ARRL Division News

Roanoke Division

 

ARRL ROANOKE DIVISION NEWSLETTER

With Section News Links

August 1, 2024

Director Jim Boehner, N2ZZ and Vice Director Bill Morine, N2COP

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CYBERATTACK UPDATE

In our combined 35 years as elected board members and previously as Section Managers, we have never experienced as disruptive a force to ARRL as the May 12 cyberattack. As soon as it was discovered, ARRL followed standard industry protocol in alerting the FBI and engaging cyber attorney specialists and remediation experts to get systems back online as quickly as possible. The disruption was extensive. Access to many services has been restored. Members wanted ARRL’s #1 benefit Logbook of The World® (LoTW®) restored, and it was returned to service on July 1. While the LoTW servers and data were fine, it took time to ensure that all of its other dependencies were safe and secure. Work continues to return the DXCC systems to service, but all DXCC data is secure. Slowly other systems have come back online. The cyberattack is being treated as an ongoing investigation, and a full report on its impact will not be released until all systems are restored.

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EMAIL UPDATES TO MEMBERS

One of the victims of the cyberattack is ARRL’s email blast capability to the entire division and each section. We have been working with the four Section Managers in the Roanoke Division to find alternatives in keeping members informed. For example, this email blast is the result of several systems being strung together. We know some members are not receiving this email because email addresses for division and section mailings still are not available, so please share this email with club members and other operators. We and the four Section Managers will be moving our outreach communications to division and section websites. Please be patient as we try to migrate and create new material to make up for the loss of email blasts. For the immediate future, please use the following websites for news in the division and in your sections:

ROANOKE DIVISION:

NORTH CAROLINA:

SOUTH CAROLINA:

VIRGINIA:

WEST VIRGINIA:

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REPORT ON THE JULY 19, 2024, BOARD MEETING

The official minutes from this meeting will be released soon, but until then, here’s a summary of motions adopted:

 

-A “Parallel Path” where Hams living with antenna restrictions can find solutions through publications and online resources to operate while ARRL continues to pursue legislative relief.

 

-Ad Hoc committee to review Directors Workbook (now available for members to see) to review for policies which need to be assigned correctly to Articles of Association, By Laws and Standing Orders along with policies which need to be adopted as motions.

 

-Enforcement of trademarks. Over the past three years, ARRL’s trademarks were renewed and properly registered. This motion authorizes the enforcement required by ARRL to keep its trademarks valid.

 

-Creation of an IT Advisory Committee (ITAC) with external experts modeled after the successful Investment Management Committee, which was created under Vice Director Bill Morine, N2COP, when he was chairman. LoTW will report to ITAC after its creation, including review of designs for the next generation of LoTW.

 

-Mandatory roll call vote for all motions dealing with governance.

 

-Creation of an ad hoc committee to assess ARRL’s governance structure. Entering its 11th decade, ARRL’s composition will be examined to see what offices and procedures remain effective, and which ones might need to be changed to make governance effective, accountable and transparent in the 21st century.

 

-Finally, a three-year strategy was adopted with emphasis on STEM resources for youth and outreach to foundations for grants to develop long term sustainable programs.

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COMMITTEE REPORTS

 

-Division Director Dr. Jim Boehner, N2ZZ, was assigned to serve on the Programs & Services Committee (PSC). The PSC voted to delay the cancellation of subsidies from ARRL to incoming QSL bureaus until December because committee members felt inadequate notice was given to the bureaus. Many bureaus are financially self-sufficient, but others run deficits. Incoming bureaus will have to supply detailed financial reports to receive eligible subsidies through year end, and ARRL staff will work with those facing financial challenges to become self-sufficient long term.

 

-Vice Director Bill Morine, N2COP, a retired financial planner, sits on the Investment Management Committee (IMC) and on the larger Administration & Finance Committee (A&F). The IMC is pleased to report that after its first full year the portfolio it oversees had healthy returns while ensuring that management was compliant with sound non-profit organization fiduciary responsibilities.

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ROANOKE DIVISION TOWN HALL

The division’s highly successful quarterly videoconferences called the “Town Hall” featuring your division leaders and Section Managers will return in the very near future. Past Town Halls can be viewed on You Tube by searching for Roanoke Division Town Hall. Between the live broadcasts and replays, almost 700 members have watched each episode.

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UPCOMING HAMFESTS

August 3 – Roanoke Hamfest, Vinton, VA

August 4 – Berryville Hamfest (Virginia State Convention), Berryville, VA.

August 10 – Florence Tailgate, Florence, SC

August 10 – Tidewater Hamfest, Portsmouth, VA

August 10 – Tri-State Hamfest, Huntington, WV

August 30 to September 1 – Shelby Hamfest, Shelby, NC (North Carolina State Convention)

October 12 – Rock Hill Hamfest, Rock Hill, SC (South Carolina Section Convention)

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Experiencing a cyberattack anytime is catastrophic, but the timing for the one which hit ARRL was most unfortunate. Nonetheless, our National Convention, hosted by Dayton Hamvention, took place without missing a beat in May. In July, the Second Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors took place in Connecticut. As reported in a Member Bulletin following the meeting, the Board took actions on a handful of efforts intended to address our aging membership. The Board unanimously accepted a report establishing a 3-year strategy for ARRL. The strategy makes way for planning that will include the implementation of new initiatives on multiple fronts including programs geared to bringing younger people into Amateur Radio and retain them, replicating the excitement which brought many of us into the hobby years ago. The strategy also calls for the investments in our Information Technology to support ARRL’s digital transformation and improve the way we serve members. Watch the ARRL website for the complete minutes of the meeting, which will be available soon.

 

The cyberattack was a wake-up call. ARRL needs to make the investment in protecting its systems to thrive as it enters its 12th decade. The pain will subside, but in its wake will be a stronger ARRL. As the congressman who represents the League in his district, John Larson, noted ARRL has survived in its 110 years of existence two world wars, two worldwide pandemics (Spanish flu in 1918 and COVID), 14 recessions and a worldwide depression. Any organization that can weather these kinds of threats has the will to move forward.

 

Watch for more newsletters soon.

 

Jim Boehner, N2ZZ

ARRL Director

Roanoke Division

 




 

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