[UK-CONTEST] HFCC info pls

[Donald Field]

Good response Tim! You certainly gave me some much-needed help last year,
when deadlines were looming with the IOTA write-up. I'll mention it to
Justin at the weekend.

Any others?

73 Don G3XTT

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim-M0BEW" <m0bew at blueyonder.co.uk>
To: "Donald Field" <g3xtt at lineone.net>; <uk-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, October 11, 2002 4:51 PM
Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] HFCC info pls


> Thanks Don.
> You pretty much covered all I needed to know.
> Now I'm more informed I'll send Justin a mail asap volunteering to be a
> member.
>
> Tim-M0BEW.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Donald Field" <g3xtt at lineone.net>
> To: "Tim-M0BEW" <m0bew at blueyonder.co.uk>; <uk-contest at contesting.com>
> Sent: Friday, October 11, 2002 9:59 AM
> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] HFCC info pls
>
>
> > Tim et al
> >
> > This is probably exactly the wrong week to be asking those questions - I
> > know Justin G4TSH (Committee Chairman) is up to his ears in preparing
for
> > the Convention (forum, trophies presentation, lists of claimed scores
and
> > results, etc, etc). As IOTA Contest Manager I am not a full member, just
a
> > corresponding member, but I'll try to answer as best I can
> >
> >  > What positions are within the committee?
> >
> > Like any committee, the "formal" positions are Chairman and Secretary.
> Other
> > jobs are allocated as appropriate.
> >
> > > Who is responsible for what tasks?
> >
> > Generally, like any group of volunteers, anyone who is to slow to take a
> > step backwards when a job comes up. The main job of the Committee for
many
> > years has been to adjudicate contests, provide the results for RadCom
and
> > organise the certificates. These have been so time-consuming (as one of
my
> > old non-ham colleagues used to say - I can understand why you hams take
> part
> > in these contests, but why would anyone in their right mind volunteer to
> > adjudicate them!), so the Committee has had little or no time to focus
on
> > philosophical questions of where contesting is going, whether
adjudciation
> > criteria should evolve over time, etc. I will be doing a short
> presentation
> > at the Forum this year about developments in computer-supported
> adjudication
> > which, hopefully, will free up more volunteer time to focus on the
bigger
> > questions. But it isn't going to happen overnight.
> >
> > > How does someone become a member of the committee?
> >
> > Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer.
> >
> > > What qualifies someone to be a member?
> >
> > Willingness to take on some of the tasks that need to be done. As I
said,
> > this is cvery much a working committee.
> >
> > > Is it all fully 100% voluntary?
> >
> > Yes. You didn't actually ask about budgets (surprising omission!). The
> HFCC
> > is allocated a budget each year by RSGB. This covers travel expenses to
> > meetings, cost of getting trophies engraved (and mailed, where
> appropriate),
> > certificate printing and mailing, etc, etc. I called on a substantial
> > percentage this year to help with the cost of printing and mailing the
> IOTA
> > results booklet (which also promoted the Jubilee contest and the IOTA
> Awards
> > Programme). HFCC hasa  good track record of working within its budget.
> >
> > > How many times and where do they hold meetings?
> >
> > These days, once or twice a year, to save travel costs (see above). Most
> > work is done by e-mail. Most contests are allocated to a single
volunteer
> to
> > manage - he can call on other committee members (or, indeed, as I do
with
> > IOTA, ask for volunteers from a wider audience) as and when he feels he
> > needs to.
> >
> > > How are decisions made?
> >
> > What decisions? For example, on IOTA contest rules, the Committee will
> > listen to what I have to say, and overrule if they think I am being
> stupid,
> > but generally, as I am closest to the contest, they support my
> > recommendations. On "bigger" issues, like starting a new contest or
> dropping
> > an existing one, it is by vote in the Committee after a discussion
(again,
> > like pretty much every committee in the world). As with most things in
the
> > world, many decisions are driven by resources. If volunteers aren't
> > forthcoming, something will have to go undone. The HFCC Website is
> probably
> > a good example - much more could be done with it, but Website upkeep is
a
> > major chore.
> >
> > > Are there minutes taken at the meetings and are they publicly
available?
> > (to
> > > see who was for and against what and why)
> >
> > Yes, and no (I don't know of any voluntary organisation that publishes
> > Minutes of every committee meeting - most restrict themselves to
> publishing
> > the AGM minutes. Publishing minutes just generates more work as they are
> > usually succint and will only generate more questions if they appear in
> > public. They). The minutes certainly don't record exactly who voted for
> and
> > against anything, just whether a decision was made, and who was actioned
> to
> > carry it out. This is normal practice in most such committees.
> >
> > > What were their Aims and Objectives for 02/03?
> > >
> > They should have appeared in RadCom - Justin will no doubt be able to
> answer
> > when he surfaces. They are in the annual report.
> >
> > >
> > > It's very unlikely I'll be at the convention this year, I had a whole
> > bunch
> > > of stuff to ask hence the post here.
> > > It's a shame as it looks like a great weekend.
> > > Enjoy.
> > >
> > Pity. It's the major event in the year for competitive HF ops (i.e.
DXers
> > and contesters). Bad planning!
> >
> > The thing to remember about the HFCC, like any other similar committee,
is
> > that most of the members are either working full time and therefore have
> to
> > squeeze their voluntary efforts in, or are retired and therefore old and
> > doddery (like me!). HFCC business is time consuming. I only agreed to
take
> > on IOTA because I had recently taking early retirement. I would guess
this
> > year (last year was worse, as I had to do most things manually), it is
> > taking 10-20 hours a week, from when the contest took place, probably
> > through to about December when I put the RadCom write-up to bed (and
after
> > that there will be certificates and trophies to think about, etc.). I
> don't
> > get paid - I get expenses (posting paper logs to those who volunteer to
> type
> > them up, etc, etc), but probably end up out of pocket (phone calls,
> computer
> > costs, etc.). By the way, I need a volunteer to help organise trophy
> donors,
> > engraving, etc, etc for IOTA - anyone willing to step forward? Even if
> each
> > IOTA log takes only 15 minutes of my time, that's 300 hours gone
> > immediately - some take a lot more! I'd love to spend more time on each
> > one - many entrants put thoughtful little comments in the log (which I
> have
> > to find and edit out, or the computer rejects the log!), many make an
> effort
> > to find some new and previously undiscovered log format, to enliven my
> day,
> > about 30% forget to give full details of their category, or simply
assume
> > every contest in the world is exactly like CQWW and use the defaults for
> > that one, many send their cover e-mail and forget the attachments ... (I
> > could go on, but won't bore you). I'm sure all HFCC members and
> > corresponding members have similar tales to tell, I'm simply using IOTA
as
> > the example I know!
> >
> > 73 Don G3XTT
> > IOTA Contest Manager
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > UK-Contest mailing list
> > UK-Contest at contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/uk-contest
>
>
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