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Central
Division Director
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Kermit Carlson W9XA
1150 McKee Street
Batavia, IL 60510
(630) 879-0983
w9xa@arrl.org
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Central
Division Vice Director
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Carl Luetzelschwab K9LA
1227 Pion Rd
Fort Wayne, IN 46845
(260) 637-6988
k9la@arrl.org
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NEWS FLASH -
NEWS FLASH - NEWS FLASH - NEWS
FLASH
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ARRL Central Division Convention 2018
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Mark your
calendar !
The
Allen County
Amateur Radio
Technical
Society's Fort
Wayne Hamfest
will host the
2018 ARRL
Central
Division
Convention.
The
46th annual
ACARTS Hamfest
will be held
November 17th
and 18th
at the Allen
County War
Memorial
Coliseum and
Exposition
Center.
The latest
information on the schedule of
events
This
two-day event
will feature
forums on
contesting,
DXing,
antennas,
digital modes
and more.
There will
also be VEC
Testing,
WAS, WAC, VUCC and DXCC Card
Checking, CQ's
WAZ card
checking and Hourly and Main
Prize
Drawings. New
and Used
Equipment dealers will be
present, along
with over 400
tables
and 73,000 square feet of
indoor space.
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1/31/2018
-
10AM
The American Radio Relay
League has filed
comments
on FCC ET Docket 17-340
"TECHNOLOGICAL
ADVISORY COUNCIL
SPECTRUM
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS "
The
ARRL Laboratory staff, Chief
Counsel and ARRL EMC
(ElectroMagnetic
Compatability) Committee
members
met in Newington last month
to discuss the
ARRL
Response to this
Docket. The file
attached
at
the end of this message is
the product of the work
of
several individuals over the
past month.
On
December 1st the FCC
requested comment from the
public on a series of
spectrum
policy recommendations of
the Commission’s
Technological
Advisory
Council (TAC),
which
is pursuant to a series of
white papers promulgated
by
the TAC over the past
several years. Specifically,
the TAC’s Spectrum
and
Receiver Performance Working
Group has developed
recommendations
for revised Commission
spectrum policy,
so
as to fulfill the
Commission’s statutory
obligation to “make
such
distribution of licenses,
frequencies, hours of
operation,
and
of power among the several
States and communities as
to
provide a fair, efficient,
and equitable distribution
of radio to each
of
the same...."
While this FCC Docket has no
clearly defined challenge to
the
allocations and terms of
access to those allocations
that we as amateur radio
operators
now use, the overall policy
issues are of some great
concern
for
future decisions on how the
spectrum resources might be
allocated.
I
urge all interested amateur
radio operators to read the
ARRL's lengthy
response
to the FCC inquiry.
This inquiry possibly
signals a watershed moment
for
the methods and standards
which might be employed by
the Commission
in
the allocation of spectrum
resources and the management
of those resources.
As
you will note in the ARRL
response, there are some
details which are
positive
- such as the minimum
standards for receiver
performance. There
are
other suggested practices
such as the establishment of
"harm claim
thresholds
or HCT's" that might set
interference standards so
high that claim of
harmful
interference to an amateur
station might no longer be
actionable.
Another
troubling concept
recommended in the FCC TAC
Study suggests that
more
robust error correction will
overcome potential
interference issues - and
as
a personal note as a weak
signal operator I find any
suggestion that modes
we
now employ might not in the
future be protected as
troubling.
Please read the ARRL
response and feel free to
contact me with your
comments.
73, Kermit Carlson W9XA
ARRL Director, Central
Division
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Dear ARRL Central
Division Member,
The ARRL Annual Board
Meeting will convene in
Connecticut on the 19th
of this month. At this
meeting there will be
several motions
considered for changes
to the By-Laws of the
American Radio Relay
League. At the bottom of
this letter are links to
three different sets of
motions for changes to
that ARRL By-Laws which
I would like to address.
Two of sets of motions
linked below are the
subject of emails and
postings on social
media. The third set of
files is a motion which
I have filed that
clarifies the ARRL
Policy on Board
Governance. That motion
will eliminate
ambiguities that have
been interpreted as
preventing an ARRL
Director from telling
the members in their
Division how they will
or have voted on an
issue.
The files in the links
below are the final
versions of the motions
that have been
distributed in advance
of the ARRL Board
meeting. Please note
that the motions
authored by the ARRL
Board’s Executive
Committee are
considerably different
from what is presented
on various websites and
that there is no motion
proposed which would add
a provision the removal
of an ARRL member or
officer. There is no
such language in the
Executive Committee
proposals and it is my
understanding that there
will be no such
provision introduced at
the Board meeting. I
will steadfastly oppose
any such change.
There are several
proposed changes to the
By-Law which have been
created by Hudson
Director Lisenco, N2YBB.
These motions seek to
allow votes on the Board
by the three sitting
Vice Presidents who do
not now have a vote on
Board issues. I believe
that there will NOT be a
majority of 10 Directors
who will approve this
measure as published. It
is my position to not
support that or any of
the other changes
proposed by the Director
Lisenco.
The motion which I
have introduced, would
eliminate a significant
number of ambiguities in
the ARRL By-Laws' and
"The ARRL Policy on
Board Governance".
Simply stated, a
Director MUST have the
ability to tell the
members of his Division
how they voted on any
issue before the Board.
At the 2017 July Board
meeting I was one of the
authors of a motion that
was discussed during the
Director’s Motions
portion of the meeting.
It would have added
language to the Policy
on Board Conduct that I
feel would have
eliminated some
ambiguity in the Policy.
After serious debate,
the motion was withdrawn
without further
consideration. In
preparation for the
Annual 2018 Meeting of
the Board this
January19th I have
already re-introduced
amendments to the Policy
on Board Governance
which I do anticipate
will help clarify some
very specific
ambiguities. A link to
my letter to my
colleagues with a
high-lighted mark-up
appears in the link
below.
The changes I have
proposed will clarify
those few ambiguities
that have given rise to
the pejorative reference
to a "gag-order" in some
social media threads and
emails when referring to
the ARRL Policy on Board
Governance. While it has
recently been repeated
on the internet that the
ARRL Policy on Board
Governance is a “gag
order”, which limits a
Director’s ability to
communicate candidly and
directly, that assertion
is incorrect. However,
the presence of this
incorrect perception
indicates that the
Policy itself suffers
from ambiguities or
imperfections that
must be corrected. The
ARRL Policy on Board
Governance must be at
its face as clear and
direct as possible.
Codes of board conduct
are very much part of
the current state of the
art in the governance of
most large
not-for-profit
membership
organizations. Any
ambiguity in that Policy
that results in the
remotest scintilla of a
possible interpretation
that the ARRL Board
members cannot be
transparent to the
membership must be
corrected.
The ARRL Policy on
Board Governance clearly
states that: " Being
elected to serve on the
ARRL Board of Directors
is an honor and
privilege bestowed by
the membership. It is
one that carries with it
a serious responsibility
to serve the interests
of the ARRL and its
members. Members of the
Board of Directors and
Vice Directors serve in
a representative
capacity relative to
ARRL members, and in a
fiduciary capacity
relative to the
organization. " Prior to
the adoption of the
“Policy” in 2016 the
ARRL Board had been
briefed by our
Connecticut Legal
Counsel that such a
statement of recommended
conduct is an expected
portion of any
responsible system of
governance of a not for
profit organization.
That legal firm has been
the ARRL Connecticut
corporate counsel of
record since Clarence
Tuska and Hiram Percy
Maxim first incorporated
our League and I take
that firm’s
recommendations as the
best expert legal advice
on Connecticut law
available.
It is essential as a
statutory requirement
that a Director
discharge the
responsibilities of the
office with no external
encumbrance on the
ability to fulfill these
duties. NONE of the
rules or policy of Board
governance can be
construed to create an
allegiance to the
organization, or to any
other person or group
that would supersede
acting in the best
interests of the League
membership. Nothing in
the Policy should be
interpreted as modifying
or altering that most
essential imperative.
73, Kermit A Carlson
W9XA
ARRL Director, Central
Division
1150 Mc Kee St
Batavia, IL 60510
(630) 879-0983
W9XA@ARRL.ORG
Lisenco
AABL proposed amendments
Lisenco
AABL proposed
amendments.html
Norris-EC AABL proposed
amendments
Norris
EC 1 ARRL AABL
Gramatical Revisions
Motion.pdf
Norris
EC 2 Art 15
Liability.pdf
Norris
EC 3 Art 16.pdf
Norris
EC 4
Mebership
Dues.pdf
Norris EC 5 Life Member Bylaw 8 9 10.pdf
Norris EC 6 Terms of Office.pdf
Norris EC 7 Elections BLs.pdf
Norris EC 8 Recalls BL 24.pdf
Norris EC 9 Officers Duties BLs.pdf
Norris EC 10 Committees BLs.pdf
Norris EC BL 48 Dispute Res.pdf
Carlson Policy on Board
Governance
Carlson
Motion 1.pdf
Motion
to modify
Narrative |
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The
ARRL has announced the
NEW YEAR-LONG OPERATING
EVENT !
Full
details are available in
the December QST !
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A
new and exciting operating event will kick
off on January 1, 2018, at 0000 UTC (New
Year’s Eve in US time zones), when the ARRL International Grid
Chase gets under way.
The year-long event hopes to build on the
success of the highly successful 2016
National Parks on the Air (NPOTA). The
objective is to work stations on any
band ( except 60 meters) in as many
different Maidenhead grid squares as
possible, and then upload your log data to
ARRL’s Logbook of The World (LoTW). Registration
is free, and it costs nothing to use LoTW.
Many hams are familiar with grid squares
from the VHF/UHF and satellite realms, and
everyone lives in one. ARRL’s VUCC is
based on grid squares, and some contests
on HF, as well as on VHF and UHF, also use
them as a scoring factor.
PLEASE see the ARRL.ORG Website for more
of the story !
Complete
details of the ARRL International Grid
Chase will appear in the December 2017
issue of QST. The digital edition is
available on Friday, November 10.
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US
Representative Adam Kinzinger receives ARRL
Barry Goldwater Award
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Photo l to r: Mr.
Chris Imlay W3KD ARRL Chief Consul, Mr. Adam
Kinzinger, Mr. Kermit Carlson, Director ARRL
Central Division,
Mr. Mike Lisenco N2YBB, Director ARRL Hudson
Division and Chairman of the ARRL
Legislative Action Committee., |
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July
12th, 2017 - Kermit Carlson,
Central Division Director, presented the ARRL
Barry Goldwater Award to US Representative
Adam Kinzinger (IL-16). Mr Kinzinger was
presented the ARRL Barry Goldwater Award for
introducing the Amateur Radio Parity Act, HR
555.
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companion bill, SB 1534, has been introduced
into the Senate. ARRL President, Rick Roderick,
K5UR, has asked all amateurs to write the
Senators in support of the Amateur Radio Parity
Act. Click here for more
information on how you can help support SB
1534. |
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IEEE EMC Society
2017 Meeting Success!
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May 1, 2017 -
The Chicago Chapter of the IEEE EMC Society
held it's meeting on April 19th and all
reports are it was a huge success! The "most
enjoyable evening" was attended by over 200
IEEE members and amateurs. Those attending
provided a very gracious and sizable donation
to the ARRL Spectrum Defence fund as well.
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K9CT New ARRL Central
Division Contest Advisory Committee Rep
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| February
11, 2017 - For over 18 years Mr.
Gregory Clark, K9IG, of Franklin, Indiana has
served as the Central Division’s representative
to the ARRL Contest Advisory Committee (CAC).
Having been appointed by Mr. Ed Metzger W9PRN in
1999, K9IG has been recognized as a
guiding presence on this important body.
His work on this Committee has helped the
decision-making process of the ARRL Board
regarding HF Contesting during the term of three
Central Division Directors. Greg has announced
his retirement from this committee position
effect today. I would like to
express my sincere gratitude for his service to
the League and amateur radio over the past two
decades. Thank you Greg ! |
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am a pleased to announce that Mr. Craig
Thompson, K9CT, of Trivoli, Illinois
has accepted the appointment as the ARRL Central
Division Representative to the ARRL
Contest Advisory Committee. Craig's
accomplishments in amateur radio contesting
includes many first place contest finishes and
he holds several contest records. Craig is an
ARRL Life Member, a member of the NIDXA,
CW ops, A-1 Operators, the Maxim
Society, and he is Board member of the
NCDXF. Craig also presently serves as the
President of the Society of Midwest Contesters. |
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I
look forward to working with Craig as part of
the ARRL Central Division team.
73, Kermit Carlson W9XA |
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| HR 555 passes the US House of
Representatives |
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JANUARY
23, 2017 - Greetings; It is with
great pleasure that I can relate that the
Amateur Radio Parity Act, HR-555, has passed the
House of Representatives and is now on the way
to the Senate. The bill passed by unanimous
consent late Monday afternoon January 23rd,
2017. For the whole story, please
see...
73, Kermit Carlson W9XA |
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| HR 1301 passes the US House
of Representatives |
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September 12, 2016 - Late
breaking news. At 6:29 P.M. EDT, H.R 1301 as
amended was considered on suspension and
passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
It now goes to the U.S. Senate for
consideration. Thank you to all who helped
sign letters to their Representative. 73,
Kermit W9XA
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| Carl
Luetzelschwab, K9LA, Appointed new Central
Division Vice-Director |
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July 21, 2016 -
ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, in
consultation with Central Division Director
Kermit Carlson, W9XA, has appointed R. Carl
Luetzelschwab, K9LA, to become the new Central
Division Vice Director. He fills a vacancy
created when Carlson became Director with the
recent retirement of Dick Isely, W9GIG.
Luetzelschwab is a resident of Ft. Wayne,
Indiana. Licensed since 1961, he is an ARRL
Life Member and is well known in the amateur
community.
He is a frequent contributor
to many ARRL publications, and had previously
served as the Editor of the ARRL's National
Contest Journal. He is an active contester and
DXer, having achieved DXCC #1 Honor Roll as
well as having earned 160 Meter DXCC. He is
considered one of the leading authorities on
HF propagation and has been a frequent
presenter at many hamfests and conventions,
including W9DXCC, Dayton Hamvention, and DX
University.
“I plan to bring lots of
energy to the job and to be visible to the
members of the Central Division,"
Luetzelschwab said. "It is an honor to serve
and give back to the Amateur Radio service for
all that it has given me over the years. I am
looking forward to working with Kermit
Carlson, W9XA, whom I have known for a number
of years. And I would like to give a big thank
you to retired director Dick Isely, W9GIG, for
his friendship and many years of service. I
hope to emulate his visibility and
approachability.”
Luetzelschwab is married to
Vicky, AE9YL, and together they have
participated in several DXpeditions, including
YK9A, OJØ, and numerous trips to ZF, operating
as ZF2LA and ZF2YL. He retired in 2013 after
41 years as an RF Design Engineer with
Motorola and Raytheon (formerly Magnavox).
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| ARRL Central
Division Director - Dick Isely, W9GIG, Steps
Down |
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July 19, 2016 - Saying it
was time that the ARRL Central Division had a
younger leadership, Central Division Director
Dick Isely, W9GIG, of Saint Charles, Illinois,
has resigned from the League's Board of
Directors. He has been succeeded by Vice
Director Kermit Carlson, W9XA, of Batavia
Illinois.
"I'm 77 years old, and I still have pretty
good health, despite my slow recovery from a
shingles attack that hit me last December,"
Isely said in a public announcement. "However,
it's time that you have a younger Central
Division Director." Isely and Carlson were
re-elected last year without opposition, and
Isely expressed confidence that Carlson would
"do a better job" in the Director's chair.
Isely tendered his resignation during the
July 2016 ARRL Board of Directors meeting over
the weekend in Windsor, Connecticut, and
acting on Carlson's nomination, Isely's Board
colleagues elected him as an ARRL Honorary
Vice President.
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"I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting and
talking with many of you over these many
years, and, from time to time, there will be
future opportunities for the activity,"
Isely's announcement concluded.
During his time on the Board, Isely served as
a member of the ARRL Executive Committee as
well as on the Board's Administration and
Finance and Membership Services committees. He
chaired the CEO Search Committee after former
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ announced his
retirement in 2015. Isely also has been among
the ARRL Board members to promote the Amateur
Radio Parity Act on Capitol Hill.
Isely became the ARRL Central Division
Director in 2001, succeeding Ed Metzger,
W9PRN, and he was an ARRL Foundation director
from 2007 until his resignation from the
Board. He had served as ARRL Foundation vice
president since 2008. ARRL Great lakes
Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, has been named
to replace Isely on the ARRL Foundation Board.
Isely is a graduate of the University of
Missouri and a retired US Navy and American
Airlines pilot. He's an ARRL and an AMSAT Life
Member and has been a radio amateur since
1977. Isely helped organize the National
Frequency Coordinators' Council and served 4
years as a director.
ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, is
expected to soon announce a successor to
Carlson to fill the now-vacant Vice Director's
seat. The ARRL Central Division is comprised
of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
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