On May 3, 2022, at 7:19 AM, Ria, N2RJ <rjairam@...> wrote:



Open governance doesn't mean I should just subject myself to people taking shots at the League at me.

I have plenty of places where I communicate with members openly and I do it all the time. 

But as I said - I am probably not the most suitable person to talk about awards. There are others who are in the PSC and also the radiosport department itself. Each one of these groups has a designated person from ARRL. Let them answer. 

73

Ria, N2RJ

On Tue, May 3, 2022 at 12:41 AM HH Brakob <kzerohb@...> wrote:

Ria (and any other League staff and volunteers lurking here),

 

The “membership” didn’t establish these email lists.  They were initiated by a Board action with the mission of providing more open two-way communications between “the League” (staff/volunteers/elected officials (such as yourself)) and the ham community in general. 

 

If “the League”-side folks are going to be “lurkers”, then this email list is a waste of electrons.  For those who want to be “League Bashers”, QRZ, Facebook, and numerous other channels provide ample opportunity to write jeremiads on that subject.

 

But for those of us who want to interact with the League  “insiders/movers-and-shakers”, these io.groups struck me as a genius development.

 

Using the issue at hand as an example, it had it’s roots here more than a year ago when I discovered that the DXCC Challenge had no “diploma” award, only a plaque.  There was a discussion here, I communicated with my Director on the matter, and last summer (some body) directed the development of paper “diploma”.   I was pleased to hear of that!   Knowing “things take time in Newington”, especially during COVID, etc., I expected some delay in implementation.

 

Earlier this year (late February, I think)  I posted a message here inquiring of the status of the diploma.  There was no “League” answer, not even someone saying “I’ll check on that for you.”  Crickets.

 

Fast forward a couple months more to this thread.

 

Last week Ken, AB1J made an inquiry, similar to mine, about the status of the award.  There was some discussion, but no League response.

 

Someone suggested that we should “call the League” – OK, well who at “the League” should I call, and oh by the way, isn’t that what this email group is all about?

 

Another person put forward Bart as someone who might know.  So I sent him a direct off-list email inquiring into the issue.  He promptly answered here on this list with news that it was in process.

 

Since Bart (and other “League” people) obviously are subscribers here, a prompt answer (back in February, or last week) of “It’s still in process, times are busy, but we’ll keep you in the loop.” would have served two purposes:

 

1. It would have defused the impatience generated by no news since last summer..
2. It would have given “us” a “warm fuzzy” that important people at the League were paying attention to our concerns.

 

On a personal note to Ria…..  your campaign to Directorship gave a lot of us out here a promise of fresh blood and a more open governance at ARRL.  “Open Governance” and “lurking” in the communications channels seem like non-congruent concepts.

 

73, de Hans, KØHB

“Just a Boy and his Radio”™

 

Я підтримую Україну

 

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From: Ria, N2RJ
Sent: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 01:50
To: ARRL-Awards@...
Subject: Re: [ARRL-Awards] Challenge certificate

 

I basically slowed down my participation in these forums for two reasons.

 

1. Someone else posted that they don't respond because I always

respond first.  So I slowed down to give others a chance to answer. I

am not on the PSC, and I frankly am good with my committee assignments

as they fit better with my skill sets.

 

2. I found that some discussions just spiraled into an endless back

and forth and then some will use it to take pot shots at the Board and

others. So I now for the most part just take the feedback I see on

these forums (as a lurker) and then discuss internally.

 

So there you go.

 

With regard to the issue at hand, Bart gave the answer which is that

it's in progress.

 

Ria

N2RJ

 

 

 

 

Open governance doesn't mean I should just subject myself to people taking shots at the League at me.

+ The League exists to serve its members. If you are unwilling to hear civil criticism of the League's actions, you should not have become a League Director.

+ You posted a personal insult in this forum. When I asked you to explain your claim that

"LoTW has some serious underlying problems which makes adding additional awards/events problematic."

https://groups.arrl.org/g/ARRL-Awards/message/1715

+ You responded

"Dave I am avoiding answering your questions because you are the master of the strawman and back and forth arguments and inanity."

https://groups.arrl.org/g/ARRL-Awards/message/1737

+ That's an explicit violation of the rules governing this forum: "Neither personal attacks nor foul language will be tolerated".

http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-creates-new-online-groups-for-members-to-communicate-with-leadership

+ When the ARRL's "Communications with Members" Committee created this and other online forums, we expected League Directors to set a positive example.

de AA6YQ