RASA notes, with wry amusement, the hysterical rhetoric on the WIA broadcast of 3 November regarding the 3 letter callsign survey.
The fact of the matter is that RASA had an agreement with the WIA President for a joint survey and the use of the WIA logo. The survey was distributed by AR Vic and AR NSW, who clearly had no objection to the use of their logos – indeed, the WIA President emailed the AR Vic logo to RASA for inclusion in the survey!
The RASA President discussed the survey with the WIA President two days after it was published and he raised no objection. Indeed, he confirmed it would be published on the WIA web site later that same afternoon.
Why didn’t the WIA President write the letter to RASA and appear on the WIA broadcast this weekend?
Why is he missing in action?
Is he still the President?
As many people have pointed out to us, it is painfully obvious that there has been a schism in the WIA board and the President has been sidelined, if not sacked.
It is a sad reflection on the state of the WIA that they must resort to vitriolic public smear campaigns with no basis in fact to cover their own nasty factional disputes.
There is a coterie of disaffected WIA board members who are so vehemently anti-RASA that they will stymie any cooperation between the two organisations.
We all suffer from this.
The real reason the WIA has embarked upon its current campaign of disinformation is that it doesn’t want its policies to be subject to scrutiny by all amateurs.
The WIA would prefer that only its members and the members of radio clubs be “consulted”.
As was pointed out to the WIA President, limiting the survey to email distribution disenfranchises probably 60% of amateurs – the great majority who aren’t members of the WIA, RASA or radio clubs. The WIA President agreed with this.
For the record, enclosed is an email trail between the two Presidents where the survey text is discussed, including Greg Kelly’s suggested amendments, which were inserted.
A further email where the WIA President forwards the AR Vic logo is also enclosed.
These emails clearly demonstrate that the two Presidents were in active communication on the survey text and logos.
Whether the WIA likes it or not, there are now two peak bodies representing amateur radio in Australia. It is imperative that RASA and the WIA cooperate for the good of all amateurs.
The WIA board needs to put aside its irrational hatred of RASA and stop the misinformation and spin.
As demonstrated by recent events, RASA is willing to cooperate with the WIA……