Dr. James F. Boehner, N2ZZ
"Dr. Jim"
of South Carolina
WE WON!
Thanks for your confidence!!
Let me introduce myself!
First, let me explain the first thing you probably noticed; the "2" in my call. Although I am from Central New York State, I have been in the South since 1982 and in South Carolina since 1986. Be assured that I have made South Carolina my home. More on this later!
Second, Let me share with you the essay that I submitted to the ARRL for the South Carolina Section Manager Election Ballots that will be distributed to SC ARRL members in early October, 2002:
Greetings to all SC ARRL members from Dr. Jim Boehner, N2ZZ. I am originally from Syracuse, NY. After completing a Residency in Georgia, I moved to Aiken, SC in 1986. I was first licensed in 1969 and hold an Amateur Extra Class License. I am a life member of the ARRL and the QCWA, and belong to the Palmetto State chapter (#89) of the QCWA. On Saturday, September 28, 2002, I was elected Second Vice President of that chapter! I am a charter member of the Aiken Contest Club. My experiences in Amateur Radio are many. I was a RTTY Official Bulletin Station in the 1970’s as well as a CW NTS traffic handler with liaison duties. Although I am fully equipped with VHF and UHF capabilities, I have a strong interest in HF communications with conventional as well as digital modes. I have earned 5BDXCC and am currently on the DXCC honor roll. I have been certified by the ARRL and WCARS as a Volunteer Examiner. I also have an interest in Public Service, and have affiliations with Aiken County Law Enforcement Communications. My goals for the office of Section Manager primarily revolve around my desires to expand participation in, and enable unification of the ARRL SC Field Service. I plan to be responsive to the members of my section. My goal is not to have any one individual serve on more than one top section position. With the new FCC licensing structure in place, we have a unique opportunity to bring many new operators into the fold. With this new growth, it is important that the true meaning of Amateur Radio is maintained, with respect given for our traditions. It will be important for our new members to learn from the past and become the hobby’s future. I wish to guide the path of Amateur Radio in SC into the new Millennium.
It occurred to me that it is very difficult to fully explain my history, interests, and what I can offer to the office of Section Manager in only 300 words. I would like to take this opportunity to explain more about myself and what I can offer to the ARRL members of the South Carolina Section.
First, I just received an e-mail from one of my dear friends from the upstate who has been very active in the ARRL field organization. I had asked her for comments on my website. She was hesitant to make comments because it would not represent "me". She did say that she saw me as "a strong, gentle person, and a very loyal friend", and felt that needed to come out on the website. For those that have met me and spoken with me, I hope that same impression has been made. Personally, I am a relatively low-key person. I enjoy camaraderie, and realize amateur radio is a hobby. Enjoyment comes from our personal and group accomplishments. I believe that negativism, the quest for personal glory, confrontations, and egos detract from those goals and accomplishments, and therefore detract from our enjoyment of our hobby. You will note that in the successive paragraphs, I have used "I" quite a bit. I do not intend to make the changes below by myself. Teamwork will be essential. I am emphasizing that these are changes that I need to consider as soon as possible, allowing the SC Field Organization to grow and flourish statewide.
Second, let me talk about my plans for Amateur Radio in the South Carolina Section:
I have traveled around the state, and spoken with a number of hams regarding the ARRL field service in SC. I have formed some opinions and priorities which I will address as Section Manager:
First and Foremost: Amateur Radio Operators are Volunteers, and do what they do out of the goodness of their heart, and for the betterment of the hobby. Those that donate their time will be recognized and thanked for whatever time they can spare for the ARRL Field Service. I will be certain that the ARRL is aware of individual appointments. I will ensure that all that donate their time will be treated with respect by section appointees as well as myself.
Second: I have been made aware that currently there is significant fragmentation of the ARRL Field service in South Carolina, particularly concerning the Emergency Coordinators in certain areas of the state. I consider the Emergency Coordinators to be one of the key backbones in the ARRL field service, and our primary interface with the public at large. By our emergency preparedness, and heightened profile with the public, many of our, and the ARRL's efforts, will be better realized in the future. Retention of our frequency bands, zoning regulations against Amateur Radio Towers, and the like can be drastically influenced by the public's perception of Amateur Radio. Just one message out of a disaster area letting a distant family know that their elderly parents are safe could influence the future of our hobby. I consider unification of the Emergency Coordinators in our state, and the development of a cohesive emergency network ESSENTIAL, and a top priority of mine.
Third: Communication is essential. Amateur Radio now has a new tool, the internet. Although some do not agree that the internet should have anything to do with Amateur Radio, I disagree. I feel that the internet is a very valuable tool that brings communication to a new level. It complements Amateur Radio, so that we can now receive messages and communicate allowing for our individual time constraints. It does not take the place of radio, particularly during disaster communications, but is generally reliable during other times. As a plus, the ARRL has indicated that they are in the process of developing a million dollar computer network at Headquarters. Soon all League business will be handled by their server, including book orders, VEC certifications, Contesting, DXCC, and particularly the individual monthly state reports. I am a computer enthusiast (another word for Geek!) and am very comfortable working with the Internet and websites. I am fully capable of setting up mail reflectors (mail lists) for group mailings within the state, and feel that I can work closely with the web Gurus at Headquarters to promote our section. Fortunately, if I am limited to a certain column length at HQ, I can hyperlink from the ARRL page to another website to continue the column.
Fourth: The ARRL defines the top section appointments (cabinet positions) as: AFFILIATED CLUB COORDINATOR (ACC), ASSISTANT SECTION MANAGER (ASM), BULLETIN MANAGER (BM), OFFICIAL OBSERVER COORDINATOR (OOC), PUBLIC INFORMATION COORDINATOR (PIC), SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATOR (SEC), STATE GOVERNMENT LIAISON (SGL), SECTION TRAFFIC MANAGER (STM) and TECHNICAL COORDINATOR (TC). These positions are directly appointed by the state Section Manager. I feel strongly that a given individual should not hold more than one top section appointment at a time. There are enough Amateur Radio Operators in our section to divide the top section appointments, and encourage more participation in the ARRL Field Service. I will need a cabinet of advisors, and I would like to make this as broad based as possible to encourage different viewpoints. This will give me a better base of information on which to make decisions. I also plan to allow the top section appointees to make individual appointments within their authority (for example, Section Traffic Manager would appoint Official Relay Stations) and report back to me so that the new appointees can be registered with the ARRL.
Fifth: I do not plan to make this a "one-man-show". The success of the ARRL Field Organization depends on Teamwork! I plan to evaluate my resources and divide the state into districts. I would like to appoint Assistant Section Managers (ASM) in each of these districts to allow ARRL presentations at local meetings, and hamfests. I plan to attend as many as time permits, but the ASM appointees could represent the League in my absence. They would also report to me individual needs and/or strengths within their district for further consideration. They would also be in charge of reporting to me activity within their district that would deserve special mention in the monthly state report.
Now - some QUESTIONS you might have about me! The first thing that you probably noticed about me is my "2" call. I am originally from Central New York State, and received my "N2ZZ" call around 1976-77 when Amateur Radio Operators could request their own callsigns. Since then, people on the air know me by that call, and all of my ARRL awards indicate that call. I am very proud of it, and although I have been in the South since 1982, I never had any intention of changing it to a "4" call. Regardless, be assured that I am a truly "converted" Southerner, and have made South Carolina my home! There is a stereotype of New Yorkers (Yankees?), but the people of Central New York State are as kind and thoughtful as South Carolinians. The only thing different is their accent!
The second thing that you probably noticed is that I am a physician, and have practiced in Aiken, SC since 1986. Add to that four children, the fact that I am an accomplished musician, playing in several groups, and that I like to play tennis. "How will he ever have the time?" My answer is that I plan to manage, not micro-manage the section. I plan to empower Section Officials to carry out their responsibilities and their own appointments. I plan to advise, and help whenever necessary to accomplish the section business.
Why should anyone think that I have leadership qualities? - I practice at a 200 bed hospital in Aiken. As with many hospitals of that size, there is generally ONLY a Medical and a Surgical Department. I took it upon myself to develop a NEW department, write the rules and regulations, and specify qualifications for membership. In a time when very few physicians would agree on anything, I was able to get over a 95% acceptance rate of the new department. I served as chairman of that department for the next 7 years. I was instrumental in implementing many of the policies that were proscribed by our National Organization, the American College of OB/GYN. I feel this was a huge accomplishment. I accomplished my goals not by being heavy-handed, but being a diplomat and guiding the direction of the department.
But what have I done in Amateur Radio-How much experience have I had? - I started Amateur Radio when I was 15, and was a League member prior to that time, as an Associate member. I asked for Life Membership in the League when I was a teenager as a Christmas present, and it has proven to be an excellent investment. When I started, Collins was king, Hallicrafters equipment was seen everywhere. I started with a Johnson Viking I transmitter and a Lafayette receiver. One of the elderly hams at that time demonstrated to me an Honest-to-Goodness spark gap transmitter. On my limited budget, I bought Heathkit equipment, and built all of my rigs at that time. I became an Official Bulletin Station on RTTY, using all Western Union teletype equipment. I was a CW traffic handler for the NYS net, with Liason duties from 2RN at that time as well. I was one of the first few hams to get on 2 meters in my area, and to make the transition from crystals to synthesizers in my GE Progresslines. I was a member of two Amateur Radio organizations in my area, The Radio Amateurs of Greater Syracuse (RAGS) and the Liverpool Amateur Repeater Club (LARC).
I took all of my tests above the novice class in front of an FCC examiner, including a sending exam, and received my Amateur Extra Class license in 1976. Now that testing has been privatized, I serve as a Volunteer Examiner.
Since I moved to South Carolina, I have received several ARRL awards. I list these items simply to demonstrate my deep involvement and wide experience in Ham Radio. I have 5BWAC, WAS, and 5BDXCC. I have qualified for DXCC mixed, CW and Phone and have just been placed on the DXCC Honor Roll with 330 countries total. I am only a few states away from 5BWAS. I participate, and am a charter member of the Aiken Contest Club. We traveled to five islands in five days where we activated 5 IOTA islands from September 14-21, 2000. Our IOTA expedition was a success! We totaled 6000 contacts, all fifty states, and 115 countries! Look here for further info: http://www.duesouth.net/~douggie/ . I have become active in the South Carolina Sideband Net, and have become a local member of the Quarter Century Wireless Club, Palmetto Chapter #89 after I was recommended by one of their members. I was elected Second Vice President of that Chapter on September 28th, 2002. I have been a life member of the national QCWA since 1995.
I am fully equipped for VHF and UHF Communications, but have a strong interest in the HF frequencies. I enjoy both CW and SSB. I have capabilities for, and operate most of the digital modes available to us today.
I am the Amateur Radio Coordinator for the Aiken Public Safety Department, and a Technical Advisor for the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.
I have traveled to the Dayton Hamvention yearly since 1994, to meet Amateur Radio Operators from around the world!
I have spoken with one of the previous South Carolina Section Managers, Les K4NK, regarding goals and needs of the SC ARRL Field Organization in great detail. Les is now Assistant Division Director of the Roanoke ARRL Division.
Bottom Line: South Carolina has many opportunities available to bring the ARRL field organization to new heights. The key to this is the recognition of those who give their time to further the true qualities of Amateur Radio, and the respectful treatment of those volunteers. The field organization will need a group of true leaders in the top appointment positions, which I will appoint. There is a particularly excellent opportunity with the increased influx of new operators due to the new FCC licensing structure. I feel it is very important that the true qualities and goals of Amateur Radio should be conveyed to these new operators, with respect for the past, and an eye to the future.
Thank
you very much for your time. Should you desire to e-mail me, please click here!
If you would rather send me a letter, here is my address (Good in any Callbook):
Jim Boehner
525 Barnwell Avenue, NW
Aiken, SC 29801-3939