[CQ-Contest] Re: [YCCC] Proposed QST changes, Hit 'em where it Hurts $$$

[Bob Johnson]

Hi Jan:
First, let me say that sometimes in order to get a mules attention, you
need to
hit it over the head with a 2X4 !!!  In the case of the League and the BOD the
2X4 is $$$$ !!!

You, having worked at the same company as me for many years can see what poor
management decisions can do to destroy an organization !!!

When I look back at all the adverse decisions the BOD has made or endorsed
thru
the years, I become alarmed for the future of the League, QST, and Ham Radio.

You, as an active VHF'er should be able to look back and see what we have lost
thanks to the BOD.
- Elimination of the VUAC (VHF/UHF Activities Coordinating) committee.
- Elimination of the "Spring Sprints" for VHF/UHF.
- Severe cut backs in the space for "The World Above 50 MHz".
- Severe cut backs in the reporting VUCC status.
- Severe cut backs in the reporting of VHF/UHF Standings.

Now they are trying to make the same type of cut backs in HF activities area.
- Elimination of the Novice contest.
- Reduce HF contest reporting.
- DXCC Honor Roll ???  Gota look back on that for the last one I saw.

Then of course there was the "Great Brain Surgeon" on the BOD who thought he
could save a buck by not sending out a "ARRL Membership Certificates"  !!!  As
part of the Field Organization, I'm out there trying to recruit new members
for
the League then when they only get a crummy little membership card guess who
get yelled at !!!  A lot of our "ARRL Affiliated Clubs" have already dropped
below the level required to maintain there affiliation and this type of thing
doesn't help turn things around.

Stop and think about what the average "New Ham" gets out of there $39 ARRL
membership, a membership card and a monthly magazine, PERIOD !!!  It takes
them
a while to find out what the League is all about.  Cut out the coverage of the
various aspects of Ham Radio in QST, reduce the number of pages in QST and
watch the membership (and Advertising) drop.

Foxboro management couldn't have done a better job !!!

73
Bob, K1VU





At 11:24 AM 01/12/02 , you wrote:
>
>Bob:
>
>I can understand your frustration regarding the cost cutting measures the
>ARRL Board of Directors will consider this coming weekend at the ARRL
>National Convention.  As you have heard on the reflectors, one of the cost
>cutting measures under consideration is a modest reduction in the number of
>pages in QST each month.  One of the items in QST that is being considered
>for elimination, because of the page reduction, is contest results.
>
>Ever since this proposal was made public, there has been a significant
>amount of e-mail both to ARRL and on the various reflectors in opposition to
>the proposal.  I have read some of it, but not all.  What almost none of
>those opposing the proposed action have addressed is how does ARRL cope with
>declining membership, declining advertising revenue, and deficit financing?
>There are approximately 120 employees of ARRL in Newington (and a few in the
>Washington DC office), all of whom are paid salaries, although significantly
>less than what they would make doing the same or similar jobs in the private
>sector.  I am one of those employees.  In addition to maintaining staff in
>Newington and DC, the ARRL has the expenses of maintaining its facilities,
>W1AW, costs of mail, printing costs, .... in a nutshell, the costs of doing
>business.
>
>Just recently, ARRL has created and filled a new position, that of chief
>fund raiser (can't recall her correct title, but that's the general idea).
>This new employee will be charged with solicitation of bequests and
>donations, in much the same way that similar positions act at other
>non-profit institutions, particularly schools and universities.  It is hoped
>by the Board and all employees that aggressive voluntary funding
>solicitation will offset some of the funding sources currently in decline.
>
>ARRL has been deficit funded in 2001.  If the Board does not accept the idea
>of cutting back the expenditures on QST and other proposed cost cutting
>measures at the upcoming Board meeting, then the only other choice they will
>have is to deficit finance expenditures for 2002.  Any organization can only
>engage in deficit financing for so long, before debts exceed assets, and it
>goes out of business.
>
>It would be helpful for ARRL members to understand the financial pressures a
>non-profit, membership based organization like ARRL is under.  I agree that
>reducing the content of QST is, perhaps, not the best option.  As proposed,
>the elimination or reduction of contest results from QST will not be well
>accepted by the contest community.  I would be terribly disappointed myself
>if the Board votes to solve its financing problems in this way.  But,
>something has to give to accommodate the reduced membership based income and
>advertising income.  In addition, significant efforts are being made now to
>increase funding, as I alluded to above.  It is NOT helpful for ARRL members
>to propose nasty tricks such as you have proposed to show their displeasure
>with the situation.  It would be much more helpful, if you, and the many
>other members who feel as you do, to encourage new hams to become ARRL
>members.  It would be helpful if you would encourage more people to become
>amateurs, go through the process of attending radio club meetings, take the
>license exam training courses, etc.  These are the kinds of activities that
>will, in the long run, help to save amateur radio and our national
>organization.
>
>I would encourage you to look carefully into how ARRL works and how it funds
>its membership based activities.  Simply reacting negatively to proposed
>funding actions and services reductions without fully understanding the
>issues driving these considerations does a disservice to yourself and the
>amateur radio community.
>
>73,
>
>Jan Carman, K5MA
>Book Team Manager
>ARRL
>Newington, CT
>
>Home:  k5ma at capecod.net
>Work:  k5ma at arrl.org
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Bob Johnson" <rjohnson at tmlp.com>
>To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>; <yccc at contesting.com>
>Cc: "Tom Frenaye" <frenaye at pcnet.com>; <w5jbp at arrl.org>; "Frank Butler"
><w4rh at arrl.org>
>Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 10:22 PM
>Subject: [YCCC] Proposed QST changes, Hit 'em where it Hurts $$$
>
>
>>
>> As I see it the League is about to embark on another one of there ill
>advised
>> "Cost Cutting Schemes" at our expense sometime next week!!!
>>
>> If we want to maintain FULL Contest coverage in QST, we might consider one
>of
>> the following:
>>
>> 1) If you are an ARRL member and the vote goes against us, call the League
>and
>> cancel your membership and request a full refund on the balance of your
>> membership term.
>>
>> 2) If you are an ARRL member and your membership period is near renewal,
>renew
>> NOW by credit card and then cancel if the vote goes against us.
>>
>> 3) If your NOT an ARRL member, you might consider joining by credit card
>> BEFORE
>> the vote next week and then cancel your subscription after the vote if you
>> want.  It is not going to cost you anything but the time to make a couple
>of
>> 800# phone calls!!!
>>
>> The only way to get the Leagues attention is with $$$, so lets vote with
>our
>> pocketbooks.
>>
>> I have been a League member and supporter since I became a Novice in 1971,
>> with
>> the exception of a few years when I was working two jobs and going to
>night
>> school.
>>
>> It seems that the only the League can think of lately is to cut services
>and
>> raise prices.  Now when I think about it in that context, it sounds more
>and
>> more like a Governmental Agency, "Cost of Incompentency" Tax Increase !!!
>>
>> 73 and hit 'em where it hurts
>> Bob, K1VU
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you
>> Bob, K1VU
>>
>>
>> --
>> YCCC on WWW:              <http://www.yccc.org/>http://www.yccc.org
>> Submissions:              yccc at yccc.org
>> Administrative requests:  yccc-REQUEST at yccc.org
>> Problems:                 owner-yccc at yccc.org
>>
>
>
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> 


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