[CQ-Contest] ARRRL SS Club Competition dilemma

[Art Boyars]

For a year or two I've been gently mentoring two brothers (now ages 14 and
15) in ham radio, getting to the point where at least one of them is
studying the License Manual and hoping to get his ticket.  I had them
"operate" at my house last Field Day (hopes for a field station fell apart;
planning IS important).  I did the CW myself, and while they were here and
awake I control-op'ed so they could make some phone QSOs.  "One Delta, Mike
Delta Charlie!"  Fun!  I submitted the log listing the operators as K3KU,
Y. Merkin, A. Merkin.

I've invited them over for SS Phone.  They have family and school
commitments and will be here, if at all, Sunday afternoon/evening.

The ARRL's General Rules for Below 30MHz are clear that this would not be
Single Op:  "*2.1.Single Operator: *One person performs all transmitting,
receiving, and logging functions as well as equipment and antenna
adjustments."  Note that it does not say "one [licensed] operator"; it says
"one  >>person<<" (emphasis added).  No problem. Since I might well wind up
Multi-op, I'll just send Prec "M" from the start.  If the trainees don't
show up, I'll submit as Single Op, and send a note to ARRL explaining why I
sent Prec M.

Here's the dilemma.  I want my score to count for my Club.  But the General
Rules say "8.5.2. At least 50% of the operators at a multi-operator station
must be eligible members of the club...."   So, if both wannabes show up
I'll fall below 50% and may not submit the score for the Club.

I asked ARRL HQ (KX9X) about the interpretation of the Rules, and he
confirmed what I wrote above.  Then I solicited some local opinion, which
generally felt that this interpretation was nor fair, or couldn't
be proper.  (There were some suggestions that I could just fudge it, but I
want to play by the rules.)  I offer this as a topic for Contest Community
discussion.

Is the dilemma worth worrying about?  Should the Rules -- for SS; for other
Contests -- be changed to allow something like the free GOTA station in
FD?  Warning: it might be harder than you think to create a clear rule for
that!

Special Note to KX9X, if he is monitoring the Reflector:  If the wannabes
do count as operators, how come the FD results omitted their names?  (Just
joshing, but it might be worth thinking about.)

73, and CU SSPH, Art K3KU