[SFDXA] Fw: ZL9HR Donations

[Bill Dzurilla]

5504
Datura Lane
Louisville,
KY 40258
 
To:     South Florida DX Association
 
From:Derby City DX Association
 
Re:     HARAoA Fund Raising 
 
Date:  December 29, 2012
 
Sirs:
 
Upon completion of the ZL9HR 2012 Campbell
Island DXpedition, information began to appear on various Internet sites
regarding fund raising by the ZL9HR team leaders and their parent club, the Hellenic Amateur Radio Association of Australia (HARAoA).  Team
members of ZL9HR voiced their concern that individual sponsors, club sponsors,
and DX foundation sponsors may have been mislead as to the actual purpose and
future use of the donated funds to the ZL9HR project.
 
VK3YP John Chalkiarakis, Treasurer – HARAoA
and co-leader of ZL9HR, stated explicitly on several Internet sites that no members of the ZL9HR DXpedition team
would receive any of the funds donated toward the ZL9HR project.  Mr. Chalkiarakis stated that the funds were now
those of the HARAoA organization and decisions regarding the future use those donations
were solely at their discretion.  The
non-HARAoA members of the ZL9HR team released a joint statement simply asking
for a proper accounting of the donated funds to the ZL9HR project.  At the date of this writing, the President of
the HARAoA club, Tommy Horozakis VK2IR (team leader for ZL9HR) has yet to
provide any public statement regarding this controversy over the donated funds.  The following is from the HARAoA web page
dated December 24, 2012 regarding donations to the ZL9HR project:
 
“…Any
excess of donation funds will be donated in order to sponsor 
future
DXpedition events and return to the DX Community…. ”  
 
As of this writing, HARAoA is continuing to
accept donations for the ZL9HR project.  
 
ZL9HR team members have clearly indicated
that statements from the team leaders expressed early on that final individual cost(s)
of the project was dependant on the amount of donated funds from the
international DX community.  The
individual team members fronted their total costs for this DXpedition on the good
faith statements that international contributions would “offset” the individual
team member’s costs once the international contributions began to materialize.
 
The solicitation of funds from the DX
community at-large for the ZL9HR project made no reference or inference that
the funds collected would support any venture other than that of the ZL9HR 2012
Campbell Island DXpedition.  
 
The
illusion of funds being solicited for a specific effort, but then going for
other purposes or ventures, borders a financial malfeasance that the DX
community should not tolerate, nor condone.
 
Our attached letter to the HARAoA group is
quite clear; we expect this situation to be rectified and there be complete
transparency regarding the funds donated to the ZL9HR project.  It is our expectation that HARAoA will
provide a financial analysis of the DXpedition’s incomes and expenses to
explain the use of the funds donated by international DX community. 
 
As an entity that is on record for having
supported the ZL9HR project, please join with our organization to express
concerns regarding this possible breach of trust within our DX Amateur
Community.  
 
 
 
73,
 
Jim
Vaughan K4TXJ
President
Derby
City DX Association
 
Ralph
Wettle W4HK
Vice-President
Derby
City DX Association
 
 
 
 
 
Enclosure

5504 Datura Lane
Louisville, KY 40258
 
 
December
28, 2012
 
 
 
Tommy Horozakis VK2IR
President, HARAoA
PO Box 13
Sans Souci NSW 2219
Australia
 
 
 
Dear Mr. Horozakis:
 
Our organization, the Derby City DX
Association, made a significant contribution to the ZL9HR 2012 Campbell Island DXpedition.  As usual and customary in these projects, our
intent was for the donation to aid the overall DXpedition and to assist all the
team members with expenses directly related to this specificDXpedition.
 
Many of our members have read the posts on
the Internet as they relate to the use of donated funds to the ZL9HR
project.  There has been much Internet
discussion about the solicitation of funds for DXpeditions and how those funds
are normally utilized.  It would seem
appropriate and necessary that proper accounting techniques should be utilized
to track donations and appropriate expedition expenditures on a weekly basis.  It would also seem appropriate that all
necessary costs are covered prior to determining that there are funds in excess
of the necessary DXpedition costs/expenditures and those surplus funds then be
evenly distributed to the team.  
 
Our interpretation of statements written by
VK3YP John Chalkiarakis, Treasurer – HARAoA and co-leader of the ZL9HR
DXpedition, are that NO funds will
go to any of the team members to offset any individual team expenditure in
direct support of this specific DXpedition.  It is also our understanding that funds are in HARAoA accounts and will
be utilized by HARAoA for purposes it solely deems appropriate, such as HARAoA
activities not yet announced or known to the DX community.  Public statements by Mr. Chalkiarakis
indicate that donated funds have already been diverted from the ZL9HR
DXpedition and are being forwarded elsewhere by HARAoA at its own discretion.
 
The solicitation of funds from the DX
community at-large for the ZL9HR Campbell Island DXpedition made no reference
or inference that the funds collected would support any venture other than that
of the ZL9HR 2012 Campbell Island DXpedition.  The illusion of funds being solicited for a specific effort, but then
going for other purposes or ventures, borders on financial malfeasance that the
DX community will not tolerate, nor condone.
 
We expect your written response as to the
disposition the funds our club contributed and for what purpose the funds were
used.  It was our understanding that the
funds being requested and raised would directly support the ZL9HR DXpedition
and all of its team members collectively.  It was certainly not our desire for our donation to be utilized to fund
future events, future DXpeditions, or future unannounced travels of another
amateur radio organization.  
 
It is our expectation that you will provide
us with a financial analysis of the ZL9HR DXpedition’s incomes and expenses to
explain the use of the funds donated by our club, as well as the funds donated
by the many other DX clubs, foundations, and individuals that supported the
ZL9HR DXpedition.  
 
Funds
donated for a specific event or effort must be utilized for that event
alone.  Period!
 
We expect that your responses will illuminate
this issue so that there is no misunderstanding of your fund raising successes
for the ZL9HR operation, or the use of those funds donated and believed to be
going specifically to the ZL9HR DXpedition and all of its team members.
 
Your immediate attention to this matter is
appreciated; we expect to receive your written response no later than February
28, 2013.  
 
Thank you for your attention to this
matter.  
 
Sincerely,
 
Jim Vaughan K4TXJ
President
Derby City DX
Association
 
Ralph Wettle W4HK
Vice-President
Derby City DX
Association
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cc: 
NCDXF
INDEXA
All other DX Club and Foundations listed on
the Campbell2012 Sponsors Web Page


----- Forwarded Message -----
>From: GLENN PETRI <tgpetri at gmail.com>
>To: n4ru at arrl.net; billdz.geo at yahoo.com 
>Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2012 10:34 PM
>Subject: ZL9HR Donations
> 
>
>Sirs:
>
>
>Attached is a letter for your review from the Derby City DX Association (KY4DX) regarding the recent ZL9HR 2012 Campbell Island DXpedition.  
>
>
>This letter is to inform your group, as a sponsoring club or foundation of the ZL9HR project, that there have been issues raised regarding the donations intended to support the ZL9HR DXpedition.
>
>
>Please contact me should you have any questions.
>
>
>Glenn Petri KE4KY
>Derby City DX Association
>
>