[SFDXA] July Board Meeting News

[Bill]

> Subject: July Board Meeting News
> 
> Vice Director Mike Lee and I have just returned from the July ARRL Board
> Meeting in CT. I will be sending out a much more detailed email once the
> Minutes are released in a week or so. That email will indicate how I
> voted on each Motion and why I voted that way.
> 
> There are two items from the meeting that I wanted to let you know
> about immediately.
> 
> The first is that we were successful in getting the 2016 Orlando
> HamCation designated as an ARRL National Convention! This means that
> the ARRL Expo, the huge League presence seen at the Dayton Hamvention,
> will be in Orlando this February. As ARRL CEO Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, has
> announced his retirement in May 2016, this will be his last National
> Convention as CEO and the first for the incoming CEO. In addition, it
> is unlikely that  President Kay Craigie, N3KN, will seek a fourth term,
> so HamCation will be the first National Convention for the new President
> as well.
> 
> If you have never been to HamCation or only occasionally attend, 2016
> will be a year you don't want to miss! 
> 
> Details about HamCation can be found at: http://www.hamcation.com/
> 
> The other item is unfortunately a membership dues increase from
> $39/year to $49/year effective January 1, 2016. It has been 14 years
> since the dues have increased. In that time the cost of goods and
> services have risen considerably. The League has taken many cost
> cutting steps over those years to maintain and actually enhance
> membership benefits without raising dues. Such substantial programs as
> Logbook Of The World (LOTW), digital QST, and expanded product reviews
> have been implemented since the last dues increase.
> 
> The cost of annual membership, even after the dues increase, remains a
> bargain for all of the membership benefits received. In a conversation
> with the President of Radio Amateurs of Canada this past weekend, I
> learned that the ARRL has the lowest annual dues of all of the Amateur
> Radio national societies around the world.
> 
> While nearly all of the 15 Directors voted in favor of the increase, it
> was a difficult vote for them. There is no question that the dues had to
> be increased to keep the League financially viable.
> 
> I voted against the dues increase—not because I don't believe that
> the dues should have been raised, but because I don't feel that other
> options to mitigate the amount of the increase were adequately
> explored. I will go into greater detail about why I voted no in my
> upcoming email after the Minutes are released.
> 
> I would encourage all members that aren't life members to consider
> renewing immediately to take advantage of the current rates. Even if
> you've got years left on your membership, you can still renew. If
> you've been thinking about Life Membership, act now! Currently Life
> Membership is $975; it will rise to $1,225 on 1/1/2016.
> 
> Membership renewal can be done online at:
> https://www.arrl.org/join-arrl-renew-membership/ 
> 
> A news article summarizing the meeting is at:
> http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-board-approves-dues-hike-hf-band-plan-2016-national-parks-centennial-event
> 
> 73 de K4AC and AA4ML
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> ARRL Southeastern Division
> Director: Doug Rehman, K4AC