State QSO party inclusion criteria

Criteria for inclusion of additional state QSO parties for eligibility for SMC awards.

Updated: November 19, 2023

Qualifying for inclusion in the contest list

For a state QSO party to be included, it must meet both of the following criteria:

• At least part of the state must reside inside the current ARRL club circle of eligibility.
• At least 25 members, or 10% of the total club membership, whichever is less, must reside in the state.
  • Membership is determined by individual members. Club station calls on the membership roster are excluded.

State membership totals will be based on the address submitted by members on their application form.

The date of record to determine a state QSO party’s eligibility shall be June 1.

Removal from the contest list

If a state QSO party is included, and the membership later drops below the minimum for two
consecutive years, that QSO Party will be dropped starting the next year.

Examples for membership on date of record:

• 2024: Membership 27 members – QSO party included
• 2025: Membership 20 members – QSO party included
• 2025: Membership 19 members – QSO party included
  • 2026: Membership 20 members – QSO party not included
    • Or
  • 2026: Membership 25 members – QSO party included

Plaques

The decision to fund plaques for state QSO parties shall be at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
The decision shall be based on the state of the club’s treasury, the cost of such plaques, activity levels of
the QSO party, and any other factors the Board of Directors feel are relevant.