National Traffic System Terms of Reference

Article One: Name

            The name of the organization shall be the _______ Area

Staff.  The _______ Area encompasses the _______ Regions of the

National Traffic System.

Article Two: Purpose and General Functions

            The purpose of the _______ Area Staff is to implement the

mission of the National Traffic System above the section level in

the _______ Area as prescribed in the Public Service

Communications Manual.  The National Traffic System provides an

integrated network structure to promote accurate and efficient

movement of message traffic from origin to destination as a

public service, and to train a cadre of amateur radio operators

to handle message traffic in an organized, coordinated network

environment.

            The functions of the _______ Area Staff are as follows:

            1) Management of the daily operation of the Digital Station,

Transcontinental Corps (TCC), Area Net, and Region Net functions

in the _______ Area in accordance with the policies and

procedures prescribed in the Public Service Communications

Manual.  Temporary deviations from the standards are coordinated

with and approved by the Area Staff Chair, in cooperation with

other affected Areas.

            2) Responsibility for administration of the National Traffic

System at the Section level is vested in the office of the

Section Manager, and under delegated authority, the Section

Traffic Manager.  The Area Staff shall cooperate with Section

level officials to foster a harmonious relationship between the

Section and higher levels of the System.

            3) Study and make recommendations on System development

issues. To meet this responsibility, the Staff may retain the

services of expert advisors as Associate Members on an ad hoc

basis.  See Article Four: Membership.  Recommendations for specific

actions shall be delivered to the Chair for joint review and

action by the three Area Staff Chairs and the Field and Educational Services

Manager, as appropriate.

Article Three: Specific Responsibilities

            Other specific responsibilities of the Staff members are as

follows:

            TCC Directors:

            1) Manage TCC scheduled functions.  Appoint capable,

experienced operators to the schedules assigned to related NTS

cycles.

            2) Maintain close association with the assigned TCC

operators and with all other TCC Directors in the System.

Represent the collective views of the operators to the Area Staff

on questions involving NTS policies and procedures.

            3) Provide leadership and work with other NTS Officials to

establish additional schedules, links, hot lines, or gateways

between Regions and Areas of the System when needed.

            Digital Coordinators:

            1) Establish digital communication standards for NTS

applications in consultation with Digital Station operators.

            2) Integrate digital communications with other modes within

the system.

            3) Appoint and manage the Digital Station roster within the area.

            Area Net Managers:

            1) Manage net operation in general.  Work with Region Net

Managers for the provision of representatives from the Region

nets.

            2) Maintain close association with net appointees, and

represent their collective views to the Area Staff on questions

involving NTS policies and procedures.

            Region Net Managers:

            1) Manage net operation in general.  Appoint and train

qualified net control stations.  Appoint representatives to the

Area Net. Work with Section-level officials for the provision of

liaison stations from Section to Region Nets.

            2) Maintain close association with net appointees, and

represent their collective views to the Area Staff on questions

involving NTS policies and procedures.

            All NTS Officials:

            1) Nominate candidates for the position of TCC Director,

Digital Coordinator, Region and Area Net Manager, and Member at Large

when vacancies occur.  Ensure that all candidates are current League members.

Elect replacements by popular vote.

            2) Resolve net, TCC function and digital station problems in

cooperation with the Area Staff Chair and the Field and Educational Services

Manager, as appropriate.

            3) No action or recommendation of an Area Staff will usurp

the broad prerogatives of individual TCC Directors, Digital

Coordinators, Region and Area Net Managers in matters concerning

the internal operation of the net, or function, except in those

subject to review by the full Area Staff due to possible impact

on the System external to the net.

            4) Expand NTS capabilities, especially in the areas of system redundancy/

reliability and emergency/disaster communications.

            5) Issue certificates to net or function operators as

required.

            6) Report monthly on net/function activity to ARRL

Headquarters.

            Article Four: Membership

            The ________ Area Staff shall consist of the following Full

Members with voting privileges:

            1) TCC Directors.  Elected by plurality vote of the Staff. 

Term of appointment shall be indefinite subject to the

maintenance of satisfactory performance.

            2) Area Net Managers.  Elected by plurality vote of the

Staff.  Term of appointment shall be indefinite subject to the

maintenance of satisfactory performance.

            3) Region Net Managers.  Elected by plurality vote of the

Staff.  Term of appointment shall be indefinite subject to the

maintenance of satisfactory performance.

            4) Digital Coordinators.  Elected by plurality vote of the

Staff.  Term of appointment shall be indefinite subject to the

maintenance of satisfactory performance.

            5) Members-at-Large.  Elected by plurality vote

of the Staff.  Term of appointment shall be three calendar years.

There shall be two MAL positions.

            6) The Area Staff Chair may appoint additional advisors

as Associate Members on an ad hoc basis during studies of

specific development issues.  Associates do not hold Area Staff

voting privileges, and are not entitled to NTS funding.

Article Five: Area Staff Chair

            The Chair shall be elected from the Staff membership by

plurality vote of the Staff to serve a term of two years.

            The responsibilities of the Chair are as follows:

            1) The Chair shall hold full responsibility and authority

for the management, control and direction of ________ Area Staff

functions, in accordance with the policies and procedures

specified in the Public Service Communications Manual.

            2) The Chair shall represent the _______ Area Staff

during deliberations of the three Area Staff Chairs.  When a

matter involves a major published policy or procedure, or affects

the operations of the other NTS Areas, the matter shall be

addressed jointly by the three Area Staff Chairs with

recommendations to the Field and Educational Services Manager

for appropriate action.

            3) The Chair shall conduct Staff elections and notify the

Field and Educational Services Manager of new appointments to the Staff.

            4) The Chair shall plan and conduct periodic staff

meetings.  Rules of conduct of meetings are specified by the

Chair.

            5) The Chair shall prepare and submit periodic reports

concerning the activities and procedures of his or her staff.

Article Six: Methods and Procedures

            1) A majority of the Staff will serve as a quorum for

official Staff actions.  In order for election results to be

valid, a majority of the Staff must return completed ballots.

            Meetings

            2) The Staff may meet periodically, informally or formally,

or on-the-air, to address Area Staff matters, problems and

formulate policy recommendations to be submitted to the Area

Staff Chair.  Provided there are sufficient matters requiring

in-person consideration, and a specific agenda is established,

the Area Staff Chair may call an in-person meeting. (Travel

and accommodation expenses may be borne by the League provided a

sufficient appropriation is allocated by the Board of Directors.

Such authorizations are addressed by the Area Staff Chair, and

approved by the Field and Educational Services Manager.)

            3) The Area Staff Chair shall attend the in-person

meetings of the three Area Staff Chair when called by the

Field and Educational Services Manager or by unanimous

call of the three Chairs.

            General Procedures

            4) The operations of the National Traffic System shall be

conducted in accordance with the policies and procedures

published in the Public Service Communications Manual.

            5) Changes to the Public Service Communications Manual shall

be recommended in writing to the three Area Staff Chairs with

subsequent recommendations forwarded to the Field and Educational Services

Manager for action.

            6) The three Area Staff Chairs, and the additional staff members selected

by each of the chairs, shall serve as a standing committee of the National Traffic

System to study and make recommendations to the three chairs relating to current

policies, standards and practices intended for the National Traffic System and third-party

message traffic handling operations.

            Staff Vacancies

            7) In the event a staff position is to become vacant, the

Chair shall solicit nominations for the replacement.  A nomination

should be solicited from the outgoing NTS Official.  The Chair shall

state a reasonable closing date for nominations.  Following the closing

date, if more than one valid nomination has been received, an election

shall be conducted by the Chair.  If only one valid nomination is received

by the closing date, the Chair will conduct a survey of the staff for

approval of the candidate before notifying the Field and Educational Services

Manager of the selection.  Upon notification, the Field and Educational Services

Manager will issue the appointment documentation.

            8) Staff members not fulfilling basic performance standards

will be subject to sanctions including possible appointment revocation

by vote of the full staff.

            Staff members failing to report assigned net activity for a

period of two months without a valid reason, as observed by the

Field and Educational Services Manager and reported to the Area Staff Chair,

will be subject to appointment termination.

            9) Area, Region and Section Net Managers, Digital

Coordinators and TCC Directors shall conform their nets and

operations to the standards and procedures specified in the

Public Service Communications Manual, unless otherwise expressly

recommended, authorized or directed by the Area Staff Chair

following consultation with Area Staff members, other Area Staff

Chairs and/or the Field and Educational Services Manager, as required.  A Net

Manager at any level or NTS Official may be removed from the

position for failure to comply with the provisions of this paragraph.

            Travel and Administrative Expenses

            10) All NTS Officials’ travel is subject to the advance

approval of the Field and Educational Services Manager. 

Authorized travel may include: attendance at Area Staff meetings,

Region Net Manager-called meetings of Section and NTS Officials

residing in the region, and Division Director-called meetings.

            11) Reimbursement for administrative expenses of NTS

Officials is provided for under the NTS account, authorized

annually by the ARRL Board of Directors, and managed and

administered by the Field and Educational Services Manager.

Reimbursable items include: postage, telephone, office supplies,

and printing.  ARRL Section and NTS Official spending guidelines

are available from the Field and Educational Services Manager.

            Amendment of Terms of Reference

            12) These articles may be amended by a three-fourths vote of

all ________ Area Staff voting members.  Amendments are subject to