[Mldxcc] MLDXCC Statement to ARRL BOD

[W6RKC]

Well stated. I heartily concur.

Rick, W6RKC


On 1/3/2018 5:09 PM, Dennis Moore wrote:
>
> This letter was sent to the ARRL Board of Directors on behalf of the 
> Mother Lode DX/Contest Club
>
> To the ARRL Board of Directors:
>
> The Mother Lode DX/Contest Club is an ARRL-affiliated club with over 
> 120 members in California and Nevada. The majority of our members are 
> members of the ARRL, including a number of ARRL life members. Our 
> members enjoy contesting and chasing DX, and have several in our ranks 
> who have participated in DXpeditions across the globe. Our club hosts 
> the Contest Dinner at the Visalia International DX Convention which 
> has often been honored with the presence of ARRL board members.
>
> We wish to express our support for Southwestern Division Director Dick 
> Norton, and voice our position on matters coming before the board at 
> your upcoming January 2018 Board of Directors meeting.
>
> Dick Norton does not represent the area encompassed by our club. This 
> opposition to his censure is not based on geography. We would like to 
> think that we will support any other Director treated as unfairly.
>
> As very active participants in the 2017 Visalia International DX 
> Convention, many of us were present at the ARRL Forum at which Dick 
> purportedly made statements bringing disrepute to the ARRL. To a 
> member, none of us present felt that any statements made by Dick were 
> derogatory, detrimental, or appeared to violate your recently adopted 
> “code of conduct” (ARRL Policy on Board Governance and Conduct of 
> Members of the Board of Directors and Vice Directors.) To the 
> contrary, the attendees were voicing their displeasure with the recent 
> ARRL action, which of course made Dick the target. His handling of the 
> issue in the face of vigorous complaint was above board and commendable.
>
> The only disrepute brought to the ARRL was not through his actions or 
> words that day, but by his censure. Your attack on him brought 
> attention to a non-event and only served to highlight and reemphasize 
> the attention to your ill-conceived code of conduct. You discount his 
> support by attendees of the convention yet give credence to 
> alternative accounts which remain unheard and secretive.
>
> Isn’t it nonsensical that we are kept from knowing what is happening 
> behind closed doors in an organization of which we PAY to be members?
>
> We respectfully request that the Board rescind the censure and issue a 
> public apology to Director Norton.
>
> To other matters:
>
> We disagree with the proposal to give voting powers to non-elected 
> board members. The recent censure of Dick Norton along with 
> disqualifications of board candidates and the subsequent appointment 
> of replacements have an air of a coup. Even if there are valid reasons 
> for the proposal, the extremely poor timing of this is enough to give 
> pause. By all appearances, power is being consolidated within a select 
> few.
>
> We disagree with any measure that would allow the ARRL to summarily 
> expel a member, including life members. This appears to be an attempt 
> by the board to eliminate dissenting voices from positions of leadership.
>
> We disagree with revoking the current right of a licensed spouse of an 
> SK Life Member to continue the life membership. As life membership is 
> a substantial cost it should be viewed as a gift to the ARRL from a 
> ham family. What do you gain by revoking that, annual dues for a few 
> more years? Has an examination of the actual cost of this been 
> performed vs. the loss of goodwill and likely loss of membership of 
> the surviving spouse? /“We’re sorry for the loss of your husband Mrs. 
> Smith, we appreciate him being a life member and visibly supporting 
> the ARRL for the past 35 years. Enclosed please find your bill for 
> next year’s membership.”/
>
> For all other proposals or motions brought before the board at the 
> upcoming meeting, we urge the board to proceed with caution with an 
> eye to how those changes are going to be perceived, and if their 
> supposed benefit is worth the cost of the loss of faith in an 
> organization that has survived over 100 years /without /these changes.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Mother Lode DX/Contest Club Board of Directors
>
> Dennis Moore NJ6G, President
>
> Steve Allred NC6R, Vice-President
>
> Bob Hess W1RH, Director
>
> Chuck Tifft W6RD, Director
>
> Ken Anderson K6TA, Director
>
> John Kozusko WD6EIW, Director
>
> Greg Glenn NR6Q, Director
>
> Sue Allred K6SZQ, Secretary
>
> Tyler Laursen K6TLR, Treasurer
>

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