Farewell EPA Section, by Bob Wilson W3BIG
Jan. 31, 2026
By Bob Wilson, W3BIG, EPA Section Manager
Good afternoon ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Members,
This will be my final post as EPA Section Manager. The leadership of the ARRL has deteriorated in such a fashion that I can no longer remain a part of the Field Service Division in good faith. My heart is no longer in it. I will resign as your section manager today.
As many of you may already know, our Atlantic Division Director, Bob Famiglio, K3RF, has been forced off the ARRL Board of Directors because he refused to sign a newly required document (ARRL By-law 46) that, in essence, is a loyalty oath that demands both obedience and secrecy. That such a requirement was made necessary is testament to the fragile leadership of both ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, and two-thirds of the Board of Directors.
I have known and worked closely with Bob Famiglio for more than 25 years. He is one of the most dedicated and tireless individuals I have ever met. He has been a proponent and supporter of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, volunteer counsel for the ARRL, representing countless hams who have had issues with antennas, RF noise complaints and a myriad of other concerns too numerous to detail here. He has served on the ARRL Board of Directors with distinction for many years and advanced the standing and stature of all amateur radio operators throughout the United States. He has served as both a Vice Director for the Atlantic Division as well as the Section Manager for the Eastern Pennsylvania Section.
Bob Famiglio has served on the ARRL BOD in many capacities in a professional and cohesive manner. But, due to Famiglio’s belief that he serves his constituents in the Atlantic Division and not a CEO, he was identified as an outlier. CEO David Minster convinced the BOD to rubberstamp his plan to require a loyalty oath that requires confidentiality and fealty. This “recertification statement” enables Minster and the BOD to act without transparency because he believes members do not need to know what leadership is up to.
The ARRL’s leadership under Minster has come at an expense to the ARRL, in both membership and credibility. Since Minster was hired by the ARRL and the board has obediently enacted his agenda, membership numbers have plummeted alarmingly to a level near 130,000 out of more than 750,000 licensed amateurs. Do the math. That means the ARRL now counts among its members only 17 percent of radio amateurs in the United States. Those are pathetic numbers. Minster will argue the decline in membership is due to the inactivity of Technician class licensees or to attrition of aging baby-boomers. That is not what I hear at hamfests and club meetings. Most amateurs with whom I speak cite a disconnect between ARRL leadership and membership. Our members are both disappointed in and angry with the League’s leadership. I have heard such complaints at nearly every hamfest I have attended.
As paid membership was tanking, Minster enriched himself at our expense. Since being hired as CEO, his annual salary has increased by more than $100,000 to over $350,000. His salary has just increased again, and it will be even more challenging to determine his compensation package now that board members have been required to sign the new bylaw recertification statement. This salary grab occurred while the ARRL is hemorrhaging money. The picture of Nero fiddling while Rome burns immediately comes to mind.
It’s important to understand that this is not about one individual. It is about ethical principles. Bob Famiglio was removed from the ARRL Board of Directors because he is a principled man of integrity who never lost sight of whom he represents – you. In a recent ARRL Letter to members, Minster defended the ouster by stating that Famiglio “voluntarily” decided to leave the BOD by refusing to sign the new recertification statement. You know this is bull. We are Pennsylvanians, after all. Many of us have farming in our blood and we know fertilizer when we smell it. Bob Famiglio, who also serves as a volunteer firefighter and regularly risks his life to save people and property, has never voluntarily backed away from any challenge.
Famiglio’s resistance to coercion is based on his ethical behavior and his desire to do what is right. Ask yourself why an amateur radio organization finds it necessary to operate in such a manner that requires confidentiality. And also ask yourself why CEO Minster has focused more on attracting well-heeled donors to support the ARRL rather than recruiting new members. There are no good answers to these questions.
I am not going to ask you to read any more about the ills of the ARRL. You know what is happening in Newington and you know it is not good for our members in the EPA and throughout the nation. It is the driving reason behind the ARRL’s decline. Many in the amateur radio community feel it no longer represents them. David Minster is consolidating power at headquarters and reducing it at the local level. It is primarily because he does not believe in a member-driven ARRL. It appears you are not as important as the large donors he desires.
To be candid, if an individual such as Bob Famiglio, whose integrity, dedication and intelligence are unparalleled, is not qualified to serve the ARRL, then neither am I.
My final act as EPA Section Manager is to thank you all sincerely for your friendship, your dedication and the generosity you have shown me as I visited hamfests, Field Days and club meetings. It has been an honor to get to know you. I am humbled by the incredibly good nature you have shown and the fascinating things you have done to advance the art and science of amateur radio. And, to our tireless volunteers on our ARES teams, you are the heart and soul of the Amateur Radio Service. You have my undying loyalty and respect. Stay safe out there!
