Let’s flood the ARRL with ideas

In various talks that David, NA2AA,has given since he’s taken over as ARRL CEO, he says that he’s trying to move the ARRL towards a “culture of yes.” By that he means, instead of preemptively saying no to suggestions, he’s trying to get the ARRL to at least consider the ideas first. If he can actually move the ARRL in this direction (and this is where it’s a good thing that the ARRL isn’t that big of an organization), it will be a good thing.

Now, he needs some ideas. In his editorial in the April 2021 issue of QST,  NA2AA invites ARRL members to submit their ideas for consideration. He writes:

Your ideas, small and big ones, will inspire a culture of improvement and innovation. So, get involved, be a connector, stay radio active, and see you on the air!

I hope that he’s serious about this. I’ve been critical before about how the ARRL treats member suggestions. Their policy seemed to be that if the idea didn’t originate in Newington, it just wasn’t worth considering. That’s a real shame because there are a lot of talented people in the ARRL, and the ARRL, and amateur radio in general, would be a lot better off if we we could take advantage of that talent.

I suggest that we flood the ARRL with ideas. You can go to http://www.arrl.org/ideas and click on a link there, or send an email to [email protected] with the following information:

First Name:

Last Name:

Call Sign:

Email:

Can ARRL contact you via email (Y/N):

Telephone:

Can ARRL contact you via phone (Y/N):

Title:
What is the title of your idea?

Description:
Describe your idea…

Goal:
What primary goal will ARRL and its members achieve or enjoy through testing or trying your idea?

I just sent an email with the following suggestion: actually start publishing the club newsletter. This newsletter is still on the list of e-mail newsletters that you can subscribe to, but hasn’t been published for years.

The editorial concludes:

We are excited to see your ideas! We will work on ways to make you aware of the status of your idea (just acknowledgement is a start). And there may be ways to create working groups that include you as we move forward with implementation.

I really hope this works out. I’ll be keeping the ARRL’s feet to the fire on this.