November 2008 Newsletter

Published 11/09/2008 | By WD4NYL

ALERT NEWSLETTER – November 2008 Vol. 2 No. 5 Hi everybody and welcome to the November ALERT Newsletter. Ever wonder why some decisions and positions are made and who actually makes them? Well, maybe it would be helpful to describe our Totem Poles. The National Weather Service is ALERT’s served agency. ALERT must abide by the NWS rules and mandates & tries to the best of it’s abilities to fulfill the NWS’s wishes & assist in it’s mission to save lives. The NWS is mindful that we are limited in what we can do since we are a volunteer organization & that, as in my case, while I would love to “do weather” all the time, my employer might have other ideas on the matter. The NWS in Birmingham is subject to the rules and wishes of the Southern Regional Headquarters & the mandates of Washington DC. Whether they agree with a Regional or National level decision doesn’t really matter. They have to do what their “bosses” say, just as we as we have to do what our bosses say at our work. So, if the NWS inBirmingham takes a position you don’t like, remember it may or may not be Birmingham making the decision. It may be coming from far up the food chain. And THOSE wishes and orders will outweigh your wishes and desires. Even if the local WFO wants to grant your wishes. We don’t know what goes on behind the scenes and the factors in the decision making process or even from what level the decisions were made. After all, it is the Federal Government we are working with & for. So if you are displeased with a NWS position, slamming the local NWS leadership isn’t a very effective or positive course of action. They may be just following orders. It is absolutely not the proper approach & is potentially damaging to a very good relationship. Always remember that we “work” for the National Weather Service, not the other way around. And, that we are participating in the realm of the Federal Government, which has it’s own reasons and multifaceted pressures. I’m glad to say that ALERT & the NWS has the closest of working relationships. ALERT members are treated as if we actually worked for the NWS. They treat us as “part of the family”. They make us feel at home. So let’s be mindful of them & not harm our unique “family”. OK? Now with ALERT, the Totem Pole is as follows. The President heads ALERT. That’s Me. My job is to guide ALERT and see that it’s policies and procedures are carried out & that ALERT’s interests are protected. The Board of Directors sets ALERT’s policies and procedures. I, as all Officers are, am answerable to the Board of Directors. And, while I lead ALERT, major decisions are usually made with the Board being consulted or as they say “with the advice and consent” of the Board. Not to be mistaken that I’m afraid or unwilling to make a decision. But, a wise leader seeks the advice of his trusted captains. For no leader is all knowing or all wise. Though I, in my wonderfulness do come awfully close. And, a wise leader is correctable. If he learns he is going in the wrong direction, he corrects his steps and proceeds onward. So I consider the Board as a check & balance in major decision-making. With all that said, I am still the President & I will do what it takes to protect ALERT. Which means I may not win every popularity contest. But, that goes with the territory. The Officers – Operations, Treasurer, etc, oversee the daily functioning of the various departments of ALERT. Making sure ALERT is a functioning entity. They handle the nuts and bolts issues. And, finally, the individual members are the “ground troops” that man the radios, chatrooms & support ALERT. At this point I must that add no member who is not an Officer or Director should go to any group or individual promising things, hinting or telling, “I’ll talk to them & get it straightened out”. If there are problems and issues, bring it to the meetings. Let’s see about working it out. But, know that it may not end up as you wished or promised. For there may be overriding issues you don’t know about. Especially if you don’t attend the meetings & keep up to date. If you want to change things, then study the Bylaws, understand the processes & participate within the boundaries of those processes. And, remember that there is no office of “Ambassador of ALERT”. For all this does is cause confusion, which usually could have been avoided with communications and participation. What can Members do to help ALERT? 1. Participate! Come to meetings & callouts. Send material for the newsletter. Be involved. Do what you can do, when you can do it. 2. Promote! Say positive things about ALERT. Even if you don’t agree with everything we do or say. We are still “the best game in town”, so encourage people to come and join. 3. Prepare! Attend the Storm Spotter training classes. Learn of Meteorology & ham radio procedures. Study the ARRL ARECC courses & the FEMA ICS/NIMS courses. And, be a Net Control Station on the Tuesday Night Net and Sunday Night Net so you will be comfortable with net operations. Always remember that one person CAN make a difference & that YOUR ALERT needs you! Hopefully the preceding will help give you a better grasp of “the lay of the land” & why certain things are so. You may not be happier for the knowledge, but, at least you understand that we are not dealing with a simple “yes/no” decision making process. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Mark’s Almanac With the arrival of November we enter our second tornado season. Alabama and the Southeast is “blessed” by being the only area on Earth with two tornado seasons. And, the cause of the second season is the same as the spring season – clashes of cold and warm air masses. The cold air of winter invading and trying to push the warmth of the summer back into the sea, which is the same process of springtime, just in reverse. The second season is often more destructive than the spring season. So beware of a warm & muggy November day. Especially with a south wind, as something may be brewing. The Hurricane threat greatly diminishes, with hurricane activity occurring mainly in the open Atlantic, threatening the Eastern Seaboard, but usually veering off into sea as cold fronts off the East Coast deflect them. Hurricanes can still form in the Caribbean, which usually visit the Yucatan, but, can enter the Gulf. Hurricane season ends November 30. November welcomes the peak of fall colors. For Birmingham the peak occurs around November 15, but can vary depending on your elevation & latitude. Indian Summer and Squaw Winter continue to battle it out, but the cool or cold will eventually win, with the first average frost being on November 11. The usual fall effects occur in North America with Canada’s Hudson Bay becoming unnavigable due to pack ice & icebergs. Navigation in the Great Lakes becomes perilous due to storms bringing the “Gales Of November” made famous in song “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald”. And, don’t be surprised if you hear ducks overhead & see wedges of Canadian geese heading south for the winter. Also don’t be surprised if you see strange birds appearing in your front yard, for to 336 species of birds Alabama IS south for the winter. November’s Full Moon is “Beaver Moon” in Native American folklore. ………………………………………………………………………………………. This month’s meeting will be on November 11 at 7PM at the National Weather Service Forecast office at the Shelby County Airport I hope to see you there. Until then, 73 and take care. Mark WD4NYL PRESIDENT www.freewebs.com/weatherlynx/

Posted in ALERT Newsletter

November 2008 Newsletter

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