[CQ-Contest] ARRRL SS Club Competition dilemma

[Gerry Treas K8GT]

Art,

Why not give at least one of the boys a membership in your club?  It 
might further interest, and the may find more friends and mentors.

73, Gerry, K8GT



On 2012-11-16 10:09, Art Boyars wrote:
> 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
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