SB QST @ ARL $ARLB083
ARLB083 New West Central Florida Section Effective January 15, 2000

ZCZC AG83
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 83  ARLB083
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  October 12, 1999
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB083
ARLB083 New West Central Florida Section Effective January 15, 2000

The ARRL Board of Directors has voted to approve a resolution to
create a new West Central Florida section. The vote was 14-0 with
one abstention, said Board Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ.

The resolution approved calls on ARRL Field Services Manager Rick
Palm, K1CE, ''to establish, at the earliest date consistent with a
smooth transition, a West Central Florida section consisting of the
counties of Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough,
Manatee, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota.''

After consulting with Southeastern Division Director Frank Butler,
W4RH, Southern Florida Section Manager Phyllisan West, KA4FZI, and
petitioner Paul Toth, K2SEC, of the West Central Florida Section
Committee, Palm said that January 15 was determined to be the best
date to formally bring the new section into existence. A
recommendation on the appointment of a section manager for the new
section is pending.

The January 15 implementation date means the new West Central
Florida Section will not be a factor in any ARRL-sponsored contests
until 2000.

The nine Southern Florida counties involved voted overwhelmingly in
favor of creating the new ARRL section, which will be number 71.
Ballots counted September 15 at ARRL Headquarters showed 920 ARRL
members in the proposed new section favored the idea, while just 86
were opposed.

The West Central Florida Section Committee filed the petition with
the ARRL last April. The Committee's Web site is at
http://www.qsl.net/wcfla.
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