Proposed Organization

[DStarAdmins]

D-STAR International Coordination Committees Proposal

Purpose

The purpose of the proposed D-STAR International Coordination Committees (D-STAR ICC) shall be to expedite the cooperation and coordination of development efforts for products, systems, and services related to the ongoing operation of the International D-STAR network and related technologies, and to provide a unified forum for expressing the needs and desires of the D-STAR user community to relevant manufacturers and other organizations.

Organization Structure

The D-STAR ICC shall consist primarily of a Board of Directors, necessary Standing Committees, and General Membership.  Initial Standing Committees will be an Advisory Committee, a Technical Coordination Committee, a User Meeting Committee, a Rules Committee, and a Communications Committee. 

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors should consist of an odd number of members, not more than 7, to be elected from the General Membership.  The initial Board of Directors will be arbitrarily selected from recommendations received from the user community.  The term of office for the Board of Directors shall be until election of their replacement Board at the next D-STAR ICC Users Meeting, which should be held not less often than every two years.  The Board of Directors shall determine membership qualifications and make the necessary appointments to the D-STAR ICC committees. 

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee will consult with the International user community, and develop and maintain current documentation as to participation, issues, needs, and desires of the user community.  This committee shall be responsible for determining a consensus of the user community wherever necessary.  This information shall be accumulated and published to both the Technical Coordination Committee and to relevant vendors. 

Technical Coordination Committee

The Technical Coordination Committee will document and maintain a set of standards and interfaces which comply with the D-STAR standard owned by the JARL.  This body will also have sub-committees responsible for sharing and coordinating development efforts.  The objective is to provide the information and coordination necessary to enable rapid and accurate development of new products and features, retain compliance  with the D-STAR standard and international regulations, and maintain compatibility with existing and future products.

User Meeting Committee

The User Meeting Committee will plan and manage the next D-STAR ICC User Meeting, which will be open to the General Membership.  To ensure inclusion of all members, the location of the User Meeting should be varied, with a time and location selected for maximum participation.  The User Meeting Committee will be responsible for securing any sponsorship necessary or desirable for the conduct of the User Meeting.  The User Meeting will normally be a multi-day format, and will include necessary business meetings, technical discussions, social functions.

Rules Committee

The Rules Committee will be responsible for implementing and maintaining the D-STAR ICC Charter.  All changes to the Charter will be provided to the General Membership in advance, and approved at the next User Meeting.  Until the first User Meeting is held, guidance will be by the Board of Directors.

Communications Committee

The Communications Committee is responsible for keeping the membership informed as to the business of the D-STAR ICC and its activities.  This will normally be in the form of maintaining a web site and sending appropriate emails to the membership.  All communications to the membership should give the members time to consider the information and respond appropriately.

General Membership

General Membership should be open to all licensed amateurs who are registered D-STAR users, as indicated by Gateway registration.