The outline for the work of IARU Region 1 Specialised Bodies can be found in the Constitution and Bye-laws.
Constitution and Bye-laws were changed during the 2008 General Conference (CT08_C3_17v2).
Constitution Article A.5 — Specialised Bodies
A.5.1 The General Conference may set up specialised bodies to work either for the duration of the General Conference or to work between General Conferences on specialised subject. They may be established as Committees, Working Groups and Coordinators for short-term or long-term according to needs.
A.5.2 The period of office of specialised bodies shall be the same or less than that of the Executive Committee.
A.5.3 The terms of reference, structure and work of the specialised bodies are defined in the Bylaws.
By-Laws Section B.3 — Specialised Bodies
1. The IARU Region 1 may set up specialised bodies to act in an advisory capacity, with the aims of:
- exchanging experience related to their subjects
- processing specialised materials and answering questions received from other IARU bodies
- providing specialised consultation
- submitting specialised opinions, proposals and recommendations
- participating in the organisation of IARU specialised events
- undertaking specialised actions on behalf of Region 1.
2. The specialised bodies may make proposals and recommendations which have to be approved by a General Conference or by the Executive Committee in between General Conferences. Depending on the subject these Proposals or Recommendations may have to be ratified subsequently by the General Conference.
3. These specialised bodies are formed as:
- committees and their respective sub-committees
- working groups and their respective sub-groups
- one-man specialised coordinators, who for most purposes are considered to be equal to working groups.
4. Terms of Reference of the permanent specialised bodies are determined by the General Conference. In exceptional cases the Executive Committee may temporarily extend or restrict terms of reference of these bodies
5. All IARU Region 1 Member Societies are entitled to participate in the work of the permanent committees. The permanent working groups consist of persons appointed by the Member Societies interested in the relevant activity
6. The chairman of a permanent body shall report to the General Conferences and annually to the Executive Committee. The report should contain the future plan for at least one year.
7. Permanent specialised bodies may hold their working meetings not more often than once a year; in the year when the General Conference is held the meetings are to be held within the framework of the General Conference.
8. Decisions taken at such meetings held between Conferences, which obtain a two-thirds majority of the Member Societies at such meetings represented, will become interim IARU Region 1 policy only after approval by the Executive Committee. They must be presented to the subsequent General Conference for ratification. Societies can not be represented by proxies to another member society at such meeting according to B4.4 of the Byelaws, but if a WG-member is unable to attend, he may appoint another person from the same society to represent him in the meeting and in subsequent votings.
9. Between the meetings the WG Chairman may require voting on urgent decisions by e‑mail or other appropriate way. The request for vote shall contain the list of all the members of the Working Group.
Such decisions are valid if at least two third of the working group responded and if at least half of them plus one have voted in favour. Proxies shall not be valid for this kind of voting.
10. The chairman of the permanent specialised body must present to the Executive Committee for approval a budget related to the planned meeting. IARU Region 1 meets expenses of these meetings only in relation to renting of the meeting rooms and travel, plus food and accommodation for the chairman of the permanent body. Expenses of the members of the permanent body are met by their own Member Societies.
11. The Executive Committee budgets for the yearly limit of expenses of the chairman of the permanent body or Coordinators’. Verified expenses are reimbursed by the Treasurer each year. This provision applies only to expenses directly related to postage, stationery, telecommunications, etc.
12. If the chairman of a permanent working body or a Coordinator is participating in the General Conference in his capacity at the expense of the IARU Region 1, he cannot simultaneously act as a delegate of his Member Society.
General Rules
1. All IARU Region 1 specialised bodies i.e. Committees, (sub) Working Groups and Coordinators act under the provisions of the IARU Region 1 Constitution and Bylaws
2. All Committee Chairmen, Working Group Chairmen and Coordinators are appointed at each triennial General Conference
3. All Committee Chairmen, Working Group Chairmen and Coordinators shall report annually to the EC and to the General Conference
4. All Committee Chairmen, Working Group Chairmen and Coordinators shall attend Region 1 General Conference 5 Expenses made by the Committee Chairmen, Working Group Chairmen and Coordinators will be reimbursed according to articles B.3.25 and B.3.28 of the Region 1 Bylaws 6 Member Societies may appoint another Member Society, to vote by proxy on their behalf at General Conferences only (B 4.4).
ARDF — Amateur Radio Direction Finding Working Group
Tasks
1. To exchange information related to ARDF
2. To develop ARDF materials and answer question from other IARU bodies
3. To provide ARDF advice and help to IARU Member Societies, to prepare bulletins and educational material, to assist the IARU Region 1 Member Societies in ARDF activities
4. To submit ARDF advice, proposals and recommendations to the Executive Committee
5. To participate in the organisation of IARU ARDF events
6. To undertake ARDF activities on behalf of IARU Region 1
7. To organise the IARU international events and championships
8. To support sport and technical progress in ARDF
9. To prepare the ARDF competition rules
10. To care for skilled referees serving at International, Regional and World Championships
11. To cooperate with the similar bodies in IARU Region 2 and Region 3.
Procedures
12. Each member of the Working Group should be licensed radio amateur
13. Each Society willing to be member of the Working Group nominates/substitutes its representative in the ARDF WG by official letter addressed to WG Chairman and signed by the Society’s president or secretary. The WG Chairman introduces the new WG members in an appropriate way.
14. The ARDF WG holds its official plenary meetings normally during General Conferences or otherwise during World/Regional championships
15. At least one month before the meeting the Chairman notifies the members of the time and venue for the meeting and distributes preliminary agenda. The Chairman presides at the meeting and is responsible for the meeting minutes and their approval by the members present at the meeting. In case the Chairman is unable to attend any meeting he/she appoints a WG member to chair that meeting.
16. Each ARDF WG member have the right to attend plenary meetings and to vote. In case a member is unable to attend the meeting he/she is permitted to give a proxy to another representative from his/her Society.
17. The WG Chairman is entitled to summon an informal meeting when a majority of the WG members are expected to attend particular Amateur Radio competition, exhibition, hamfest etc. The informal meeting can only discuss matters of interest and forward eventual propositions to the next coming official meeting for approval. Informal meetings during Region 1 or World Championships are entitled to approve the program of the event.