sean Kutzko, KX9X ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager 73, Sean Kutzko, KX9X Media and Public Relations Manager ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio 225 Main St. Newington, CT 06111 860-594-0328 skutzko@arrl.org<mailto:skutzko@arrl.org> Web: www.arrl.org<http://www.arrl.org> www.twitter.com/arrl_pr<http://www.twitter.com/arrl_pr> #ARRL2014