[ECAC] Future of our report

[Jim Cross]

To:  Former ECAC members



From: Jim Cross WI3N, Former Chair



>From the very beginning of this effort, we've agreed that ECAC must do
whatever it can to shepherd our proposal through the approval process and
hopefully prevent it simply being shelved like earlier proposals. I've been
thinking about posting the ECAC report and NTS' rebuttal and
counter-proposal with our counter-rebuttal comments on my website and
sending the link to the SMs, SECs and STMs to look it over.  This will
allow them to offer fully informed comments to the PSC and Board.  They
will also be free to receive comments from whomever they wish to forward
the link to.  In my opinion, an elected body that decides issues affecting
their constituents, whether it's the ARRL Board of Directors, or a city,
state or federal legislative body, needs to know what their constituents
think.  By putting this out to the Field Organization leadership, I believe
we're doing the Board a favor by getting them feedback on which to make a
decision.  Without informed feedback, all legislative bodies tend to sit on
a fence rather than act.



As I'd mentioned at an ECAC meeting following a discussion with Dave
Sumner, K1ZZ, his take on the rules is that once the Board has had the
chance to act on a report, if nothing happens then it is ok to release the
report to the membership.



Below is what I plan to send via the official SM, SEC, and STM email
reflectors to those groups and also to the Board of Directors and Vice
Directors.  I'd appreciate any comments from you regarding this action. If
a majority of you feel we need to meet to discuss this before I do it, I
will arrange a time and date with Ken Bailey.



73, Jim Cross WI3N

SM MDC







To: All SMs, SECs, STMs, Directors and Vice Directors



From:  Jim Cross WI3N

            SM MDC

            Chair of the former ARRL Emergency Communications Advisory
Committee



The Emergency Communications Advisory Committee worked diligently to
produce recommendations that provide a way forward for ARES(R) to develop and
promote best practices with regard to Part 97.a, and increased
collaboration between ARES and NTS.



The committee presented its extensive twenty-four page report to the
Programs and Services Committee mid November, 2013. Members of the PSC
almost unanimously lauded it as the best researched and written ARRL
committee report they'd ever read. As you will see, we also provided
language for motions that would be needed for the Board to act on it at
their next meeting. The Board opted instead to send it to a newly formed
PSC for further study, we believe, partly due to the extensive implications
of both our proposal and NTS' counter proposal.



In a discussion with Dave Sumner K1ZZ last fall, he suggested that after
the Board had the opportunity to take action, releasing the reports to the
membership, who would after all be most affected by any decision, would be
reasonable.



In that light, and with the knowledge and consent of ECAC's members, I have
made both the ECAC report and NTS rebuttal and counterproposal available
for download by anyone who wishes to read and study them. Our hope is that
you will develop an informed opinion and make it known to your Director and
the PSC.  We believe your comments will help guide the PSC and Board's
decisions regarding the recommendations in the ECAC report.



Please let your Director know what you think.



To download the report please click this link:

<http://www.arrl-mdc.net/ECAC/Documents.html>