Hi, all.

I tried sending this yesterday, but it apparently didn't make it through.
The info below appeared in this week's ARRL weekly news letter.  It might be
good to pass this along to any VE's you know, or anyone planning to take an
exam soon.

Best 73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ

 *ARRL VEC exam session application fee to change: Starting January 1, the
fee charged all applicants at ARRL VEC-coordinated Amateur Radio
examination sessions will rise from $12 to $14. ARRL Volunteer Examiner
(VE) teams may retain up to $6 of this fee to reimburse the VE team's
out-of-pocket test session-related expenses. The fee is charged to anyone
applying for a new amateur license or an upgrade. It also applies to ARRL
VEC-session applicants retesting on the same element after being
unsuccessful (where examiners permit), or applicants seeking
grandfather-credit upgrades and not taking an exam. ARRL VEC Manager Bart
Jahnke, W9JJ, says that while the number of examinees has dropped in the
past year--possibly due in part to the uncertainty regarding pending
licensing proposals--the cost of business and expenses incurred by ARRL
VEs and the ARRL VEC continues to rise. "Cost-saving measures already have
included staff reduction, reduced printing and distribution charges for VE
training material and exam software--both now only available via the
Web--and elimination of lesser-used services," he said. The ARRL provides
free FCC license renewals, address changes and other license modification
services to current members. Nonmembers pay $14 for those services.