Chapter News
September 2006

ANCHORAGE

SUBJECT: Minutes, Anchorage AMS Chapter Meeting, September 22nd, 2006

Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order by Jim Peronto, President, at 11:15 a.m. The meeting was held at the Aviation Technology Center at Merrill Field in Anchorage.

Introduction of 2006-2007 Chapter "Leaders":
President………………………………Jim Peronto
Vice President…………………………Kristine Nelson
Secretary and webpage designer………Lisa Reed
Treasurer……………………………….Stephanie Rodriguez

Announcement that Jim Green (Alaska Weather Calendars and longtime member of local Anchorage Chapter AMS) moved to Haines, AK.

Introductions around the room:

Welcome to our visitor, Elaine Hulse. She found out about the meeting from the Community Bulletin Section in the ADN. Unfortunately, she reported the phone number was incorrect. The phone number should have been 266-5105.
Welcome back Tom Skilling, WGN TV Weatherman from Chicago, IL..

Treasurer's Report: Not Available

Old/New Business:

The new Anchorage Chapter AMS webpage is homeless

ARH will see if we can use their server.
UAA AMS Chapter website is still "alive". The system was hacked into a while back causing problems with uploading to the site. Firewalls have since been strengthened. Maybe we could use this location (http://aeff.uaa.alaska.edu/ams/)for our new webpage.

Scholarships

Local …. Reunite old team? Ray Miller and Louise Fode agreed.
National…The application deadline is Feb 10th, 2007 (postmarked Feb 9th, 2007). However, applications may be accepted a few days after the deadline...within reason. The Deadline for submitting our scholarship recommendations to AMS HQ is March 09th, 2007.

o Ideas for reaching out to rural communities? Past application numbers have been small. We'd like to increase those numbers.

Jim Peronto will advertise on the Weather Show.
Jackie Purcell and Scott Elnes and Robert Forgit volunteered to advertise the scholarship application information on their respective newscasts as well. .
Kristine suggested waiting until the application form was online before going on the air.
Kristine will ask WSOs to walk out to local communities, schools, etc to spread the word about the scholarship.

Science Fair: Avee Evans has all the info on the science fair.

March 10th is the judging.
March 11th is the awards banquet

Donations:

Jackie Purcell procured wildberry donations again.
Heidi Strader was not successful at getting Alyeska donations.
Others????

Earth Day:

The details are not clear at this time, but it seems NWS? NOAA? has rented space in Kincaid park for Earth Day booths and AMS could use one of those booths. Donations could be solicited, but not received while at the fair. All donations collected while at the Earth Day fair are subject to a 15% gratuity. Again, we will need to look into this more.
Suggestion to have an open house at the ANC WFO and launch a weather balloon. Media/Open house was conducted this year on Earth Day at ANC WFO and plans may already be underway to do it again next year.

Next month's speaker: Jim Hill (FAA Capstone Liaison)

Christmas Party

There will be no speaker
Toys for Tots will be collected at the Party.
Suggestions for location:

o Villa Nova?
o Campo Bella?
o May be too small?

Main Event:

Dr. James Simpson ( jsimpson@ucsd.edu ) from the Digital Image Analysis Laboratory (DIAL) Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego demonstrated the challenges of categorizing Alaska's ecosystems with his presentation on "Differentiation of Alaskan Ecosystems". Rigorous statistical methods were used with a variety of computer models to classify Alaskan vegetation into five ecosystems (Alpine Tundra, Arctic Tundra, Shrublands, Boreal Forest, and Coastal Rainforest) and one ecotransition zone. Climate, elevation, permafrost and soil information, produced the most accurate Alaskan ecosystem classification. Although, a lack in detailed soil mapping and other parameters in Alaska as compared with the contiguous United States resulted in a slightly less precise analysis than is possible in the "lower 48". Large burn areas in Alaska complicated efforts to classify based on vegetation and some areas had such wide variations in climate from year to year that there wasn't any clear ecosystem preference. Overall, the statistics from Dr. Simpson stated his analysis compared favorably with those produced for regions of Canada ecologically similar to those found in Alaska and may be useful for the future development of a model for the spatial distribution of Alaskan vegetation.

Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned by Jim Peronto at 1 p.m.---Lisa Reed.

ARKANSAS

September 19, 2006

The first Chapter meeting of the fall season was held on September 19th. The meeting convened at 715 PM at the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock with 10 members and guests present.

Chapter President Chris Buonanno conducted a short business meeting.

The program for the evening was presented by Chapter Member Damon Poole, a radio producer with Signal Media of Arkansas. The program was entitled "The Evolution of Commercial Radio Weather in Arkansas." Damon traced the history of commercial radio weather coverage in Arkansas. This included several famous severe weather outbreaks in the last 86 years in Arkansas and across the country, and the development and evolution of today's Emergency Alert System from its roots as CONELRAD in 1946. He also discussed modern day commercial radio weather operations in Little Rock.

A question and answer session was conducted after the presentation.

The meeting was adjourned at 830 PM.---Newton Skiles.

CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA

"Forensic Meteorology Applied to Hurricane Katrina, Impacts Along the Mississippi Coast"

Many thousands of homes along the Mississippi coast were destroyed or heavily damaged when Hurricane Katrina came ashore on August 29, 2005. The damage was caused by wind, storm surge, or a combination of the two. Steve Harned, President of Atlantic States Weather, Inc., a meteorological consulting firm in Cary specializing in forensic services, spoke to the Central North Carolina Chapter about his work for homeowners along the Mississippi coast whose wind claims had been denied by their insurance companies for damage during Hurricane Katrina. In Mississippi, if a homeowner can prove, even in the presence of some surge damage, that wind caused some of the damage, their wind insurance policy will cover that part of the loss. For example, if surge just entered the lower part of a house but wind blew off the roof, wind insurance would cover the roof.

A great problem for many Katrina victims was that the massive storm surge often washed away the house along with any evidence of wind damage, which may have occurred before the arrival of the surge. Some insurance companies are taking the stand that, since there was no visible evidence of wind damage, surge was the cause so no wind coverage would be forthcoming.

Steve uses various techniques to show that damaging wind gusts arrived at locations prior to the surge. Steve explained the difference between gusts and sustained wind, with gusts being sudden peaks in wind speeds, lasting 3-5 seconds in duration, while sustained winds are an average of peaks and lulls over a period of time. The gust factor is the factor by which one multiplies sustained winds to obtain a good approximation of maximum gust value. Steve uses a gust factor of 1.3 over open water. The maximum wind gusts at the properties resulted from stronger wind gusts aloft being brought down to building level by turbulent mixing. These calculations were necessary for event reconstruction as all official anemometers in the area were knocked off-line before Katrina made landfall. Steve showed estimates of wind gusts at properties and how they compared to the Enhanced Fujita scale for wind damage. The most critical piece of the reconstructions came in showing the timing of the surge and wind gusts. Using various pieces of information, including eyewitness accounts, storm damage, and reconstructions of wind and surge magnitudes and timings produced by NOAA, Steve provided strong evidence that damaging winds arrived before the storm surge.

Steve Harned has prepared over a dozen reconstructions of the timing of wind versus surge along the Mississippi coast during Katrina's landfall. He presented the story of three residences and how he approached this very challenging task. This was not a passive, lecture-to-audience presentation. The audience played the role of the expert witness who has been hired by the insurance company. After Steve's presentation of his cases for the homeowner plaintiffs, the audience was asked to "cross examine" him, looking for any softness in his conclusions.

Steve Harned is the President of Atlantic States Weather, Inc., a meteorological consulting firm in Cary specializing in forensic services. He worked for the National Weather Service in a number of forecasting, staff, and leadership positions for 36 years before retiring from federal service in 2004. His National Weather Service duty stations included Washington DC, Anchorage AK, Houston and Lubbock TX, in addition to serving as Meteorologist-in-Charge of the Raleigh National Weather Service office from 1990 to 2004.

Monthly Meeting Minutes
September 21, 2006

Meeting was called to order by President, Bebhinn Do, at 7:35 pm.

Paul Humphries spoke concerning his additional $4,000 donation, in particular that the donation can be used as we see fit. Ideas include scholarship fund and possible reimbursement for travel expenses for speakers.

Bebhinn noted there were no meeting minutes from the banquet, thanked those who attended, and mentioned the pictures on the website.

Secretary, Janice Godfrey, announced a database on the Yahoo sites that members can use to contact other members. A separate off-line chapter directory will be maintained as well. Ryan Boyles said another option is to have a directory set up on the web site eventually.

Treasurer, Wyat Appel gave the treasurer's report:

Current Balance: $4574.64
operational: $4177.03
AA fund: $397.61

AA CD (earning 4.20% APY)
$6096.17 (matures 3/24/06)

Total Chapter Assets: $10670.81

Education Chair, George Bridgers, mentioned that two freshman undergrads at NC State have recently been awarded scholarships by the American Meteorological Society.

Bebhinn expressed gratitude to 5 members from our chapter who volunteered for teacher training. She also mentioned that one of our members, Jeff Orrock of the Raleigh National Weather Service, was recently honored as Tarheel of the Week.

Web master, Barrett Smith, conveyed he has been updating the website and will put things on-line as requested.

Bebhinn asked if there was any new business. None.

Vice President, Jerry Watson, introduced our speaker for the evening, Steve Harned, CCM. Steve worked with the National Weather Service for 36 years and is currently President of Atlantic States Weather, Inc., a meteorological consulting firm in Cary specializing in forensic services. Steve's talk was titled, "Forensic Meteorology Applied to Hurricane Katrina, Impacts Along the Mississippi Coast". Jerry proposed that an alternative title might be "Which Came First, the Wind or the Water?"

Steve has been employed as a representative for multiple homeowners whose wind claims have been denied by their insurance companies for damage during Hurricane Katrina. Steve uses various techniques to show that damaging wind gusts arrived at locations prior to the surge. Mississippi law calls for insurance companies to pay for wind damage even if another part of the structure was damaged by surge. The problem was that evidence of wind was often erased by surge. Steve explained the difference between gusts and sustained wind, with gusts being sudden peaks in wind speeds lasting 3-5 seconds in duration, while sustained winds are an average of peaks and lulls over a period of time. The gust factor is the factor by which one multiplies sustained winds to obtain a good approximation of maximum gust value. Steve used a gust factor of 1.3 over open water. The maximum wind gusts at the properties resulted from stronger wind gusts aloft being brought down to building level by turbulent mixing. These calculations were necessary for event reconstruction, as all official anemometers in the area were knocked off-line before Katrina made landfall. Steve showed estimates of wind gusts at properties and how they compared to the Enhanced Fujita scale for wind damage. The most critical piece of the reconstruction came in showing the timing of the surge and wind gusts. Using various pieces of information, including eyewitness accounts, storm damage, and reconstructions of wind and surge magnitudes and timings produced by NOAA, Steve provided strong evidence where damaging winds arrived before the storm surge.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:10 pm.---Janice Godfrey.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Minutes of the first meeting 2006-2007
September 25, 2006
at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Headquarters

The meeting was called to order at 6:37 p.m. by the chairman, Jason Samenow. Mr. Samenow had the new members stand to be recognized. You can now also pay your dues and make meeting reservations on-line. Mr. Samenow introduced the chapter officers at the meeting - Nancy Lee, member-at-large; Michael Fortune, vice-chair; and Mark Gunzelman, treasurer. Meeting announcements and newsletters will go out by e-mail and be available on the Web site, www.dc.ams.org. There is $7100 in the chapter bank account and should continue to rise as more dues are collected. The next meeting is the end of October and chapter members will talk about their activities, so far - Kevin Ambrose, photography; Bryon Lawrence, Peru; and Jason Samenow, www.capitalweather.com.

Michael Fortune introduced the speaker, Dennis McCarthy, at 6:47 p.m. Mr. McCarthy was the Meteorologist-in-Charge at Norman, OK when the first Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) and the first Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) were installed there. Norman was also the first weather forecast office to have a Science Operations Officer.

As a preview to members night in October, Mr. McCarthy loves photography and submitted the opening photograph in his presentation to Weatherwise. He has seen a 30 year evolution of operations and partnerships in weather services. There were four technology based eras of National Weather Service (NWS) operations.

Teletype (1974-1979)
AFOS (1980-1990)
Modernization (1991-2000)
Digital (2001-Present)

The characteristics of NWS forecast operations from 1917-1990 were emphasis on public (zone) forecasts that were schedule driven and product focused. There were compartmentalized forecast offices under an area management concept.

The characteristics of warning operations from 1974-1990 were separate from forecast operations. The radar was separate and operations were report driven, separate from routine operations.

The characteristics of partnerships 1974-1990 were one way, NWS to user. NWS collected, and the media disseminated. Emergency officials acted on data and distributed reports.

The characteristics of NWS field operations 1992-present are integrated forecasts and warnings, time/space-scale with work sharing, a transition to digital files, and a transition to event driven and impact focused.

There is a partnership evolution in recent storm activity with the forecaster receiving the report and disseminating it within minutes.

The status quo won't do because there is a growing need for decision assistance to emergency managers, NWS moved beyond "traditional" services, and increased user vulnerabilities and needs - 53% reside in coastal communities.

The new concept of operations is increased agility, capacity, and effectiveness by expanding weather forecast office collaborative processes as well as a focus on high-impact events. Weather forecast offices will cluster to work weather events.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:42 p.m.---A. Camden Walker.

HOUSTON

September 2006

Our first meeting of the year was a meet-n-greet at a local hang-out, Armadillo Palace. Members were asked to join the officers for drinks and snacks (provided) on Thursday evening, 21 September. This was a chance for everyone to meet in a social setting but also for the officers to gather information on member's interests.

A survey was handed out to learn what members preferred for days, times, locations and topics at the meetings. Twenty-five people took the survey and they were collected by the president, Anthony Yanez.

A formal meeting with speaker is scheduled for October.---Dorri Breher.

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Meeting Minutes 9/5/06

Important Websites:

Our organization: www.meteor.iastate.edu/ams
National AMS: www.ametsoc.org
Central Iowa Chapter of the National Weather Association: www.iowa-nwa.com

Surveys:

Informational surveys were distributed and filled out by those who attended the meeting.

AMS Forums:

On our website, we have forums where you can discuss topics such as storm chasing, classes, forecast contests, and Cy's Eyes on the Skies.
You will need to register in order to participate in the forms. Please enter your first and last name as your username.
The forum website is www.meteor.iastate.edu/ams/forums.html.

National AMS:

Everyone is highly encouraged to join the National American Meteorological Society. Dues are only $15 per year. You will also receive a weather magazine every month. Go to www.ametsoc.org for more information.

Club Fest:

We will have an AMS booth at Club Fest which will be held on Wednesday, September 13th from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union.
We are in need of people to help out at our booth. A sign-up sheet was passed around at the meeting. If you did not sign up but are interested in helping out, contact Justin (pres.isuams@iastate.edu).

Treasurer Update:

We currently have a healthy $987.59 in our account right now.
It is time for pay dues for the 06-07 school year. A motion was made to have dues be $10 this year. The motion passed. Dues help with gas expenses, conferences, AMS apparel, the clicker for Cy's Eyes, and social events.
If you have not already paid Lisa, please pay her by the next meeting. You can also pay by dropping your money in the AMS mailbox in the office in Agron 3010.

Fundraisers:

Some ideas for fundraising have been brought up such as selling weather calendars, stadium
clean-up, and food sales. If you have any other ideas email Justin (pres.isuams@iastate.edu).

ISU AMS Apparel:

Each year we sell AMS apparel so you can display your AMS pride to the rest of Iowa State. In the past we have sold sweatshirts, t-shirts, polos, and long-sleeve shirts.
A new idea has also surfaced. It is possible that we may offer windbreakers this year. If you have any feedback regarding this idea, email one of the cabinet members.

Academic Chair Update:

Please email Kaj your class schedule (academic.isuams@iastate.edu) if you have not done so already.
Review sessions will be held prior to exams. Look for an email from him with more information regarding the review sessions.
Each class has a designated review session leader (usually an upperclassman). We are still looking for someone to lead Chem 163 and Math 265. If you are interested in leading, contact Kaj.
The AMS forums also have areas available for questions. However, please do not post specific homework problems, as we do not want to have any issues with academic dishonesty.
New this year: If you go to a session your name will be placed into a drawing in which you will be eligible to win fabulous prizes!

Social Chair - Jesse:
Intramurals:

Broomball and curling sign-ups were passed around. The deadline for broomball is September 19th. Email Jesse (social.isuams@iastate.edu) if you would like to sign up.
If you would like to join Women's Ultimate Frisbee their next game is Thursday, Septemer 14th at 6:40 p.m. at the Maple-Willow-Larch fields.
Look for an email from Jesse about future intramural information.
*Note* Forfeiting a game costs the team $10. If you are scheduled to play and do not let your team captain know you will be gone ahead of time, you will be responsible for paying the money. Please let the captain know in advance if you will be gone.

Movie night:

The AMS Movie Night will be on Friday, September 22nd at 7 p.m. in Agron 3140.
We voted on watching Twister or Day After Tomorrow and Twister was the winner! Snacks will also be provided.

Heads up: Student/Faculty dinner will be sometime near the end of October or the beginning of November.

Sophomore Chair:

This person acts as a liaison between the underclassmen and upperclassmen. They work with the social chair in order to mesh the two groups together. This person is also an official cabinet member and is required to come to the cabinet meetings.
Three people were nominated for Sophomore Chair. They were: Justin Schultz
Jason Prentice
Logan Karsten
If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, nominations will be open through next Tuesday, September 12th. You can either post your nomination on the AMS forums or email Justin at pres.isuams@iastate.edu.

Cy's Eyes on the Skies (Scott and Kaj):

This is our 20 minute weather show on Mondays and Wednesdays that happens LIVE! at the Communications Building.
It is great experience no matter what you want to do, but especially for those who want to go into broadcasting. No experience is necessary, all are welcome!
We are continually improving the show. Last year KCCI donated a graphics machine, we recently got a clicker (thanks, Kaj), and Scott Lincoln has improved the graphics.
A sign-up sheet was passed around and a short informational meeting was held after the meeting. If you are interested in being a part of the cast and crew, email Scott (slincoln@iastate.edu) or Kaj (academic.isuams@iastate.edu).
The first meeting will be held NEXT Monday, September 11 at 6 p.m. in the TV studio of the Communications Building.

CPR Certification:

In the event that someone were to be injured during storm chasing, it would be a good idea to have people trained in CPR. A sign-up sheet was passed around for those interested.

Weather Balloon Launches:

People in Howe Hall launch balloons a few times every semester. They would like to have a launch forecast so they know more about what the weather will be doing since certain conditions are needed in order to launch the balloons. If you are interested in helping with this, email Justin (pres.isuams@iastate.edu).

WiSE:

Rachel (secretary.isuams@iastate.edu) is the liaison between AMS and Women in Science and Engineering. If any events come up, she will be sure to pass them along to our group.

Senior Thesis Posters:

There are 18 seniors this year, and most of them will be doing poster presentations at the end of the year. The graduate students usually help pay for the posters, but they cannot afford to pay for them all.
We will vote at the next meeting on whether we will help out with the cost of these posters.

AMS Annual Meeting:

The meeting will be held January 14th-18th in San Antonio, TX. There are ways to help pay for the trip such as a student assistantship.
Eight people went to Atlanta last year.

National Weather Association:

The Next NWA meeting is THIS Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Brunnier Art Museum in the Scheman Building. All are welcome to attend.

Forecast contest:

Those interested in this met after the meeting. Contact Jayson Prentice (japrenti@iastate.edu) if you have questions.

Online merchandise:

The idea was brought up to sell ISU AMS merchandise online.

Ham Radio Licensing:

There has been some interest in this in the past. Contact Justin (pres.isuams@iastate.edu) if you are interested in getting a license.

Possible tours for the year:

National Weather Service, tornado and microburst simulator, and a TV station.

NEXT AMS Meeting: Tuesday, October 3rd, 7 p.m.---Rachel Butterworth.

LYNDON STATE COLLEGE

GBM Minutes 9-13-2006
Start Time: 7:05pm
Attendance: 79
Ryan welcomed the group by giving a club overview and introducing the executive board. He went over the cost for active membership - $10 dues, participate in 5 events, 3 committee meetings count as 1 event. He also discussed the 8th person award and mentioned recognition on the Web page and with a certificate.

The Storm Conference will be held March 9-11, 2007 at the Marriott in Springfield, MA. Committee meeting will be September 20th 7pm in MetLab. At the meeting we will discuss Keynote speaker, mailing, overview of conference. Chuck Doswell is the banquet speaker.

There are many benefits to becoming a National AMS member. Student dues are $15, and are cheaper after you graduate as well.

Internship night was also discussed. Contact Ryan if you have had an internship so you can participate.

Andrew gave an introduction of what he does throughout the year. He mentioned Webpage updates with a calendar and new design. The Web address is http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/ams. There is a Webpage committee. Contact Andrew or check off on registration form if you would like to be a part of this committee.

Eric talked about dues. $10 is used to offset cost of storm conference. Give money to Eric, Mark or Laura. He also discussed the Car Wash which will be held Sunday October 1st 10-2pm and Club photo on the month. Email to Eric, Laura or ams@apollo.lsc.vsc.edu.

Rich discussed upcoming events such as the Fall BBQ Sunday, September 17th 12-3pm; Mt. Washington Hike on Sunday, September 24th. A meeting will be held for info on hike. He also mentioned the Flag Football tournament on October 7th.

Events Committee mentioned that 3 meetings count as an event. They discuss all events throughout the year. Email Rich with any questions. General Business Meetings are held once a month.

Joe talked about the Teacher's Forum on October 10th. What teacher's want to see for the pre-college chapter. Any interest in bringing Skywarn back to Lyndon State. He also talked about the Community Outreach committee.

Jim mentioned a club photo at next GBM. Please try to be there. He also talked about the Alumni Newsletter which he is in the process of putting one together and the AMS Club Newsletter (Put into LSC mail box). He is in the process of organizing the closet. For the Club library general vote there were more yes's then no's. Jim is going to try and get this off the ground.

End Time: 7:36pm---Laura Ballard.

MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY

September 6th 2006 General Chapter Meeting

Welcome

Introduction of chapter officers

President: Matt Stepp
Vice President: Jen Vogt
Secretary: Kelli Audette
Treasurer: Hilary Kunsman
Webmaster: Jim Kurdzo

Explanation of what our local chapter does

Brief rundown of our events for the 2006-2007 year

Speaker series - Introduction & brief synopsis of the speakers we have for the year
Social events - i.e. bowling nights, mini golf, IMAX movie, corn maze, snow tubing
Educational events - Internship forum, Grad. school forum, WSI

Committees - This year, members will be more involved in how things are run in the AMS.

Committees will be created and members can pick up to two to join and be involved

Fundraising committee (chaired by Hilary Kunsman) - involved with all of our chapter's fundraising for the year
Trip committee (chaired by Kelli Audette) - will be involved with planning the chapter's the trips for the year:

National AMS Conference in San Antonio, TX
32nd Northeastern Storm Conference
A third trip (possibly Washington, D.C.)

Community Outreach (chaired by Jim Kurdzo) - deals with activities that involve us with our surrounding communities

Air quality (chaired by Matt Stepp & Jen Vogt)

Explanation of the new MU AMS website (by Jim)

What's new/what to check out
Explanation of the weather forum
Check the website for updates, news & other happenings
Scholarship information
Internship information
Make sure to frequently check your email

Dues

Local dues: $5
National AMS dues: $15

Adjourn---Jen Vogt.

NORTH FLORIDA

On Thursday, September 7, 2006, the North Florida AMS held its first meeting of the school year. Sixty-seven students, faculty members, and National Weather Service forecasters attended. At the end of the 2005-2006 school year, active members of the AMS elected the Executive Board for the 2006-2007 school year. Jessica Fieux, the newly elected president, introduced the 2006 Chapter Executive Board at this meeting. Those elected include: Clark Evans for Vice President and Michael Porter for Science and Education Committee Chair, both who are meteorology graduate students at the Florida State University. Also elected were Katie Walls for Secretary and Charlie Woodrum for Treasurer, both who are undergraduate meteorology students at the Florida State University.

Clark, Charlie, Katie, and Michael then introduced his or her committee's duties and responsibilities. Chapter activities for September include a Tailgate for a Florida State football game, a Car Wash to raise Chapter funds, and a Welcome Back Teachers Event.

Dr. James Elsner, professor of geography at The Florida State University, presented "Hurricanes, Global Warming and the Insurance Industry." Using complicated Statistics, Dr. Elsner related the increase of intense hurricanes with Global Warming. Because he performs statistical analysis for insurance agencies, he then explained how insurance companies determine risks for areas of the United States, thereby, determining their insurance policies.

On Tuesday, September 26, 2006, the North Florida AMS held its September general meeting. President Jessica Fieux made the opening welcome and comments. Charlie Woodrum gave the treasurer's report and stated that sixty-four members have paid their 2006-2007 membership dues. Committee reports were then given by Clark Evans, chair of the Programs Committee, Charlie Woodrum, chair of the Membership Committee, Katie Walls, chair of the Publicity Committee, and Michael Porter, chair of the Science and Education Committee. Clark discussed the success of the tailgate that was held on the 23rd of September. We had over fifty people in attendance and a good time was had by all. Charlie discussed the car wash that was held the following Saturday, September 30th. The car wash was quite successful, making the chapter over $125. Charlie also spoke about the next fund raiser, which will be held at Cici's Pizza on October 9th. The chapter will earn a percentage of the sales made between the hours of 6 and 9 in the evening. Katie Walls discussed the return of the popular bake sales. The first will be held Wednesday, October 18th. Michael reported that he and his committee have been committed to fostering partnerships with the Red Cross, local Leon County schools, and local television stations.

Our featured speaker was Robert Lawton distinguished professor, Dr. T.N. Krishnamurti. Dr. Krishnamurti created FSU's Super Ensemble, has written over 250 papers, two text books, and is the recipient of the two most prestigious awards offered by the American Meteorological Society, the Charney and Rossby Awards. Dr. Krishnamurit presented his latest research topic, "Tropical Cyclogenesis and Experiences from the NAMMA Field Project."

Dr. Krishnamurti recently returned from Sal Island, Africa, where he and a team of researchers observed SAL dust, aerosols and water vapor and their effects on African Waves. He also performed research on the Asian Monsoonal impacts on the development of African waves. The NAMMA project, or NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis, was based on Sal Island between August 15th, 2006, and September 15th, 2006. Between these dates, Dr. Krishnamurti and a team of thirty- eight scientists boarded daily the NASA DC-8 aircraft on which they performed the latest LASE or Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment. This measured the humidity, aerosol and water vapor content in the surrounding atmosphere. Conclusions are still being made about their latest experiments. Their next mission will be to watch storm development in the Caribbean in the summer of 2007.---Katie Walls.

OSWEGO STATE UNIVERSITY

September 2006
320 PIEZ HALL

-We are putting on a Lake Effect Conference from October 14-15. For more information, visit our website at http://www.oswego.edu/news_weather/weather/conference/. Registration ended September 14, the same date abstracts were due. Our keynote speaker is Tom Niziol, the MIT (Meteorologist In Charge) of the NWS in Buffalo.

-We will be attending the North East Storm Conference in March, given by Lyndon State College, which is being held in Springfield, Mass. this year. It is the weekend before Spring Break. The club will pay for hotel rooms, travel, etc, but not the registration fee, which is approximately $95 per person.

-We urged students to join the AMS because it's only $15 a year for students! AND you get BAMS! We recommended that students should visit http://www.ametsoc.org/ to sign up and get more info!

-In previous years, the club has sold t-shirts as a fundraiser. This year, we are thinking of selling hoodies (for ~$20) in the fall and t-shirts in the spring. For the hoodies, we were going to use the definition of a meteorology student, which came in 2nd place last year in our design contest.

-Those of us who wanted to, signed up for the national WX Challenge forecasting game.

-September 6 was the Involvement Fair in the quad from 11am-3pm. We had a booth set up to give information to the campus about our chapter.

-We urged students interested in doing a forecast on-air (or helping off- camera), go to the WTOP meeting on Sept. 11 at 7 pm in the main ballroom in Hewitt.

-We are planning a trip to the NWS in Buffalo and a television studio in Buffalo for November 11 (the date might change though-it will be sometime in November though). It involves a tour of the NWS building and the tv studio, meeting people who work for the NWS and tv, and a lot of fun!!

-We will be ordering jackets with the Met Club logo on the back and personalized name on the front. The sizes are from S-XL and cost $83.95 with the logo and $75.95 without the logo. Ted will bring a sign up sheet at the next meeting to order them and they should arrive in time for Thanksgiving and the cold weather!

-We got most of the money we asked SA for. But we still need to do some fundraising, so we need to think of some ideas!

-We agreed as a club to participate in the United Way Walk-A-Thon. It takes place on Saturday, October 7. Registration takes place at 12:00 pm in Lanigan and costs $10. The walk begins at 1:00 pm at Culkin Hall.

-We made apple cider at Dr. Stamm's house on Saturday, September 23 at 1:00 pm. It was a lot of fun!

-Brian Curtis and Jason Keeler will be training snow spotters this year. -We received the pens we ordered for the LEC. They look so cool!

-The LEC is going well, we have about 60 people registered to come.

-We will be going cosmic bowling in October.

-We attended a showing of Al Gore's "An Inconvient Truth" at the Oswego Theater on September 27. We also went to the discussion of the movie and global warming given by Dr. Scott Steiger and Dr. Alfred Stamm at the River's End Book Store following the movie.

-As usual, Dr. Scott Steiger gave a great weather briefing!---Meredith Mandel.

PACKERLAND

Autumn Chapter News---Brian Hulse.

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

On September 7, 2006, 60 students and faculty attended the 2nd Annual 'PSUBAMS Night Out at the Ballpark'. This year, State College has a single A baseball team - the State College Spikes. We attended the Spikes season finale. The Spikes won the finale 3-1 over the Jamestown Jammers. Fireworks went off after the conclusion of the game. Look for the 3rd Annual 'PSUBAMS Night Out at the Ballpark' next year!

On September 20, 2006, Carl McCalla from NOAA's Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL) / Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), in Silver Springs, MD, spoke about the great opportunities for students to work with experts in the development of scientific techniques for use in NWS operations.

McCalla talked about the program in detail, saying that SCEP is a 12-month full-time employment opportunity for students who will work on different MDL projects in relation to the students' major. He said that this is a valuable working experience because students will work with the five branches of the MDL: Decision Assistance, Evaluation, Mesoscale Prediction, Product Generation and Statistical Modeling.

In order to apply, you must commit to 12 months employment, be pursuing a degree in a relevant area of study, have an overall GPA of 2.0 and a 2.5 GPA in your major, be a U.S. citizen, and be attending a college with a NOAA/COOP agreement. This is an excellent opportunity to gain full-time professional work experience and to create career decisions in the process.

Mr. McCalla suggested that interested students should check out the following URLS:
http://www.weather.gov/mdl/
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/coop/coop.htm

Also, on September 20, 2006, PSUBAMS premiered our first website which is currently up and running. The site can be found at http://psubams.met.psu.edu. This site will provide all meteorology students an opportunity to get in touch with the officers and visit their web pages, see the schedule of events and past news, have access to important meteorology links and presenter's PowerPoints, as well as read the monthly synopsis sent to the AMS.

In October, we will have our annual internship and graduate school meetings as well as a date auction.---Bryan T. Oshinski.

PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY

Executive Board Meeting
Date: September 7, 2006
Minutes: 5:00-6:00pm
Board Members in Attendance: Melissa P, Heather D, Katie P, Katie F, Norm S, Bridgett B, Chris W

Topics that were discussed today:

Handouts and explanation of jobs
President/Treasurer's Meeting yesterday 9/6/06
Determined a specific meeting time for weekly executive meetings: Mondays at 5:00pm
National AMS information was updated
Contact information sheet for first meeting
Possibility of submitting information of the AMS upcoming activities to the school newspaper, The Clock
Designing sweatshirts
Mt. Washington Hike: date set for 9/23/2006; rain date set for 10/07/2006; parking pass information
Cookout on Saturday 9/23/06 after the Mt. Washington hike
Speedway fundraiser update
Make signup sheet for hike
Student Activities Fair 9/11/06 4pm; finalize paperwork for signing up for a table
Car Wash in the Spring
Family Weekend- talk to Dr. Hoffman about catering funds and Dr. Z about theodolite demonstrations; inform all professors and graduate students as well
Snowfall contest to start mid-October
Photo contest $2 per person (limit 5 pictures) twice a semester starting October/November; any person can enter; post on MyPlymouth banner
Community service ideas: elementary school work
Bank account estimate ($4300)

Executive Board Meeting

Date: September 11, 2006
Minutes: 6:00-6:30pm
Board Members in Attendance: Melissa P, Heather D, Katie P, Katie F, Norm S, Bridget B

Topics that were discussed today:

Sweatshirts
All Majors Meeting
Signup sheets for Loudon, Mt. Washington, and AMS new members
Success of Student Activities Fair

All Majors Mtg. Agenda

September 12, 2006
Minutes: 6:30-7:30pm
Board Members in Attendance: Melissa P, Katie F, Katie P, Norm, Bridget, Heather
Attendance: 65

Discussion:

Chapter officers introduced the faculty.

Dr. Hoffman discussed Weather Challenge info., encouraged enrollment in the National AMS ($15 per year), provided information regarding several research opportunities offered, mentioned that Dr. Koermer on sabbatical for the semester, gave the code to Rooms 306 and 312, and discussed building hrs. & policy for getting a night/weekend pass.

Dr. Zabransky mentioned he is retiring in December, talked about internship program to be taken on by Dr. Hoffman, discussed various internship opportunities: Mt. Washington Observatory, Blue Hill Observatory in Massachusetts, media stations, National Weather Service.

Dr. Avilés asked to please send her any cool weather photos/videos for viewing in her classes.

Dr. Miller discussed various ongoing research projects as well as a new opportunity requiring lots of mathematical analysis for anyone interested.

Brendon Hoch made a demonstration of Powerpoint's new weather feature on all JGMI computers; $25 for personal copy, discussed new food/drink policy, mentioned Firefox browser has been replaced with Opera; does not permit access to MyPlymouth, said Paint Shop Pro in process of upgrade, checked M Drive disk quota for space availability, gave his contact information: email Brendon @ bhoch@plymouth.edu with any 3rd floor technology issues.

Introduction to Exec. Board Members: name, year, position

Katie F. mentioned future meetings to be held on Tuesdays with pizza!, asked to check out our website: www.vortex.plymouth.edu/ams, mentioned Loudon Speedway Fundraiser: ~Sat., Sept. 16th and Sun., Sept. 17th.

Melissa mentioned the Mt. Washington Hike: Sat., Sept 23rd; Rain date: Oct. 7th - Cookout to follow.

Norm mentioned the Signup sheet and dues $10, asked if anyone was interested in sweatshirts.

Heather mentioned Photo Contest to begin Oct/Nov: $2 per person (limit 5 pictures); Start taking those pretty photos.

Katie P. said to look for the Snowfall Contest is mid-October. Bridget discussed Open House: Family Weekend; Sat., Sept. 30th; volunteers needed.

Closing Remarks:

Intramural sports team: See Melissa Pierce for more info on softball team. Sign-up sheets for events located up front. Questions/Concerns?

September 18, 2006
Minutes: 5:00-5:45pm
Board Members in Attendance: Melissa P, Heather D, Katie P, Katie F, Norm S, Chris W, Bridget B

Topics that were discussed today:

Updating the email list
Hiking awareness email and emergency contact list for Mt. Washington by Thursday
Contact Rodney re: White Mountain parking passes
Food for post-hike cookout
General information re: Mt. Washington
Sweatshirts-pick design

September 25, 2006
Minutes: 5:00-pm
Board Members in Attendance: Melissa P, Heather D, Katie P, Katie F, Norm S, Bridget B
Other Members in Attendance: Chris W

Topics that were discussed today:

Open House 11am-2pm Saturday Sept. 30th
Meeting Wed., October 4th at 9:00pm with pizza
Sweatshirts design & prices
Update of email list
Cookout date

---Heather Dinon.

RUTGERS UNVIVERSITY

Meeting 1: September 12
There were 33 people in attendance.

Paul Loikith did a presentation on NCAR, Colorado. Summer Program, including programs that NCAR runs. Dr.A Robock discussed NCAR scholarships for summer programs, as well as other scholarships for students to apply for. The executive board for 2006-2007 was introduced, Paul Loikith, President, Allison Rafti, VP, Josh Cuzzone, secretary, Aimee Treutlein, Events Co-ordinator, Nick Mangieri, Treasurer, Stephanie Matheson, Council Spokesperson, Tom Collow, Media Forecaster, Allie Marqaudt, Webmaster. Allison ran the September Photo Contest, won by Brian Cerruti wiht a picture of Lightning. Prize was a $20 gift certificate for Applebee's. Paul ran a trivia contest, handing out candy bars as prizes. AMS trip plans for San Antonio were briefly discussed and eligible students signed up for more information, a deposit price was announced ($400) Tri-State Weather Conference trip plans were finalized, the cars were set up and the times to leave and arrive back at Rutgers were also finalized. Allie & Tom signed up to update the Club Bulletein board in ENR building. Sign-ups were assigned and collected to help run the Meteorology Department Open House for Friday October 6. There are 2 open house sessions; morning & afternoon. Dr.Robock will run both sessions, and at least 4 students per session are needed to meet wiht the parents & students. PSE&G forecasting for Co-Op credits were discussed, interested & eligible students signed up to receive an email about a seperate introductory meeting wiht Lou Bowers at a different date. Club fundraiser ideas were passed around; bakesale (halloween), snowflake sale (december) NWS Sywarn training was set up for October or November. Steph matheson discussed the next Cook College Council meeting & encouraged members of the club to attend.---Joshua Cuzzone.

SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY

The first meeting of the semester was held in the new building O’Neil Hall room 301. We began by introducing the new officers: President Emily Eisenacher, Vice President Rebecca Baggett, Secretary Adam Wallace, and Treasurer Andy Kren. An introduction of the professors in attendance followed: Dr. Graves, Professor Abell, and Dr. de Foy. Dr. Graves announced the Severe Local Storms Conference November 6-10 in St. Louis. Vice President Rebecca Baggett presented last years AMS t-shirt to Dr. de Foy to welcome him to the department. Secretary Adam Wallace led a discussion for T- Shirt Designs/Ideas while showing examples of previous years’ products. President Emily Eisenacher announced and explained the Hurricane Contest. Member Mike Folmer explained the Wx Challenge contest and gave students an opportunity to ask question and sign up for the contest. We ended the meeting with an open discussion about ideas for decorating the new building.---Emily Eisenacher.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN

The September meeting of the Smoky Mountain Chapter was held on the 18th in Morristown, TN at the National Weather Service (NWS) office. Most everyone met first at O'Charleys for dinner, and then around 20 members met at the NWS office for a talk by David Hotz (NWS Science and Operations Officer). His presentation was about how the NWS forecasts and warns for severe weather. Using the Warning Event Simulator (WES), he was able to display both the forecast tools (model and observational data) and radar data as if the event were occurring in real-time on the operational AWIPS system. He focused on two extreme events in east Tennessee: the November 10, 2002 tornado outbreak and the May 20, 2006 extremely large hail event (where many reports of baseball size hail were received from across southeast TN).---David Gaffin.

SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA

http://www.ametsoc.org/chapters/cup/

September 2006

In order to welcome new students, the chapter held a camping trip at Ohiopyle State Park on September 8-10. Nearly thirty students took part in this event. Whitewater rafting, biking, and hiking were just some of the activities in which students participated. This may become a yearly tradition within the chapter because of its great success.

Each year the Earth Science Department holds a picnic. This year's picnic was held at Roadman Park in Brownsville, Pennsylvania on Sunday September 10 at 3 PM. A game of football, Frisbee- food, and fun were just some of the fun activities in which students participated.

Kyle Olmstead, the chapter Historian, recently added Meteograms to our chapter website. The website also features archived minutes, agendas, and pictures from all past events. He also has continued to update the chapter calendar. (http://www.ametsoc.org/chapters/cup/)

The California University of Pennsylvania meteorology club has recently bought some new merchandise. All wind resistant umbrellas, decals for cars, and window stickers feature the CAL U Meteorology logo and can be purchased by anyone.

Kristen Cornett, NBC Weather Plus Meteorologist, joined us on Tuesday September 12, 2006 to discuss her past experiences as a broadcast meteorologist. Thirty-five student members gathered for her presentation. Following her lecture, Miss Cornett answered questions and met with students for lunch in the university cafeteria.

The chapter membership has been finalized for the academic year 2006-2007. Sixty-six student members (one honorary), professors, and professionals are all part of the Southwest Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Meteorological Society.

The California University Organizational Fair was held on September 27. This annual event enables students to gain knowledge about clubs/organizations on campus. The Meteorology Club (SW PA Chapter) was represented by a tornado machine, our chapter's board, and brochures concerning meteorology.

Monaca, Charleroi, South Fayette School Districts have all been contacted concerning our Educational Outreach Program. There are also five other local schools districts currently discussing the proposal. This committee will visit fourteen schools before the semester's end.

On Friday, September 29 and Saturday, September 30, the Southwest Pennsylvania Chapter of the AMS was welcomed at a Pittsburgh Pirate game. Fifteen members represented the chapter at each game. Both nights were fun events.

WX Challenge started across the country. This year, the chapter has 20 participants who will forecast high, low (temperatures), precipitation, and sustained winds. This real world experience can only improve forecasting skills within our chapter.

The annual report was submitted to NOAA. This report included all activities that the chapter has taken part in within the last year. It will be used to create an annual report.---Michael J. Allen.

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

The Texas A&M Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society had a great first meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 5, 2006. We had about 75 excited students attend and were eager to see what we had planned for the year. Alicia Dale is our new President and welcomed everyone to the meeting. First off to talk was Haley Johnson, Vise-President. She discussed all of our upcoming trips for the year. These included visiting KTRK-Channel 13 in Houston, a private weather company, and our trip to Norman, OK in the Spring. Next, we discussed attending the AMS conference in January in San Antonio. Lindsay Brooks and Melissa Polt gave the treasurer's and secretaries reports, mentioning new t-shirts we are creating as well as old t-shirts on sale. Next, Katie Collins, a coordinator of TASC, the Texas Aggie Storm Chasers, talked about storm chasing. We are holding a safety seminar to train those people who are interested in chasing. Shawn Marino also mentioned our KAMU Radio Program which will go into effect soon where we give forecasts throughout the day to our local radio station. Jessica Rosenbam, our social chair talked about the fun activities we will all be doing together such as attending school events together and celebrating birthdays. Our next meeting will be held Tuesday, October 3.---Melissa Polt.

TWIN CITIES

The September 2006 meeting of the Twin Cities chapter of the American Meteorological was held on September 19, 2006. Before the meeting, some of the members enjoyed a three-course meal served by Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Mendota Heights. The meal was accompanied by a lively discussion.

Chirs Bovitz, president, called the meeting to order at 7:45. Vice President Shelby McQuay was also in attendance. About 12 members and potential members were also present.

Our speaker was Patrick Hammer. Hammer is the morning and midday meteorologist at KSTP. Before coming to the Twin Cities, he worked in a few cities on and near the West Coast, and his presentation topic was "Challenges of West Coast Forecasting," specifically, mesoscale peculiarities and microclimates of northwestern Washington and of coastal California and its central valley. One of the items he pointed out was the radar shadow along the Washington coast in an area which receives dozens of inches of rain a year. He mentioned the Puget Sound Convergence Zone, where a particular surface wind flow would cause a sustained and stationary area of heavy precipitation. In California, the location of San Francisco Bay in a gap in the coastal ranges, and the wind impinging upon the Sierra Nevada can cause heavy rainfall and snowfall. Sutter Buttes, a relatively low-elevation set of buttes in the San Joaquin Valley, cause a local tornado alley near there when the winds are right, due to the orographic flow and the orientation of the buttes.

After Patrick's presentation, the meeting continued. The minutes of the May meeting were read and approved; likewise, the treasurer's report was read and approved.

Old business focused on our outreach efforts at the NWS Open House on September 16, 2006. Doug Dokken, LeAnn Lombardo, and Chris Bovitz staffed the booth. More than 2,000 people attended the open house, and our booth was busy for the entire length of the open house. Dokken's WATADS display of the St. Peter tornado of March 28, 199, received a lot of attention at the open house. We also handed out many newsletters, information sheets, and even got two new members on the spot. Our weather radio raffle had about 130 entries, an elementary schooler won the raffle.

We also approved a constitution. Passage of the constitution was attempted at the May meeting, but the constitution was tabled until the September meeting, when a less-prescriptive version would be presented. The document was returned to its original state as it came from the Reconstitution Committee, and it was approved by more than three-quarters of the attendees. We now have a constitution! The work of the Reconstitution committee is greatly appreciated.

New business: We are looking for a science fair coordinator. This person would be the contact person to receive requests for science fair judging and collect the results. No one volunteered. As for prizes, we decided to forgo awarding subscriptions to "Weatherwise". Instead, weather radios will be purchased in advance by the Twin Cities AMS and given to the winners. Please contact an officer if you are interested in being the science fair coordinator!

Bovitz mentioned a letter he received from the National AMS regarding an outreach opportunity. The Oklahoma Climatological Survey has created some posters for schools which show safety rules for various types of severe weather. While no one at the meeting volunteered to head this effort, everyone agreed that it was a good idea, and one that we will bring up again. If you are interested in heading up this effort, please contact an officer.

McQuay contacted Best Buy to see if they would be willing to donate weather radios to our chapter. They did sound interested, but stated they didn't usually don't donate to groups which are not charitable organizations (nonprofits organized under IRS code 501(c)(3)). John Wetter said he would look into what it would take to get this done.

Bovitz mentioned a few changes to the newsletter: there is a deadline for submissions of the first of the month. Anthony Stender will be writing a "Weather History" column, relating part of Twin Cities weather history. Another feature is the return of "Member of the Month." President Chris Bovitz was the first. A random member will be chosen for the next one.

Upcoming events of the Twin Cities AMS:

Oct. 4: Kuenast Lecture, 3:30 p.m. at the St Paul Campus of the U of M.
Oct. 6: Doug Dokken will be at the 3M K-8 Science Teachers Workshop, 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Science Museum of Minnesota
Oct. 17: Monthly meeting, 7:00 p.m., Meteorlogix. Presenters: Jim Foerster and Jim Block
Oct 25-26: Northern Plains Winter Storm Conference, St. Cloud State University. Rich Naistat will chair a session.

Other items:

Wetter mentioned that people with science backgrounds might be needed for an outreach to schools since the new academic standards place a greater emphasis on science.
Wetter and Rory Groves are planning the next Skywarn Workshop on March 30, 2007. We will look at bringing their speaker over for a meeting as we did with Tim Samaras last year.

The meeting adjourned at about 9:10 p.m.---Chris Bovitz.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

September 18, 2006 7:30PM

KU AMS Dues are $10. Dues are optional, but encouraged. Ideas for the display cases outside of the Weather Lab (Lindley 405). If you have ideas or want to help, e-mail Christina at tflo@ku.edu.

National AMS Membership - It is a professional society that helps to make students aware of job opportunities and scholarships. National AMS Conference in San Antonio (January 15-January 19). Student Volunteers need to submit an application by October 20th.

Tutoring is encouraged for those struggling in any Atmospheric Science classes. Just drop by the weather lab and there are usually people around who can help!!!

Soda - The refrigerator in the weather lab is restocked with soda. Anyone can buy a can for 50 cents.

Next Meeting is Thursday, October 5th at Jaybowl (7:00PM-10:30PM) - $7 for shoe rental, unlimited bowling, and soda.---Christina Flowers.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA

Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Clifford Hall, Rm. 264
5:00 p.m.

Call to Order:
President Kira Dordal called the AMS meeting to order at 5:00 with introductions of all members.

Past Minutes:
No minutes to be read (first meeting of the year.)

Officer Reports:
Advisor:

Faculty had a curriculum meeting where they discussed changing the course sequence. **This pertains to freshman.** They would make Met. 210 mandatory (a core course); 310 would be optional; they would drop 419; and make 420 mandatory.

Treasurer:
Current balance is $860.46. This may change if there are some outstanding bills. We discussed and decided to increase dues from $12.50/sem. to $15/sem. **Dues are changed to $15/semester or $30/year (which includes banquet ticket)*

Old Business:
No old business.

New Business:
Committees:

Must be a chair to run for President or Vice President next year. Committees include Activities (bowling, curling, who's who wall, etc.), Fundraising (sell hot dogs, etc.), T-shirts, Banquet (speaker for spring banquet). Passed around sign-up sheet; the following students signed up for committees:
Activities: Kevin Skow (chair), Andrew Pederson, Tanner Schleve
Curriculum: Kelly Kramlich (chair), Kevin Skow
Fundraising: Andrea Neumann (chair)
T-shirts: Kelsey Watkins (chair), Kevin Skow, Laura Pappas, Erin Bertschi, Claire Gores
Banquet: Al Borho (advisor), Becki Legatt (chair), Shannon Murphy, Matt Benz

Next week we will break up into committees to brainstorm ideas

Broomball:
Voted on team name, "Mesocyclones"

Homecoming Float:
-October 7
-Voted whether or not to have a float in the parade; not a lot of interest was shown -We will table this until the next meeting and make a decision then

Photo Contest:
We are starting a photo contest this year within the department (faculty, staff, students). We need ideas on how to go about this (categories, voting, etc.) This will be discussed further in the Activities Committee. **We welcome your input on this idea!**

Potluck:
Adam Theisen volunteered to have a potluck at his house, about once a month or so. We thought that this sounds like a great idea. Thanks Adam!

NCAR Presentation:
In October, Adam T. needs to do a presentation on his trip to NCAR

Announcements:
-Picnic this Sunday at 2:00pm at University Park!!
-National AMS conference in San Antonio, TX; Jan 14-18, 2007 (need preliminary numbers of those interested)
-Be thinking of banquet speakers; come to next meeting w/ ideas!
-5:30ish Happy Hour on Wed. Sept. 6 at Green Mill!

Adjournment:
Meeting was adjourned without objection at 5:23.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Clifford Hall, Rm. 264
5:00 p.m.

Call to Order:
President Kira Dordal called the AMS meeting to order at 5:00.

Past Minutes:

Last week:
Al talked about the curriculum change; we decided on a new price for dues ($15/sem. or $30/year); we signed up for committees; we voted on a team name for Broomball (the Mesocyclones); we discussed having a float in the homecoming parade; we discussed starting a photo contest

Officer Reports:

Advisor:
Information available on AMS scholarships/fellowships (mostly for juniors/seniors.) If you are interested in any of these, contact Al.

Treasurer:
Current balance is $783.94

Old Business:

Homecoming Float:
There will not be a float this year; if anyone decides they want to take on building a float, let Kira know. The deadline to sign up is sometime next week.

New Business:

Committees:
Fundraising:
-We will be selling hot dogs/chips/pop in the aerospace link on Tuesday, September 26. This will be from around 11/11:30 till 1:00ish. An email will be sent out with more information and asking for sign-ups to work. We need you to help out here!
-Discussed selling cookie dough sometime before Christmas break
-Kira was emailed about helping w/ concession stands at Alerus Center (will look into this)
-The idea came up to sell hot chocolate/cookies in the link during winter. We plan on doing this as it will be quite cost effective and successful (we think!)

T-Shirts:
-We are going to make a Broomball shirt this year instead of just AMS
-It will be in bright colors, and we are working on designs.
-You might be able to pay more to have your name on the back, or we'll just put all the names of paying members on the back
Activities:
-There is a potluck at Adam Theisen's house on Thursday, September 28 at 7pm. He'll have the main meal-but bring a side dish if you can.
-We want to go bowling and/or curling (Kelly will look up the details on curling-maybe we'll go later in the year)
-Broomball doesn't start until March 1 this year (start practicing now!)
-We are still setting up the details on the photo contest. We decided on different categories for six months, and voting will be set up online. Look for flyers and an email will be put out w/ more details.
-It's tradition to go trick-or-treating to professors' houses on Halloween. This will be discussed more next week.

Banquet:
-We want to have a female speaker this year, for something different.
-Top ideas are Belinda Jensen from Twin Cities news station, and someone from the Weather Channel. But we are open to other suggestions!

Announcements:
-The National AMS conference is in San Antonio, TX on Jan 14-18, 2007. December 1 is the early rate deadline; December 22 is the higher rate deadline; online registrations are accepted through January 16. October 20 is the deadline to apply to work at the conference (they pay for everything but your plane ticket.)
-Dues are $30/year (which includes banquet ticket). Or you can just pay $15 for a semester. Please pay these to Dan A.S.A.P. Checks are payable to AMS.

Adjournment:
Meeting was adjourned without objection at 5:38. ---Katy Olson.

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

School of Meteorology Picnic - 09/08/2006
The School of Meteorology Picnic on September 8th was very successful. Rick Mitchell and Frank Johnson from KOCO-5 broadcasted from the picnic. Various games ranging from softball to Frisbee were setup throughout the park. Catered food from Rib Crib and Italian gelato was served.

OUSCAMS Meeting - 09/12/2006
The University of Oklahoma Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society held its second meeting for the 2006-2007 school year in the David L. Boren Auditorium in the National Weather Center (NWC) at 5:00pm on September 12, 2006. Approximately 75 people were in attendance, including all officers.

Dr. Petra Klein, University of Oklahoma professor, presented information on the study abroad programs offered by the School of Meteorology. The program is only available to students with junior status within meteorology. The application can be found at http://ww.ou.edu/intprog. The process is long and tedious, so an early start is profitable. The deadline is October 1st. The School of Meteorology is holding internal interviews for the University of Reading exchange on September 21st.

The following students presented their study abroad experiences:

Renee Curry, Meteorology Senior (University of Reading (England), Spring 2006)
Troy Christenson, Meteorology Senior (University of Hamburg (Germany), Spring 2006)
Heather Buchman, Meteorology Senior (University of Monash (Australia), Spring 2006)

At the conclusion of the presentations, general business was conducted. Megan Ferris (Secretary) read the minutes from the August 29th meeting. Melissa Koeka (President) summarized the bowling and volleyball from the previous weeks. An activity interest ballot was distributed at the meeting. A few activities mentioned in the poll were ultimate Frisbee, poker night, and flag football. An end-of-meeting raffle was held, selecting five names from the bag. The meeting adjourned at 6:20pm.

Trash Pick-up - 09/24/2006
Jaclyn Williams (Treasurer) led a group of about 20 people to pick up trash along Highway 9 in Norman, OK. The student chapter has been cleaning up this area for over five years. The members met in the parking lot of the National Weather Center at 10:00am on September 24th and finished around noon.---Megan Ferris.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

September 13, 2006

Officers:
President – Tara Golden
Vice-President – Javier Vazquez
Secretary – Reba Redd
Treasurer – Tiffany Borgstede
SeCAPS Coordinator – Ronnie Schumman
Webmaster - Jason Holmes
Public Relations – Donovan Scarbrough

Current Events:

The met club is still accepting dues, but those paying late will be unable to participate in the Hurricane Forecast Contest.
The Hurricane Forecast Contest is still currently running and will end after the last official tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Basin. For current systems, if they have the potential to make landfall, we ask members to email the club with your prediction of location.
We are still asking for more members to inform us of available times for meeting so we can allow more to attend the meetings.

Upcoming Events:

Our next meeting in October will continue the discussion of SeCAPS.
The met club is planning for a movie night and a trip to the beach in October or November.
The met club has an intramural flag football team that will be playing on Sundays or Wednesdays. The schedules will be posted inside the bulletin board outside Coastal Weather. We need all the players we can get, especially females. If you are interested in playing, please contact Donovan Scarbrough.
We are in the planning process of working with Habitat for Humanities to travel to New Orleans for a day to help with re-building in November. If you are interested, please contact Ronnie Schumman or Reba Redd.

SeCAPS:

SeCAPS time has yet to be finalized. We are looking to hold it one weekend from February 20th, 2007 to the end of March 2007. It will be held in the John Counts Room, which is located directly behind the Coastal Weather Research Center.
The SeCAPS coordinator, Ronnie Schumman would like all interested members in working registration, publications, and technology committees to contact him.

Guest Speaker:

The guest speaker for the meeting was Jack Cullen from the NWS Mobile, AL. He spoke about career in Meteorology. He also discussed the benefits of working for the federal government, the application process, and the SCEP program at NWS.

---- Reba Redd.

Click on Logo to Return to AMS Home Page
© 2000 American Meteorological Society
Headquarters: 45 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108-3693
Email: amsinfo@ametsoc.org
Phone: 617-227-2425; Fax: 617-742-8718