The GERATOL Net

75 Meter Extra Class WAS Net

By-Laws

THE GERATOL NET BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I THE PURPOSE OF THE GERATOL NET

The purpose of the Geratol Net, hereinafter, referred to as the Net, is to assist the U.S. EXTRA CLASS AMATEUR RADIO operators and other operators whose privileges allow them the use of the EXTRA
CLASS portion of the 75 meter American phone band, in obtaining the Geratol Net 2-letter EXTRA CLASS SSB WAS AWARD. Every U.S. Amateur who participates in the Net must hold a valid EXTRA
CLASS license. The number on the Geratol Award Certificate will be known as the Geratol number. The Geratol Net is not a DX net. For the purpose of the Net, Canada is not considered DX.

ARTICLE II NET MEMBERS, PARTICIPANTS and VOTING MEMBERS

A Net member, or participant is defined as any Amateur Radio Operator who participates in the Net. A Net member or participant who holds a Geratol number is also a voting member. Every U.S. Net member, participant or voting member must be using his/her own privileges. Club stations with a
Geratol number will not be eligible to vote in the election for Geratol Officers, proposals and changes or hold a Board position.

ARTICLE III NOMINATING COMMITTEE and NOMINATIONS

The Board of Directors will select a Nominating Committee, comprised of voting members only, one
from each call district, who will volunteer and convene during the month of December of odd-numbered years for the purpose of choosing a slate of prospective elected Officers. All nominees for elected office
must be voting members. This slate will be presented over the air to the voting membership on or before January 1st of the voting year. At the time of presentation, additional nominations may be made by voting members on the Net.

ARTICLE IV ELECTIONS and ELECTED BOARD POSITIONS

Elected Officers of the Net are: The Chairman of the Board, the Vice-Chairman of the Board, Secretary to the Board and Treasurer of the Net. Voting by ballot, mailed to the current Secretary, will be held during the month of January of even-numbered years. Newly elected Board Members will take their positions during the February Board Meeting. Outgoing Board Members will forward all business and books pertaining to their office to their newly elected counterparts before the end of February. E-mail will be accepted for the purpose of casting votes in the Geratol Net elections of Officers, changes to the by-laws, proposals and any other subject to be voted on by the Geratol Officers and members, which is to be sent to the Geratol Net Secretary. All votes for elected officers of the Geratol Net are to be in the possession of the Net Secretary on or before Jan. 31st of an election year by 2359Z. All future votes for any purpose are to be in the possession of the Geratol Secretary before or on the 30th day after an announcement.

ARTICLE V FORMER BOARD CHAIRMAN

All past and future retiring Board Chairmans will not become a permanent Honorary Member of the Board of Directors

ARTICLE VI MEETINGS of the BOARD of DIRECTORS

A meeting of the Board of Directors will be held during the months of February and October of each year, the exact dates of which will be announced. These two meetings must be held on the air. Board meetings may be held more frequently at the request of the Chairman of the Board, or at the request of a majority of the Board Members. Any voting member may speak for one minute during the Board meeting, when recognized to do so by the Chairman of the Board. All Board Members and voting members will do their best to relay stations not heard by the Secretary as he/she takes a list. But, neither the Net, nor any Director, or any Net member will be responsible for failure to recognize stations not heard.

ARTICLE VII QUORUM

One half of the Board Members and those voting members present will constitute a QUORUM for the purpose of conducting Geratol Net duties and affairs.

ARTICLE VIII APPOINTED BOARD MEMBERS

The following board positions will be held by voting members only, and will be appointed by a 3/4 majority of the elected Board Members: AWARDS MANAGER, ENDORSEMENT MANAGER, INFORMATION OFFICER, NET COORDINATOR, NEWSLETTER EDITOR, NET HISTORIAN and PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER. The QSL BUREAU MANAGER will also be appointed by the elected Board Members and will be a member of the Board of Directors with voting privileges.

ARTICLE IX DUTIES of ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS

1. The Chairman of the Board will preside at all Board meetings. He/she will represent the Net as official Spokes person and decide on problems or issues that arise until such time the issues can be put to the Board of Directors for a vote, if the issues so warrant. Such decisions will remain in effect until voted on.

2. The Vice-Chairman of the Board will preside at Board meetings in the absence of the Chairman. The Vice-Chairman will assume the office of Chairperson, should the Chairman be unable to complete his/her term.

3. The Secretary to the Board will keep accurate minutes of all Board meetings. Those minutes must include a list of all voting members who wish to be recognized. He/she will handle all Net correspondence and co-sign with the Treasurer all checks in any amount over $200.00. He/she will keep a current list of Geratol number holders by name, call sign and number. The Secretary will provide the Net Historian with a copy of the Board meetings.

4. The Treasurer of the Net will keep accurate records of all monetary receipts and expenditures of the Net, except for money handled directly by the Awards Manager, Endorsement Manager, Information Officer, and Newsletter Editor. He/she will maintain a checking account in a bank approved by the Board of Directors and prepare a timely Treasurer’s report which will be presented at each meeting of the Board of Directors. Should the Net or the Board of Directors disband, any remaining money will be donated to Handi-Hams.

ARTICLE X DUTIES of APPOINTED BOARD MEMBERS

5. The Net Coordinator will be responsible for assigning Net Control Stations for the first session – 0100Z-0300Z and the second session – 0300Z-0500Z of the nightly Net. Session lengths may vary at the discretion of the Net Coordinator. The Net Coordinator may have as many assistants as he/she deems necessary.

6. The Awards Manager will be responsible for completing and mailing the Geratol Net Basic WAS award, “The unbelievable Operating Achievement Award”, the “Directors Award and upgrade stickers to all Net members who qualify for and request, with proper funds, the same. Awards or notification of failure to complete the award properly, must be mailed not later than 30 days from the date of receipt of the request of the qualified member. The cost of these awards, as well as any other awards which may be added to the Geratol Awards program will be determined by the Board of Directors. The Awards Manager will prepare and mail any awards which may be added in the future to the Geratol Awards program. The Awards Manager will be responsible for forwarding to the Net Secretary a list of newly assigned awards that were issued. The Awards Manager will be responsible for the administration of the Geratol Net basic WAS Award. This will include the checking of QSL cards and application forms for the basic WAS Award, in accordance with the Geratol Net worked all states rules, assigning Geratol certificates for those members who have successfully completed the requirements for the Geratol Net basic WAS Award. The Awards Manager is to keep accurate records of expenses and income from the net and make regular reports to the Net Treasurer at least twice a year.

7. The Endorsement Manager will be responsible for over seeing the validation of all endorsements applied for by Net members. These stickers will be mailed not later than 30 days from the date of receipt of application. The Endorsement Manager will have stickers printed and on hand at all times. He/she may have as many assistants as deemed necessary. The cost of stickers will be determined by the Board of Directors. The Endorsement Manager will keep all of the available stickers. The Endorsement Manager is to keep accurate records on expenses and income from the net and make regular reports to the Net Treasurer at least twice a year.

8. The Information Officer will prepare and keep on hand, copies of an information package which will consist of : A Net history, the purpose of the Net, Net schedule, operating rules, names, addresses, and call signs of the Board of Directors, QSL bureau information, complete and current awards, certificates and endorsement information. He/she will make the above package available to any interested and qualified Amateur Radio Operator, who requests the same and who provides an SASE. Any cost of the information package will be determined by the Board of Directors.

9. Newsletter Editor will publish, at least once in each calendar year all of the news that is of interest to the Net members in general, as determined by the Editor and his/her staff. The Newsletter Editor will maintain a current list of Geratol number holders by name, call sign, and number. He/she will enlist as many assistants as deemed necessary. The cost of the Newsletter will be determined by the Board of Directors. The Newsletter Editor will provide the Net Historian with a copy of the newsletter for Historical file purposes.

10. Net Historian will be responsible for maintaining an up-to date list of Geratol number holders by name, call sign, and number. He/she will maintain a list of Silent Keys, a file of who holds which endorsements and the number assigned to that endorsement for the station the endorsement was issued to. In addition, the Net Historian will maintain a file of past available Newsletters and any future Newsletters published. He/she will maintain a file on the minutes of the Board meetings and, a file of past By-laws and, future By-laws with any changes.

11. Net Public Relations Officer will be responsible for correspondence by letter or post card to those stations he/she feels will benefit the Net members. Stations with Geratol numbers will not be the only stations corresponded with. The Net Publice Relations Officer will make maximum use of station call signs and numbers they may have. He/she will attempt to select those stations that will fill in the most endorsement spots. The correspondence selected will be to benefit the Net and not the private use of the Net Public Relations Officer.

ARTICLE XI ENDORSEMENTS and AWARD CERTIFICATES

A New Endorsement or a New Award Certificate may be added to the Geratol program by a favorable 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XII NEW ARTICLE – WAS AWARD

The Geratol Net serialized “Unbelievable Operating Achievement Award” will serve as the basic Geratol Net 75 Meter 2-letter EXTRA CLASS SSB WAS AWARD. The serial number on this will be known as the Geratol number.

ARTICLE XIII DONATIONS

Monetary donations in any amount may be made to help defray costs involved in the printing of stickers, award certificates, newsletters , information packages, etc. Donations should be mailed to the Treasurer. Make checks payable to the GERATOL NET.

ARTICLE XIV QSL BUREAU

A QSL bureau will be maintained and operated by the QSL Bureau Manager. This is to be a free service to Net members. Use of the QSL bureau is optional. Net members having SASEs on hand at the QSL bureau should expect to have their incoming QSL cards mailed to them no later than 30 days after they are received by the bureau. The QSL Manager may after 60 days dispose of QSL cards addressed to any member who has no SASE on file. The Manager may not dispose of any cards before making an attempt to twice contact the member to whom they are addressed. The QSL Bureau Manager is a member of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XV RESIGNATION of a BOARD MEMBER

Should a member of the Board of Directors resign his/her position before the term is completed, a replacement for that Board member may be appointed to complete the term by a majority vote of the remaining Board members, except past resigned officers cannot fill one of these vacancies. If the resignation is due to illness or direct family affairs this rule will not apply.

ARTICLE XVI REMOVAL of a BOARD MEMBER

A Board member may be removed from office for just cause. A 2/3 vote of the Board members will be required to remove any Board member from office.

ARTICLE XVII REMOVAL of a NET PARTICIPANT

A participant, Net member, or a voting member found to be operating his/her station NOT in accordance with good Amateur practice may be asked to leave the Net. An unanimous vote of the Board of Directors is required to take this action. Any NCS may reserve the right to ask any operator to leave the Net frequency.

ARTICLE XVIII ELIGIBLE NET CONTROL STATIONS

Any participant, Net member, voting member, or Director is eligible to volunteer his/her services as a Net Control station. Final selections of NET CONTROL STATIONS will be made by the Net coordinator.

ARTICE XIX RE-ELECTION

Any member of the Board of Directors is eligible for re-election with no limit to the number of terms.

ARTICLE XX NO DX

The Geratol Net is a WAS Net, not a DX net. DX stations may check in and, are to be welcomed, but, U.S. and Canadian operators do not call DX stations unless the DX station’s call sign has a Geratol number issued to the call being used. Any contact with any DX stations must constitute the exchange of Geratol numbers or the contact will not be valid.

ARTICLE XXI LEGAL LIABILITY

No member of the Board of Directors, Net member, voting member , or participant will be held legally liable in any situation involving the net.

ARTICLE XXII AMENDMENTS to the BY-LAWS

These By-laws may be amended by 2/3 favorable vote of the voting members casting votes. Before an amendment can occur, periodic announcements over the air must be made of the change or addition
being considered and, the date by which votes must be cast and, must be announced periodically for 30 days in advance.


These By-Laws were amended by the Board of Directors and voting members in Feb. 1998 as proposed by KC9V.

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