Hello all:
Cort, K4WI, has called my attention to an error in an earlier posting I
made about club competition rules. This has caused me to check the CQ
and ARRL rules. Here is what I find:
1. CQ WPX Contests - Club competion - members within a "local
geographical area." Not otherwise defined. Should easily include all
our members in GA, AL, TN, NC, SC, even those outside the 175 mi ARRL
radius circle.
2. CQ WW. 275 km radius. This actually translates to 170+ miles, or a
little smaller than the ARRL circle. Here is where I was very mistaken.
3. CQ 160. A fun category for "any club." All members of SECC should
submit for this contest.
4. ARRL. For large and medium sized clubs, 175 mile radius. (Local
clubs, a 35 mile radius.) The webpage also says we must be "affiliated"
with ARRL and must make a report to the ARRL Field Services Department
at least every two years. It also requires the secretary to submit a
list of members who are submitting scores for the club. We must have
been "affiliated" in the past. This is no doubt the reason for the
question upon joining if the applicant is an ARRL member. Some club
secretaries in the past have attempted to submit a list of members
eligible for entries. I don't think this requirement is enforced or
observered generally. It could be the basis for an inquiry if there is
some complaint or a close competition, but I am not aware that it has
ever been enforced or questioned. I think they take the club claimed on
the Cabrillo file log. Bill, AA4LR, would you check with AF4FO, the Ga
SM for ARRL, and get a form that could be completed for submission as
required by the rule above to the Field Services Dept of ARRL? Maybe
one could be downloaded from the ARRL webpage.
The 175 mile "circle" is thus much more important than I had given it
credit for being. Ed, K4SB, has done some work in the past on moving
the circle. I think there is probably a general consensus that we
should try to move the top of the circle down so the circle includes all
of North Ga, but as little of TN and NC as possible and see if we can
still include all our SC members and see if we can include AL members
such as K4WI and KS4YT/KV4T, and GA members such as KT4ZB and W4BQF. I
know of no reason we couldn't do that by a vote on the reflector. I
assume it is not set forth in the bylaws or the constitution. If Ed, or
someone else, finds time to make a new circle for discussion, I'd like
to see us act on it before the fall contest season.
I am sure that everyone understands that we would appreciate being shown
as the club of record for every contest that does not exclude
participation for aggregate club purposes by every SECC member and that
we encourage participation on SECC teams regardless of locality.
73,
John, K4BAI.
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