[amsat-bb] Election for BOD members.

[VEFRH@xxxxxxx]

Hi All,
As the ballots are being distributed this week, I believe that I should issue 
my one and only E-mail election message now, so that you have an opportunity 
to consider it before you start voting. 
Let me first say that you have a choice of eight excellent candidates, any of 
which can and will  do an outstanding job on your behalf. 
Assuming that I am re-elected as a BoD member and by the BoD as President, it 
is my intention to ask each one  of the candidates to carry out certain jobs 
in AMSAT.

Now why should you re-elect me? 

Firstly, because your President is the "Servant" of the BoD, It is the BoD 
who devise the overall policy for AMSAT.  The President's work  takes many hours 
each day and usually 7 days a week and I am willing to do that for one more 
year, all unpaid.
The President is a member of the BoD, and if not elected to the Board, I 
would probably not be re-elected as President.

Secondly, because I want to see AMSAT move forward  to re-establish itself as 
a educational organization. This involves working with and assisting Schools, 
Colleges and Universities to the best of our ability. New thinking must 
accompany this goal, for we cannot carry out such a mandate at extensive AMSAT 
expense, we should be able to utilize modern communication techniques to meet most 
of the needs. 
We must also be in a position to advise government bodies on how to overcome 
existing impediments to educational problems instead of only reading the 
"Rule BooK"

Thirdly, we at AMSAT-NA must develop funding which is independent of  
membership contributions. The BoD has been wrestling with this problem for some time, 
and we have had various VPs of Business Development. Each one of these has 
found that it is almost impossible to raise funding from organizations or 
foundations so new techniques must be employed.
Believe me the past AMSAT VP's of BD have been well qualified for their 
position. 
I hope the new BoD will bring a fresh look to this problem and I will work 
with the Board to try and raise our Project funding. Meanwhile I encourage all 
members to donate to the President's Club.

Fourth, The membership seems equally split between the LEO "ECHO" and the
 GTO "EAGLE". Following the  launch of ECHO in May next year, it will be time 
to re-commence the design and building of EAGLE. 
I have promised that EAGLE will have a mode B transponder on board (70CMS 
UPLINK AND 2M DOWNLINK) and I intend to keep that promise. 
EAGLE will also have different experiments to re-ignite that feeling of  
Gee-Whiz. 
I am looking for a means of building an OSCAR Class ground station at a 
reasonable  cost - (Yes I know everybody's definition of reasonable varies.) 

Fifth, AMSAT has been working hard to maintain our Amateur satellite 
frequencies,
these have been under attack from many areas including hi-fi  and  
International Satellite borne synthetic Aperture Radar  (SARs). 
Unless we maintain some liaison with the Government bodies involved in these 
areas then we might as well give up the satellite sections of the 70 CMS  and 
the 2.4 GHz bands. I intend to require that AMSAT Officers to work these and 
similar issues.

Sixth, The organization and management of AMSAT as a volunteer based 
organization requires not only time and effort but also some skill and ability.
As a Professional Engineer (electrical) who spent the last 19 years of his 
working life as a manager in a "not-for-profit" organization working with 
membership and business issues, plus 3 years of experience as President of AMSAT, I 
believe that I bring those skills to this organization.

Seventh, With the aid and assistance of the AMSAT Journal, ANS, the 
Presidents monthly letter, AMSAT, Web Page and facilities such as the AMSAT Echo Link 
and AMSAT-BB the AMSAT President and Officers will maintain and improve on our 
communications with the membership.

I look forward to receiving your vote, and  promise to spend the same effort 
working with the BoD, officers and members in the AMSAT year 2003/2004 as I 
have in the past 3 years.

73
Robin Haighton VE3FRH
President AMSAT-NA
----
Sent via amsat-bb@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe amsat-bb" to Majordomo@amsat.org