[SCCC] Fw: [CQ-Contest] Dick Norton N6AA elected ARRL SW Div. director afterchallenger disqualified

[Dennis Younker NE6I]

Forwarded from the CQ-Contest list.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Reisert AD1C" <jjreisert at alum.mit.edu>
To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2007 2:56 PM
Subject: [CQ-Contest] Dick Norton N6AA elected ARRL SW Div. director 
afterchallenger disqualified


> ***************
> The ARRL Letter
> Vol. 26, No. 37
> September 14, 2007
> ***************
>
>
> ==> CANDIDATE FOR ARRL SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION DIRECTOR DISQUALIFIED;
> NORTON DECLARED RE-ELECTED
>
> Carl Gardenias, WU6D, the challenger seeking the position of ARRL
> Southwestern Division Director, was declared disqualified Thursday by
> the ARRL Ethics and Elections Committee. Gardenias was running against
> incumbent Richard "Dick" Norton, N6AA. Due to the disqualification, the
> Committee has declared Norton re-elected.
>
> According to ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, writing on behalf of the
> Committee, an e-mail signed by "Cathy K6VC, Newsletter editor" was sent
> on behalf of Orange Section Manager Carl Gardenias to ARRL Orange
> Section newsletter editors and Web masters, among others, on September 1
> regarding the Southwestern Division election for Director and Vice
> Director. The e-mail encouraged "ARRL Full members to vote and vote
> wisely" in the upcoming election. Recipients were also asked to
> encourage clubs to "post to their websites and into their newsletter
> information regarding each candidate," and went on to list information,
> including e-mail addresses and campaign Web sites, for the two Director
> candidates and four candidates for Vice Director. Cathy Gardenias, K6VC,
> is Assistant Section Manager for the ARRL Orange Section and the wife of
> Carl Gardenias.
>
> The information given in Cathy Gardenias' e-mail was incorrect, in that
> the e-mail address for Norton was wrong. The e-mail also stated that
> Norton and Vice Director candidate Marty Woll, N6VI, did not have
> campaign Web sites, when in fact they did.
>
> Cathy Gardenias' e-mail went on to say that "Since all candidates are
> listed with e-mails and websites if they have one, there is no show of
> favoritism or bias. Please vote. Approved by the ARRL k1zz."
>
> The ARRL Ethics and Elections Committee received a complaint regarding
> the misinformation and concluded that the email violated the standard of
> "truthful and not misleading" that applies to candidates' mailings. It
> instructed Sumner to notify Carl Gardenias that "a correction must be
> circulated to everyone who received the incorrect information, i.e.
> everyone on the above distribution list and anyone else to whom it may
> have been sent." Carl Gardenias was also told that should he "become
> aware of any postings of the original, uncorrected item, you should
> immediately endeavor to have them corrected or removed."
>
> Specific language for the correction was supplied by the committee. It
> was to list correct e-mail addresses for each candidate, including
> Norton, and to supply the Web site addresses for Norton and Woll that
> had been missing from the original message. It was to further state,
> "Finally, the item was NOT approved by the ARRL or K1ZZ, as incorrectly
> stated," and that "The Orange Section regrets the errors and apologizes
> to those affected."
>
> Carl Gardenias acknowledged receipt of Sumner's September 5 e-mail. On
> September 7, having seen no evidence of compliance with the Committee's
> directive, Sumner sent him another e-mail, asking for a copy of the
> correction that Gardenias was supposed to have sent out. Gardenias
> replied via e-mail, "OK on Monday we are at the convention," meaning the
> ARRL Southwestern Division Convention. Since that response, Gardenias
> has not communicated with Sumner, "nor has any evidence of your
> compliance with the committee's orders been received," according to an
> e-mail Sumner sent Gardenias September 13.
>
> In that e-mail, Sumner reminded Gardenias that he was previously advised
> that "candidates' statements 'must be truthful and not misleading, which
> matters will be conclusively determined by the Election Committee.' The
> standard of truth applies to all mailings by a candidate. The email that
> was sent on your behalf on September 1 violated this standard, as
> documented in my September 5 message. You failed to follow the
> instructions of the Ethics and Elections Committee to make a timely
> correction, although you had ample opportunity to do so."
>
> Sumner advised Gardenias that he has "been disqualified as a candidate
> for the office of Director of the Southwestern Division. Your name will
> not appear on the ballot." Since Dick Norton is the only eligible
> candidate, Sumner said, the Committee has declared him re-elected.
>
>
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