I think the real reason that ARRL ended the CD parties is that ARRL deemed
the Communications Department to be obsolete. If you are a QCWA member just
read the memories of George Hart W1NJM, the last Communications Department
Manager in the QCWA quarterly. The department ended when he retired and the
jobs folded into other departments.
George was the father of the National Traffic System and partially the CD
Parties. NTS still exists but no longer funded by ARRL. There is still a
few CW nets but most are SSB now.
Most contesters of the 1950's and early 1960's were also trafiic handlers
and were active in emergency communications.
The CD party was opened up to all ARRL members not just field appointees and
elected officials. Soon they realized they did not need another ARRL SS.
The NAQP and the various sprints do partially owe their existence to the
demise of the popular CD Party which was run 4 times a year.
Dave K4JRB
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