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ARLB003 ARRL Board Meets

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ARRL Bulletin 3  ARLB003
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  January 22, 1997
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB003
ARLB003 ARRL Board Meets

The ARRL Board of Directors met in annual session, January 17 and
18, 1997, at Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Here is a summary of the
meeting highlights:

Responding to survey results that show that the majority of members
favor retention of Morse code for HF operating privileges as an
international treaty obligation, the Board decided that the ARRL
will not support changing the existing treaty requirement, an issue
on the WRC-99 agenda.  The Board also accepted other committee
recommendations regarding the international rules that govern the
amateur and amateur-satellite services.

A committee proposal for modifications to the FCC amateur licensing
structure is to be published shortly in QST.  Members will be
invited to comment to their Directors before May 31, 1997.  The
Board will not take action on the committee recommendations earlier
than the July meeting of the Board, to afford members an opportunity
for discussion and comment.

Noting the increasing number of participants in the spectrum
management process, the Board created the ARRL Spectrum Forum, an
electronic mail roundtable for national amateur organizations, as
well as regional entities and interests.  The ARRL Spectrum
Committee was dissolved with the thanks of the Board.

Dr. Robert C. Smithwick, W6JZU, and Mr. Ken Kirk-Bayley, GJ0KKB,
co-founders of MediShare International, a program of the Medical
Amateur Radio Council, won the ARRL International Humanitarian Award
for 1996.

James Jacobs, K1GHT, was tabbed for the ARRL Certificate of Merit in
recognition of his lifetime of humanitarian service and goodwill
through Amateur Radio.  Michael Pilotti, N3IRZ, also won an ARRL
Certificate of Merit in recognition of his arranging for the travel
of Ukraine radio amateur Nick Bortnick, UX0ZZ, to the US for special
medical assistance.

The League's Executive Committee was tasked with studying the
adequacy of FCC rules governing the qualifications of Volunteer
Examiners, particularly with respect to those VEs who have obtained
license upgrades by means of Morse code element credit waiver
provisions.  The Executive Committee was also tasked with
investigating the extent of abuses of the Morse code exam waiver
provisions for applicants with severe handicaps, and recommend any
regulatory changes deemed necessary.

The Membership Services Committee was directed to study ways to
better serve the digital community.

Atlantic Division Director Kay Craigie, WT3P, Northwestern Division
Director Mary Lou Brown, NM7N, Southeastern Division Director Frank
Butler, W4RH, and Southwestern Division Director Fried Heyn, WA6WZO,
were elected to the Executive Committee.

Roger Franke, K9AYK, Tom Comstock, N5TC, and Tom Frenaye, K1KI, were
re-elected to the ARRL Foundation Board of Directors.

ARRL will establish an Alternative Dispute Resolution service for
the use of individual amateurs, amateur organizations, citizens,
organizations and others having disputes over Amateur Radio related
subjects.

Full details will appear in March QST.
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