From the ARRL website:

Nominations are open for the 2012 ARRL International Humanitarian Award. This award is conferred upon an amateur or amateurs who demonstrate devotion to human welfare, peace and international understanding through Amateur Radio. The League established the annual prize to recognize those radio amateurs who have used ham radio to provide extraordinary service to others in times of crisis or disaster.

The ARRL Executive Committee is meeting today, Saturday, September 29, in Denver, CO.  Here are a few agenda items that I found interesting:

• 4.1.1. Consideration of strategies to improve the FCC Amateur Radio enforcement program.
• 4.1.4. Consideration of draft Petition for Rule Making for domestic implementation of allocations at 472-479 kHz and 135.7-137.8 kHz.

ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN is the Executive Committee chair. Five Division Directors who are elected by the ARRL Board of Directors are also on the committee:

• Midwest Division Director Cliff Ahrens, K0CA;
• Northwestern Division Director Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF;
• Central Division Director Dick Isely, W9GIG;
• Rocky Mountain Division Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, and
• West Gulf Division Director David Woolweaver, K5RAV. ARRL

Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, and ARRL First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR, are non-voting members of the Executive Committee. ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and Second Vice President Bruce Frahm, K0BJ, will also attend the meeting.

Click here to download the entire agenda, and feel free to contact any and all of the Executive Committee members if you have comments, questions, or concerns.

This was released by the ARRL today. Sounds like fun to me…..Dan

August 29, 2012  NEWINGTON, CT – ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio^®, announced the organization will hold its national Centennial Convention in Hartford, Connecticut, July 17-20, 2014. The Convention will mark 100 years of the ARRL’s founding in Hartford. The theme for ARRL’s Centennial year is “Advancing the Art and Science of Radio — since 1914.”

Hiram Percy Maxim (1869-1936), a leading Hartford inventor and industrialist, founded the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) in May 1914, together with Clarence Tuska, secretary of the Radio Club of Hartford. Today, ARRL serves over 158,000 members, mostly licensed radio amateurs, in the US and around the world.  The organization’s headquarters has been maintained in the Hartford area since its founding. ARRL’s present facilities are located on Main Street in Newington, Connecticut, a suburb of Hartford, and are visited by nearly 2,000 groups and individuals each year. The site is also home to The Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station since 1938. The radio station, W1AW,  is known as “the flagship station for Amateur Radio” and is known world wide.  ARRL employs around 100 people.

“The 2014 Centennial Convention is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen explaining that event will have all of the trademark elements of a proper convention and hamfest; presentations and forums, exhibits, vendors, demonstrations, flea market, activities for youth, and banquet. “But, plan on some very special centennial-themed activities,” he added, “including tours of ARRL headquarters and W1AW, guest presenters, some surprises, and lots of celebrating! We want ARRL members to come with all of their experiences from the first one hundred years of Amateur Radio and ARRL, and leave with a shared vision for ARRL’s Second Century.”

The decision to host the Centennial Convention in Hartford was reinforced by the organizers of the New England Division Convention, held every two years in Boxborough, MA. “Boxborough’s organizing sponsor, FEMARA, Inc., graciously agreed to forgo holding a convention there in 2014,” said ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer. “Instead, FEMARA has offered to help share its expertise and volunteers as we prepare to bring this national level celebration to Hartford.

The area boasts dozens of attractions and activities, making Connecticut a great destination for members who plan to attend the convention with their family and friends. Nearby attractions include the Connecticut Science Center, Mark Twain House, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, and Wadsworth Athenaeum. Hartford is served by an international airport (Hartford/Springfield BDL), and is conveniently located between Boston and New York City. Hartford’s centrally located Union Station is serviced by Amtrak and major bus companies.

Interested parties may learn more about ARRL, Amateur Radio and the Centennial Convention at www.arrl.org/expo.

Greg Sarratt, W4OZK ARRL Southeastern Division Director presents David H. Freese, Jr. W1HKJ the ARRL Special Technical Service Award for David's work on Fldigi software programs at the 2012 Huntsville Hamfest.

On August 18, 2012 at Huntsville Hamfest Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, ARRL Southeastern Division Director presented David H. Freese, Jr W1HKJ the ARRL Special Technical Service Award for Dave’s work on the fldigi software programs. This presentation was a follow-up to ARRL Letter of Appreciation to David H. Freeze, Jr. signed by the ARRL President Kay Craigie, K3NK, dated July 25, 2012.

The above recognition is well deserved for Dave’s development and distribution of the Fast Light Digital Modem Application (fldigi) family of programs for use in amateur and emergency communications. W1HKJ’s software programs are free for amateur use and the fldigi software runs under Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. In addition, Dave Freese, W1HKJ, worked with the W1AW Station Manager, Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, and W1AW’s digital bulletins are now sent using fldigi.

Thank You Mr. Freeze!

The ARRL sent out the minutes from the July 31 Board of Directors meeting this morning. As usual, legislative issues played a big part. The ARRL lobbyist, John Chwat reported that he believed that HR 607 is no longer a threat. HR 607 was a bill put forward by Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, that would have re-assigned a portion of the 440 MHz band. The minutes note that, “The FCC study of impediments to Amateur Radio emergency communications was included in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 thanks to the support of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Upton and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Walden, among others.”

There was also a note about extending PRB-1 to private land use regulations. It says, “The study being prepared for Congress by the FCC is expected to conclude that the Commission will extend the limited preemption provisions of PRB-1 to private land use regulations only if directed by Congress to do so.” So, don’t look for that any time soon.

There were also several discussions of the pension plan for ARRL employees. They’re terminating the defined pension plan. No mention of what effect this will have on the employees or the financial health of the ARRL.

Finally, there was discussion of the ARRL centennial. The ARRL turns 100 in 2014. That’s not all that exciting to me. How about you?

Read the entire minutes.

As you know if you’ve read this blog for very long, I’m not overly generous when it comes to praising the ARRL. I do have to give them some kudos for this latest promotion, however. A couple of weeks ago, I got the above postcard in the mail offering me a $10 discount on any purchase from the ARRL website. Today, being my birthday, I got a followup e-mail, reminding to take advantage of this offer.

I like this effort a lot. It does show some member appreciation, and it will make some purchase more affordable. Kudos to the ARRL!