Last Update 03/21/07
Copyright © 2007

September 1, 2005 -- Dr. Phil Cunningham, FSU Dept. of Meteorology

The meeting was opened at 7:40pm as Chapter President Pat Taylor introduced the Executive Board. Each board member gave a brief bio and described their committee: Geoff Wagner, Vice President & Programs Committee Chair; Cerese Albers, Treasurer & Membership Committee Chair; Rachel Austin, Secretary & Publicity Committee Chair; Jessica Donnelly, Science and Education Committee Chair; Chris Bennett, Past President.

Geoff Wagner announced the social events for the next month. There will be a cookout at Tom Brown Park on September 17 at 11:00am. There will be a logo contest to redesign the North Florida Chapter logo.

Pat mentioned a Golf Tournament, the primary fundraising event, to take place in November. He then passed around committee sign-up sheets.

Constitution amendments were described and discussed among board and chapter members. The following amendments were unanimously accepted:

Amendment 1 -- Absentee ballots are an acceptable manner of voting. Procedures are to be explained within the chapter by-laws.

Amendment 2 -- Article V.1: Annual dues are decided by the Executive Board at the beginning of each chapter year and will be placed in the chapter by-laws. Payment of dues entitles a person as member and gives voting privileges. An active member is one who participates in a minimum of 40% of Chapter sponsored events and an active member of at minimum one committee. A Chapter sponsored event is defined as any monthly meeting or social gathering (i.e. BBQ or Chapter Banquet).

Amendment 3 -- Article VII.5: Election of Officers shall take place during the last meeting of the chapter year.

Amendment 4 -- Article VI.4: All meeting minutes shall be made available to all active members by the Publicity Committee at least seven (7) days after the meeting. These minutes shall also include the time, location, and preliminary agenda of the next meeting.

Amendment 5 -- Article III.6: The active membership has the right to impeach any officer if the officer's action or activities warrant dismissal. A two-thirds (67%) majority vote by the active membership is required to dismiss a local chapter officer. This vote will be done by secret ballot.

Next, Geoff Wagner introduced Guest Speaker Dr. Philip Cunningham by giving an overview of his education and career. Dr. Cunningham's presentation was entitled Fire and Smoke: Using Atmospheric Models to Predict Wildfire Behavior. Highlights of his presentation include:

• Video of a crown fire in real time
• Animated simulations of grassfires in relation to the length of the initial fire line. Used in controlled burns.
• Animated simulations of 'thinned-out forests' to reduce damage from wildfires
• Animated simulations of a canyon fire
• Animated simulations of sea-breeze and the density currents associated with them
• Viewing of a radar image of a fire in Tallahassee significantly intensified by the incoming of a sea-breeze front
• Dr. Cunningham's model is the first simulation of the vertical component of vorticity of fire plumes.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00pm with the next meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 22, 2005.

The above minutes are a true and correct reflection of the September 1, 2005 meeting.

For More Information: Pat Taylor, northflams@gmail.com. Minutes submitted by Rachel Austin, Secretary.