The Calendar
For the first time in a decade, the International Amateur Radio Union is about to experience a change in its officers. In voting completed on March 12, the member-societies of the IARU overwhelmingly ratified the election of Larry E. Price, W4RA, as President, and David A. Wardlaw, VK3ADW, as Vice President, for five-year terms beginning May 9, 1999. Mr. Price succeeds Richard L. Baldwin, W1RU, who has served as IARU President from 1982; Mr. Wardlaw succeeds Michael J. Owen, VK3KI, who has served as Vice President from 1989.
82 member-societies participated in the election of Mr. Price. Affirmative votes were received from the following 80 societies:
Region 1 -- AARA (Albania), URA (Andorra), OEVSV (Austria), UBA (Belgium), ARABiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina), BARS (Botswana), BFRA (Bulgaria), HRS (Croatia), CARS (Cyprus), CRK (Czech Republic), ERAU (Estonia), EARS (Ethiopia), SRAL (Finland), RSM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), DARC (Germany), GARS (Gibraltar), MRASZ (Hungary), IRTS (Ireland), IARC (Israel), ARI (Italy), RSK (Kenya), KARS (Kuwait), RAL (Lebanon), LAAA (Liberia), AFVL (Liechtenstein), LRMD (Lithuania), RL (Luxembourg), MARL (Malta), MARS (Mauritius), ARM (Moldova), MRSF (Mongolia), NARS (Nigeria), NRRL (Norway), ROARS (Oman), FRR (Romania), SRR (Russia), ARAS (Senegal), SARA (Slovakia), ZRS (Slovenia), SARL (South Africa), URE (Spain), TIR (Syria), ASTRA (Tunisia), LRT (Turkmenistan), UARL (Ukraine), RSGB (United Kingdom), SRJ (Yugoslavia), and RSZ (Zambia).
Region 2 -- RCA (Argentina), AARC (Aruba), RSB (Bermuda), LABRE (Brazil), BVIRL (British Virgin Islands), RAC (Canada), LCRA (Colombia), RCCR (Costa Rica), FRC (Cuba), GRC (Ecuador), CRAS (El Salvador), CRAG (Guatemala), RCH (Haiti), RCH (Honduras), FMRE (Mexico), VERONA (Netherlands Antilles), LPRA (Panama), RCP (Paraguay), RCP (Peru), TTARS (Trinidad and Tobago), TACARS (Turks and Caicos Islands), and ARRL (USA).
Region 3 -- WIA (Australia), CRSA (China), CTARL (Chinese Taipei), FARA (Fiji), ARSI (India), JARL (Japan), KARL (Republic of Korea), SARTS (Singapore), SIRS (Solomon Islands), and RAST (Thailand).
NZART (New Zealand) was not in favor of the proposal. VERON (Netherlands) chose to abstain.
In addition, vote sheets were received after the closing date from the following societies: REF (France), LRAL (Latvia), PARA (Philippines) and SSA (Sweden), who were all in favor of the proposal.
82 member-societies cast their votes on the election of Mr. Wardlaw. 79 votes in the affirmative were received from the following:
Region 1 -- AARA (Albania), URA (Andorra), OEVSV (Austria), UBA (Belgium), ARABiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina), BARS (Botswana), BFRA (Bulgaria), HRS (Croatia), CARS (Cyprus), CRK (Czech Republic), ERAU (Estonia), EARS (Ethiopia), SRAL (Finland), RSM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), DARC (Germany), GARS (Gibraltar), MRASZ (Hungary), IRTS (Ireland), IARC (Israel), ARI (Italy), RSK (Kenya), KARS (Kuwait), RAL (Lebanon), LAAA (Liberia), AFVL (Liechtenstein), LRMD (Lithuania), RL (Luxembourg), MARL (Malta), MARS (Mauritius), ARM (Moldova), MRSF (Mongolia), NARS (Nigeria), ROARS (Oman), FRR (Romania), SRR (Russia), ARAS (Senegal), SARA (Slovakia), ZRS (Slovenia), SARL (South Africa), URE (Spain), TIR (Syria), ASTRA (Tunisia), LRT (Turkmenistan), UARL (Ukraine), RSGB (United Kingdom), SRJ (Yugoslavia), and RSZ (Zambia).
Region 2 -- RCA (Argentina), AARC (Aruba), RSB (Bermuda), LABRE (Brazil), BVIRL (British Virgin Islands), RAC (Canada), LCRA (Colombia), RCCR (Costa Rica), FRC (Cuba), GRC (Ecuador), CRAS (El Salvador), CRAG (Guatemala), RCH (Haiti), RCH (Honduras), FMRE (Mexico), VERONA (Netherlands Antilles), LPRA (Panama), RCP (Paraguay), RCP (Peru), TTARS (Trinidad and Tobago), TACARS (Turks and Caicos Islands), and ARRL (USA).
Region 3 -- WIA (Australia), CRSA (China), CTARL (Chinese Taipei), FARA (Fiji), ARSI (India), JARL (Japan), KARL (Republic of Korea), SARTS (Singapore), SIRS (Solomon Islands), and RAST (Thailand).
NZART (New Zealand) was not in favor of the proposal. VERON (Netherlands) and NRRL (Norway) chose to abstain.
Besides, vote sheets were received after the closing date from the following societies: REF (France), who chose to abstain, and LRAL (Latvia), PARA (Philippines), and SSA (Sweden), who were in favor of the proposal.
The following comments were received with votes:
OEVSV (Austria) on Proposal 229: "With great pleasure!"
ERAU (Estonia) on Proposal 229: "Full support!"
EARS (Ethiopia) on both proposals: "Best man for the job."
GARS (Gibraltar) on both proposals : "Please convey our best wishes."
RCH (Haiti) on Proposal 229: "Very good choice for IARU. Compliments."
VERON (Netherlands): "VERON's opinion is that Region 1 has to present the president or at least the vice president."
VERONA (Netherlands Antilles) on Proposal 229: "It is for us VERONA an honor and a great pleasure to vote for our friend Larry to serve as President of IARU."
NARS (Nigeria) on Proposal 229: "NARS sincerely supports this proposal, wishing him God's guidance during this term."
NRRL (Norway): "NRRL has abstained from voting for the nominated Vice-President to the Administrative Council. This is not directed towards the nominated candidate, VK3ADW, but is done to draw the attention to the lack of Region 1 participation in the top management of our IARU Organisation for yet another 5-year period."
TACARS (Turks and Caicos Islands) on Proposal 229: "How fortunate we are!"
RSGB (United Kingdom): "The Council of the Radio Society of Great Britain, whilst supporting the nominations..., wish their concerns to be noted regarding the current nomination procedure as laid down in the IARU Constitution. The Council are aware that in the history of the IARU there has never been a President from either Region 1 or 3....The Council feels strongly that in future elections consideration should be given to the provision of three Vice Presidents, one from each Region. This would be more democratic and give the Regions, especially Region 1 confidence that their affairs were being considered fully by the Administrative Council.... The Council also asked me to pass on their congratulations to you and David on your nominations and to wish you both all good luck during your term of office. Yours sincerely, Peter Kirby, G0TWW, General Manager."
A news release announcing the results of the balloting is enclosed with this Calendar. It is available in electronic form at the IARU Web site: http://www.iaru.org.
We note with great sadness the passing, on March 7 after a long illness, of IARU Region 1 Secretary John Allaway, G3FKM. John twice was called to serve as the President of the Radio Society of Great Britain, in 1976 and again in 1982. His remarkable commitment to Amateur Radio was highlighted by his many years on RSGB Council, where he served four terms as an Ordinary Member during a 30-year period, and his writing of the HF column in the RSGB Journal, RadCom, from 1966 until 1998.
John was serving his fifth term as Region 1 Secretary, having been first elected to that position in 1984. The Norwegian Radio Relay League recently honored him by bestowing its highest award, Knight of the Order of the Golden Key, for his many years of service to the RSGB, the IARU, and amateur radio in general.
UBA reminds its sister member societies that it operates a QSL bureau for all Belgian amateurs at the following address:
Please disregard the letter you may have recently received from Brussels that falsely states otherwise.
It is time once again for member-societies to submit their Annual Reports. A blank form for 1999 is enclosed. The IARU maintains a database about Amateur Radio worldwide. Please help us make our information complete, accurate, and up-to-date by returning the completed form to the International Secretariat as soon as possible. We will forward a copy to your regional organization.
Sincerely,
Larry E. Price, W4RA
Secretary
Enclosures:
News Release on election of officers, 15 March 1999
1999 Society Annual Report Form
Return envelope