WEST
CENTRAL
FLORIDA
SECTION
COMMITTEE

 

WCF SECTION Q & A

 

 

Updated September 17, 1999

In an effort to help all ARRL members better understand the current proposal to create a new West Central Florida Section, the West Central Florida Section Committee is publishing the following Questions and Answers for your consideration.

Questions: (Click on any to go to the Answers)

Q: Why do we need a third ARRL Section in Florida?

Q: How were the nine counties selected?

Q: How would this new Section operate?

Q: That�s a lot of people.Who serves in these positions?

Q: What about current South Florida Section officials and appointees who live in the ten county area?

Q: What is the process for creating this new West Central Florida Section?

Q. What kind of publicity has the WCF Section Committee done?

Q: What is the Committee�s timeline? 

Q: What about League members who live in the ten county area?Do they have any part in the decision making process?

Q: When could this new West Central Florida Section take effect?

Q: If someone has a question about this proposal, how can they contact the Committee?


Answers:

Q: Why do we need a third ARRL Section in Florida?

A: Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the country.  The nine county area proposed for the West Central Florida Section has had double digit population growth.The FCC Database shows over 9,800 licensees reside in this area.Current ARRL records indicate League membership at just under 1900.A third ARRL Section is better positioned to provide better representation to those members and help grow League membership as the area and Ham population continues to grow.

The majority of growth in Amateur Radio in the last six years has been on bands that are relatively localized, above 50 MHz.The proposed West Central Florida Section will be small enough to support area nets on those frequencies, giving Section officials and League members additional opportunities to interact and work together.

Q: How were the nine counties selected?

A:�� Four main criteria were used to determine the makeup of the proposed Section.The almost three dozen Committee members determined travel time was a major factor.With just under 1,900 ARRL members and twenty-five Affiliated Clubs to serve, the Committee set a two-and-a-half hour door-to-door travel by car time limit as a goal.The nine county configuration meets that criteria.And limiting travel time and distance cuts Section operating costs while enabling the WCF Section Manager, Cabinet officials and their staffs to be more visible and proactive conducting League business and promoting Amateur Radio.

Another common denominator that binds the nine counties is the media.The Tampa media outlets (newspaper, radio and TV) are predominant through the proposed section.This common media influence can be used to more effectively promote Amateur Radio throughout the Section.

A third criteria centered around the ARRL Served Agencies in the area.All nine counties in the proposed Section are part of the National Weather Service's Ruskin office central warning area (CWA.)This makes Section support for the Skywarn program easier to coordinate.Other major served agencies, like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army anchor their operations for this part of the state here, so its a natural to have section boundaries that coincide.

Most importantly, Amateur Radio is all about communications.The West Central Florida Section should be small enough to support HF, VHF and UHF nets (through an emerging network of repeaters) that reach all parts of the Section and allow operators of all license classes to participate.This will also encourage growth in Public Service and Emergency Communications programs like ARES and Skywarn.  Growth in programs like ARES and Skywarn can lead to an increase League membership and participation.

Q: How would this new Section operate?

A: An ARRL Section is operated as part of the ARRL�s Field Services organization.�� Each Section has a Section Manager, who is the senior elected ARRL official in the Section. The Section Manager is serves a two year term.The Section Manager appoints a Cabinet which includes Assistant Section Managers, a Section Emergency Coordinator and ARES staff, a Section Traffic Manager and staff, a Public Information Coordinator and Public Information Officers, an Official Observer Coordinator and a staff of Official Observers, a Section Bulletin Manager and Bulletin Stations, a Technical Coordinator and staff of Technical Specialists and a State Government Liaison and staff.  The first Section Manager would be appointed by the ARRL to fill a term of two years.  After that, the section would elect a section manager.  The WCF Section Committee has provided the ARRL with a list of people who have expressed their willingness to serve.   The WCF Section Committee Candidates Selection Committee will recommend to the ARRL a Section Manager.   

Q: Who serves in these positions?

A: ARRL members just like you!    Letters of intent have been included in the Section Committee�s petition to the ARRL Board of Directors.

Q: What about current South Florida Section officials and appointees who live in the nine county area?

A: The Committee has openly reached out to each SFL appointee encouraging their participation and commitment.Many have indicated their desire to continue!Their experience can be an invaluable asset for the new Section.

Q: What is the process for creating this new West Central Florida Section?

A: The ARRL has a well defined procedure which the Committee is following.� (This procedure is available for viewing on the WCF web page.) Any group of ten or more current ARRL members may sign a petition requesting the League to change the boundary of an existing Section or create a new Section.That submittal must also justify how the new Section will help the League and its members in the area affected, provide the Board with written letters from members willing to hold Section Field Appointments (previous two questions) and show how the Section or boundary change proposal has been publicized in the affected area.

Q. What kind of publicity has the WCF Section Committee done?

A: The West Central Florida Section Committee has established this Internet Web Site (http://www.qsl.net/wcfla) that outlines all the reasons for our proposal and how we believe a new West Central Florida Section will help strengthen Ham Radio and the ARRL in this area.� This web page contains the WCF proposal text, and latest news and information. 

The Committee has also established an automatic email re-mailer ([email protected]) allow easy dispersal of information about our activities to Hams and other interested parties.Those who have subscribed to the re-mailer can also submit questions and comments about the proposal. 

As of the time of proposal submission, members of the Committee have visited nearly all of the ARRL affiliated Clubs in the nine county area. We have also talked with dozens of League members at hamfests in Arcadia, Pinellas Park, Sebring, Englewood and Sarasota.  We have also issued several news releases to the media about the proposal in an effort to reach and inform those League members who have not been presents at these Club meetings and events.  During the referendum period additional visits to many of these same clubs were made as well as participating at the TARCfest in August in Tampa.

The WCF Committee established the WCF ActionLine, which is a tollfree phone system that can be called to find out the latest news as well as allowing messages to be left for the committee.

The WCF Committee mailed an informational postcard to all ARRL members in the nine counties just before the official ARRL referendum ballot was mailed to inform ARRL members that the vote was coming up.   

Q: What is the Committee�s timeline?

A: The West Central Florida Section Committee submitted its petition and other documentation in early April.  It was signed by several hundred of active ARRL members.�� The League has certified the West Central Florida petition as valid and is now seeking the comments from Southeastern Division Director Frank Butler, W4RH,  Southern Florida Section Manager Kevin Bunin, K4PG and Northern Florida Section Manager Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP. � Their comments are due back to the ARRL by May 31st.  The ARRL Executive Committee will then be asked to take up the proposal and submit their comments and recommendation to the ARRL Board of Directors at their July, 1999 meeting.  The Board of Directors following the recommendation of the Executive Committee directed that a polling of all ARRL members take place.  The voting ended on September 15th with the YES vote winning in a landslide .  

The final step is the Board of Directors must make a final determination before the WCF section becomes reality.  The ARRL Board of Directors have voted 14-0, with one abstention to authorize the creation of the WCF Section.   The WCF Section will start on January 15, 2000.  The WCF Section Committee's candidates selection committee will recommend a SM candidate to the ARRL for their consideration.

Q: What about League members who live in the nine county area?Do they have any part in the decision making process?

A:  League members showed their support for the proposal by signing the �Section Creation Petition� which was submitted to the ARRL in early April.  A second opportunity to vote your support for the Section proposal would come following approval of the proposal by the ARRL Board of Directors.A mail ballot was sent to all ARRL members in the nine county area asking them to approve the proposal.  The results of the referendum concluding on September 15th have the YES votes outpolling the NO votes by a greater than a ten to one margin.   

Q: When could this new West Central Florida Section take effect?

A: With approval by the Board of Directors in July, the ARRL members in the nine county area in late summer and final approval by the ARRL Executive Committee, the WCF section should take effect sometime in 2000.

Q: If someone has a question about this proposal, how can they contact the Committee?

A: Send an email to [email protected] or contact the Committee leadership:

Paul Toth � K2SEC, Chairman�� ([email protected])
Frank Morton � AC4MK, Vice-Chairman ([email protected])
Paul Knupke, Jr. � KR4YL, Secretary ([email protected])
Dave Armbrust � AE4MR, Affiliated Clubs Coordinator([email protected])


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