[QCWA] Re: Election Questions

[ve6afo at rac.ca]

Hi Jim - W5JO,

This is Ken Oelke - VE6AFO.

Regarding your questions.

1.    What are your feelings about becoming more active in filings before
the FCC on important issues, ie. BPL, the bandwidth petition, and various
other rule making petitions?

In Canada we are accustomed to one national organization (Radio Amateurs of 
Canada) to play an advocacy role and to lobby on behalf of ALL Radio 
Amateurs in Canada. In fact our regulatory body (Industry Canada - (IC)) 
will seek advice and direction only from RAC. When there were 2 national 
organizations in Canada before 1993 (CRRL & CARF), IC was most frustrated 
taking direction from both. In fact in 1991-1992 they basically told the 
Amateur Radio community to get their act together or else. It cost Canada 
an Amateur Radio representative at WARC 1992 because of this. Of course the 
rest is history since the forming of RAC in May 1993.

In Canada RAC surveys the Canadian Amateur Radio community to determine 
consensus on issues, before putting them to IC. Right now RAC is working on 
the concept of a Foundation Licence similar to the one in GB, Australia and 
Gibralter. Once this is done - it will be put to IC. If IC believe there is 
merit and the Amateur Radio community support same - they will issue a 
Gazzette notice (similar to the FCC NPRM) in where everyone will usually 
have 60 days to comment. If the comments are favorable for changing or 
adding something - IC will usually go with the majority to do so.

2.      Should the QCWA initiate and file petitions to the FCC regarding other
issues?

This bears the question then - does or should QCWA have an advocacy role 
within the USA or should this be left up to the National organization known 
to lobby on behalf of ALL US Amateurs? I am not saying that QCWA and it's 
members would not have a great deal to say and impart on important issue 
but, how should our voice be presented?

3.    Are there other directions the QCWA should pursue?

There have been some positive changes in QCWA over the past few years. As a 
member I have seen these. But nothing is perfect and there is always room 
for improvement. I am a firm believer that the world is not perfect and 
like any democratic organization in North America - QCWA too must work 
itself through the democratic process. Democracy is good but also has it's 
pitfalls. As a possible new upcoming board member coming aboard with fresh 
and new ideas, my desire would be to continually transform QCWA into yet a 
better place for our members to be proud of saying they belong to their QCWA.

73,

Ken Oelke - VE6AFO
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