CUFORN Bulletin - Vol 05 No 01 - 1984 - Jan-Feb

Magazine Overview

Title: CUFORN BULLETIN
Issue: Vol.5, No.1
Date: January-February, 1984
Publisher: CUFORN Inc.
Country: Canada
Theme: UFOs and related phenomena, including sightings, terminology, media coverage, and scientific investigations.

Agincourt Sighting (CE2)

The issue begins with a detailed report of a sighting on February 4, 1978, near Warden and Steeles Avenue East in Agincourt, Ontario. The observer, a 12-year-old student named J.K., described an unusual "wavering sharp siren-type sound" before seeing a solid, lighted saucer-shaped object moving in a triangular pattern. The object had sharp edges, a bright yellow main portion, and triangles of a light reddish-brown color within a black-edged design. The top portion was transparent yellow with a black edge. Portholes were described as bright yellow. The surface of the main portion was likened to gold, with some red and blue portions also noted. J.K. reported the telephone wires emitted a buzzing sound. The object was estimated to be about 20 feet above the ground and the size of a large house. A figure or logo of a man was seen on the outside. The area was partially built up. J.K. expressed being "very scared" and felt "chills." His parents later reported mysterious small balls of red light floating through their apartment. The report was made to CUFORN Field Investigator, President and Co-Director Joe Muskat.

UFOs & the Electronic Media by Lawrence J. Fenwick

This article explores the connection between UFO reports and electronic media. Fenwick discusses abduction reports where humanoids allegedly take samples of human blood, skin, and hair, pondering if this is for breeding purposes or interbreeding with humans. He references the PBS film "Of Pure Blood," which dealt with the Nazi Lebensborn organization's attempt to breed genius Aryans, and notes that the experiment failed to produce intellectually superior offspring. This leads Fenwick to question if humanity itself might be a failed experiment by humanoids. He also discusses Arthur C. Clarke's television series "Mysterious World," noting that while the Globe and Mail mentioned UFOs, the Toronto Star's Starweek Magazine failed to do so. The series was interrupted but scheduled to return, with an episode on the Tunguska event. A list of TV stations available in the Toronto area is provided.

Media Mentions and Broadcasts

Ufologists in southern Ontario had several viewing choices on Thursday, March 2, 1984, with Global TV airing "The Disappearance of Flight 412" and CTV airing "The UFO Incident." The Globe and Mail described Flight 412 as "suspense" and mentioned "cover-up," while the Toronto Star called it "science fiction." The article notes that Flight 412 was notable for including genuine motion pictures of UFOs. In radio, CKO-FM in Toronto featured ufologist Robert Holiday, who was appointed News Director. CKO broadcast an item about the Cash-Landrum CE2 on January 20, and later, on February 27, another UFO story related to Hamilton, Ontario, where intelligent people reported seeing a UFO.

Stanton Friedman and Roswell

Stanton Friedman is pictured at a CUFORN meeting in Toronto in October 1980, accompanied by William L. (Bill) Moore. Sometime in mid-February, Friedman appeared on the Merv Griffin Show on ABC-TV, discussing the Roswell crash-retrieval.

Errors in Vol.4 Number 4

This section provides corrections for the November-December 1983 issue, including adjustments to measurements and clarifications of abbreviations.

Tormé Tackles UFO Abduction Film Script

A photo of Tracy Tormé, son of singer Mel Tormé, is shown. He is noted as having nearly completed the script for the film version of Budd Hopkins' book, "Missing Time."

Fragments

This section offers advice on correcting misinformation in daily newspapers by writing letters to the editor. It also announces the upcoming book "Clear Intent" by Lawrence Fawcett and Barry Greenwood, scheduled for release in June 1984.

From Our Photo Archives - Dennis Prophet

Dennis Prophet, a pioneer in ufology in Canada, is featured. He ran an auto repair shop called Reptune Motors and used the name Reptune for his UFO organization, Reptune Research. The organization was briefly incorporated as the "First Private Canadian UFO Club." Prophet had a Dodge van equipped with a telescope, camera, and tape recorder for field investigations, but it was unfortunately never used.

View of UFOs too light

This piece critiques a Globe and Mail article by James Rusk regarding the National Archives containing Defence Department UFO files. The author argues that the article was late in reporting this and that the Pentagon spokesman misquoted a legal document. The article also points out that the "citizens group" involved in the lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force to release humanoid remains worked for agencies like NASA and the Pentagon, with Larry Bryant being a Pentagon employee and a veteran U.S. military officer.

Historic Breakthrough

This article, summarized from French publications, details a UFO landing case near Avignon, France, on January 8, 1981. Farmer Renato Nicolai observed a strange aircraft land in his garden for about a minute. Police investigated, describing the craft as approximately 5 feet in height and 7½ feet in diameter, with a lead-like color and a shape resembling two logs. Samples of soil and vegetation were collected and sent to GEPAN (French equivalent of NASA) and then to INRA for analysis. Dr. Bounias, Director of the Biochemical Laboratory at INRA, stated that the leaves from the impact site showed the biochemical characteristics of advanced senescence (old age), bearing no resemblance to anything known on Earth. Professor Jean-Pierre Petit, a researcher at the National Center for Space Research, declared this to be the first scientifically acceptable UFO case and suggested the hypothesis of an "unknown origin space-ship" was the most fitting explanation.

Mini UFO hits Indian satellite

A brief report from the Toronto Star states that an unidentified object struck India's telecommunications satellite, Insat-1B, after its release from the U.S. space shuttle Challenger.

UFO caused sickness: Suit

This report from Houston, Texas, details a lawsuit filed by three people against the U.S. government for $20 million, alleging radiation and other injuries from an encounter with an unidentified flying object. Vicki Landrum, her grandson Colby, and Betty Cash claim they experienced swelling, rashes, nausea, hair and fingernail loss, and headaches after the encounter. Betty Cash believes the object was a secret government device, not an extraterrestrial visitor.

O report UFO in Ukraine

A Moscow newspaper reported that over 40 witnesses in Ukraine saw a "bright object" and a "space ship" flying low to the ground. Experts were divided, with possibilities ranging from a meteorite to ball lightning or satellite debris. Grigory Pisarenko of the Ukrainian Commission for Cosmic Research stated the object's speed was too slow for a meteorite.

The Word "UFOLOGY" by Richard W. Heiden

This extensive article traces the origin and definition of the word "ufology." Heiden notes that while "UFO" was coined by Edward Ruppelt, the term "ufology" is older than commonly believed. He cites Morris K. Jessup's 1956 book "The UFO Annual" and the January-February 1956 issue of "Flying Saucer Review" as early uses. The article reviews definitions from various dictionaries, including The World Book Dictionary, Webster's, and Collins Dictionary, highlighting slight variations and the approximate origin date of "ca. 1961" for the term. John Rowland of "Flying Saucer Review" expressed dissatisfaction with the term "flying saucer," suggesting a more learned name would have been beneficial. Heiden concludes by discussing the proposed term "AGNOPTENOLOGY" as a more descriptive alternative, though acknowledging its length.

On the Name of the Discipline That Studies UFOs by Félix Ares de Blas

This article, translated and adapted by Richard W. Heiden, discusses the author's distaste for the terms "ufologists" and "ufology," finding them ridiculous for mixing an English acronym with a Greek suffix. He argues that scientific disciplines traditionally derive their names from classical Greek or Latin. He describes the etymological and semantic process undertaken by César Chaparro Gómez and two professors of Greek at the University of Salamanca to derive the term "AGNOPTENOLOGY." This term is broken down from "AGNOSTOS" (unknown) and "PTENOS" (flying thing), with the "-logy" suffix. After applying haplogy (synecope), the term becomes "AGNOPTENOLOGY," meaning "THE STUDY OF SOMETHING THAT FLIES AND THAT IS UNKNOWN TO US." The author notes that while the word sounds strange, it is descriptive and memorable, though perhaps too long.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The CUFORN Bulletin consistently focuses on UFO phenomena, presenting detailed sighting reports, analyzing media coverage, and exploring the terminology used within the field. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into UFOs, advocating for scientific investigation and critical analysis of evidence, as seen in the detailed examination of the French landing case and the discussion on the etymology of "ufology." There is a clear effort to distinguish between sensationalism and genuine research, while also acknowledging the public's fascination with the subject.

Title: CUFORN BULLETIN
Issue: JAN.-FEB., 1984
Volume: 11
Date: January-February, 1984

This issue of the CUFORN Bulletin details the groundbreaking event of Canada's first college-level ufology course, taught by the bulletin's own editor, Lawrence J. Fenwick.

Canada's First College UFO Course

The main feature of this issue highlights Lawrence J. Fenwick's role as the instructor for the first complete ufology course ever presented at a college in Canada. The course, titled "UFOs-Fact or Fiction?", took place at the York-Eglinton campus of Humber College of Applied Arts and Technology from February 7 to March 13, 1984. Despite the campus being in Toronto, Ontario, two-thirds of the 12 students came from cities outside Toronto. The course sessions were held on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, with the final session postponed by a week due to a severe snowstorm on March 6.

The course was administered by the Ontario government, and the cost for each student was $35.00. Unlike colleges in the United States, no private funds were involved in keeping the cost down.

The lecture series was primarily aimed at the general public. However, two students were noted as being long-time ufologists and veterans of the Canadian Navy and Merchant Marine. One of these veterans reported several sightings from his tour of duty and his family, though none involved close encounters.

The curriculum provided students with an in-depth understanding of field investigation methodology, identification of IFOs (Identified Flying Objects), photographic evidence, basic ufological terminology, case histories of famous events (ranging from NIs - Non-identified Incidents - through abductions and crash retrievals), theoretical aspects, historical background, relevant literature, statistics, and paranormal facets. All of this was covered within 10 hours spread across five sessions.

Course Materials and Promotion

Fenwick, also known as CUFORN's Co-Director and Secretary, is shown in a photograph during one of the lectures. A map of North America, based on the work of Moore, Fowler, and Stringfield, was used to illustrate the locations of 29 well-investigated crash-retrieval reports on the continent.

The article also showcases a selection of books recommended to students for the course, including titles like "Missing Time," "Moy of Lip," "Observing UFOs," "Casebook of a UFO Investigator," and "On a Clear Night."

Securing a minimum number of students proved challenging, requiring significant effort to contact the media and place posters. While many media outlets promised coverage, few delivered, with most only agreeing to a story on the day the course began. A significant piece did appear in the Toronto Sun, featuring a half-page spread and a photograph of Fenwick displaying some partially investigated UFO photos.

The course's audio-visual content was extensive, utilizing over 100 slides and two tape recordings. One student even contributed their own slides depicting Non-Living UFOs (NLs) maneuvering over Lake Ontario.

Invited guests at the final lecture included CUFORN Co-Directors Harry Tokarz and Joe Muskat.

Publicity and Future Prospects

Extensive publicity was given to major UFO organizations such as MUFON, APRO, CUFOS, SBI, GSW, CAUS, and CUFORN. Journals like "Flying Saucer Review" and proceedings from UFO conferences and seminars were referenced and quoted during the lectures. The hope was that this exposure would lead to increased membership and subscriptions for these groups and journals.

Feedback from students was positive. One student was a repeat attendee, having previously encountered an NL and a CE1 (Close Encounter of the First Kind). Two female students were friends of the man in charge of the college's registration office.

Looking ahead, Seneca College has expressed interest in offering a similar ufology course in the autumn of 1984. There is potential for a year-round series of such courses at various institutions in the Toronto area, with Ryerson Polytechnical Institute being a strong possibility, as Fenwick is an alumnus.

Editorial Notes and Recommendations

Fenwick noted that a significant aid for those wishing to teach ufology courses would be the inclusion of proper indexes in ufology books, as most currently lack them. He is currently working on creating his own indexes for some of these books, starting with Len Stringfield's "Situation Red."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue strongly emphasizes the importance of ufology education and the potential for academic institutions to offer courses on the subject. It highlights the efforts of CUFORN and its editor in promoting UFO research and awareness. The stance is one of active engagement in the field, from teaching and investigation to the organization of information through indexing.