ARRL policy is made by its Board of Directors. The 15 voting members of the Board are the Directors who are elected by the ARRL members in their respective divisions. The Board meets in January and July, usually in the Hartford area. ARRL members also elect Vice Directors who may attend the meetings. ARRL Directors and Vice Directors are volunteers who work hard to represent the ARRL in their divisions, to represent the members who elect them on policy issues and to conduct the committee work that is so important to good decision-making.

The Board is led by a team of volunteer officers who are elected by the Directors. Senior staff and the ARRL General Counsel also attend, and the Presidents of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) and the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) usually are invited either to attend or to send a representative.

This month’s Board Meeting activities will begin on Thursday, July 14 with meetings of two standing committees, the Administration & Finance (A&F) Committee and the Programs & Services Committee. Each is made up of five Directors and a Vice Director, with the treasurer serving as an additional member of the A&F Committee.

The A&F Committee studies, advises and makes recommendations concerning administration and financial matters of the League, including recommending the annual budget to the Board, making recommendations in regard to staff management and monitoring investment of ARRL funds. The Committee is chaired by Midwest Division Director Cliff Ahrens, K0CA. At its meeting this month, Ahrens said that the committee will review financial and audit reports, discuss the status of ARRL projects and review other administrative and financial matters.

“The ARRL is sound financially, but like many non-profit organizations, the League revenues have been impacted by the slow economic recovery,” Ahrens noted. He commended the ARRL staff for their emphasis on sound management and financial practices, and stressed that the A&F Committee and staff are exploring ways to more efficiently and effectively provide expanded benefits and membership services, and better communications with members, while keeping a close watch on expenses: “The ARRL continues to focus on being good stewards of ARRL members’ dues and contributions, while at the same time maintaining a high level of services to its members.”

The Programs and Services Committee, chaired by Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR, studies, advises and makes recommendations regarding the League’s volunteer programs and services to members, including operating activities and the Field Organization. At its meeting the committee will be preparing recommendations to the Board on several recognition awards and will be reviewing recommendations from ARRL Advisory Committees.

The Board Meeting itself begins on Friday morning, July 15 and is expected to run through Saturday afternoon. A link to the meeting agenda is available below.

Find a detailed description of how the Board works in the ARRL Articles of Association and Bylaws.