Intern Avis For NUFOC - 1977 no 08

Magazine Overview

This document is an internal newsletter from NORSK UFO CENTER (NUFOC), titled 'INTERN avis for NUFOC', issue number 8, dated October 31, 1977. It covers the proceedings of the NUFOC National Meeting (Landsmøte) held in Lillestrøm on September 24-25, 1977.

National Meeting in Lillestrøm (September 24-25, 1977)

The meeting commenced on Saturday at 12:00 PM, with many key NUFOC personnel present. Avdelingsleder Finn W. Kalvik was unable to attend due to illness. Several section leaders were also absent, including Tom R. Lemb (Research Section) and Kolbjørn Anton Nilsen (Lab. Section I), with the reason for their absence initially unknown. Svein Anthun represented NUFOC Vestlandet alone. A total of 19 participants from NUFOC attended, along with one invited guest, Hans Kristian Noe.

Avd. leder Alf Thommassen opened the meeting with welcoming remarks. K. Stenødegård followed with an overview of the past year's activities. He highlighted the positive experiences with the revised constitution and the success of the 'Hovedkassen' (main fund), which has provided a significant financial foundation. Stenødegård emphasized the importance of contributions to further increase the fund's capital.

He also noted that the concept of 'DEVELOPMENT' was particularly relevant in 1977, a year characterized by a more subdued trend than previous years. He pointed out that prognoses suggesting a point where further progress becomes difficult due to resource limitations have materialized. To expand the scope, a planned Nordic meeting was presented as a crucial initiative that could offer significant opportunities.

Another important initiative for 1977 was the internal magazine, which has been successful thanks to the choice of Terje Hansen as editor. Stenødegård acknowledged that the magazine's relevance might vary but stressed its value and the need to continue its publication. In summary, the positive aspects of the year included the revised constitution, the Hovedkassen, the internal magazine, and the idea of a Scandinavian UFO center.

Negative Aspects and Challenges

Conversely, negative points identified were problems within the Global Section, excessive stagnation in development, and a scarcity of UFO reports.

#### Video Equipment Acquisition

During the meeting, Thommassen mentioned an attempt to bring a video recorder from Arendal, which was offered for free by a photographer. However, due to the photographer's absence and other circumstances, a similar machine was borrowed from a store in Lillestrøm. Thommassen managed to negotiate the price down to 150 NOK. A quick collection among attendees covered this cost to support the recently established Hovedkassen. The video recorder was intended for use with a Danish TV film shown on the second day of the meeting.

The Global Section (Globalseksjonen)

The Global Section was described as NUFOC's 'problem child'. Stenødegård reiterated the section's purpose: to stay updated on international developments and to inform foreign colleagues about NUFOC's activities. He stressed that subscribing to periodicals alone is insufficient; active follow-up through correspondence with international UFO organizations and researchers is vital. Relying solely on Nordic sources for global material would limit NUFOC to merely echoing others, which is an undesirable position.

Stenødegård posed the question of how extensively NUFOC should invest in its Global Section and where to focus efforts. Should NUFOC aim to be the premier organization in the Nordic region for this aspect, or maintain a minimal focus on the most essential tasks? He suggested a middle ground, considering the planned integration with neighboring countries. Until this integration is realized, efforts should be made to maintain a Global Section that meets certain standards to avoid appearing inferior at the Nordic meeting.

He briefly mentioned 'crisis measures' implemented after the plan to establish the section in Southern Norway failed. Astrid Svelmoe and Anton Lidstrøm, section leaders in the Central Administration, volunteered to do their utmost to keep the section running. Ilse Sandernes from NUFOC Vest would handle contact with Germany, while NUFOC Vest would translate Norwegian material into English. Martha Erlandsen from Astrid's section might take on contact with Italy and other translations, with the workload distributed among those mentioned, in addition to handling purely Norwegian reports from the West.

A general briefing on NUFOC had been sent to key international organizations, resulting in a letter from V.I. Sanarov of a research institution in the Soviet Union expressing interest in NUFOC and requesting further information.

#### Discussion on Global Section Strategy

Feltforskjer Per Ottesen initiated a discussion by emphasizing the need to clarify NUFOC's contribution to Nordic cooperation. Current functions and future developments would need to adapt if Nordic integration proceeded.

Arne Foss from the Tønsberg Response Section suggested simplifying the process, questioning the need for multiple languages and proposing a Nordic pool for subscribing to English-language periodicals, with a reciprocal exchange of information. He noted that English is a widely understood language.

Stenødegård raised the issue of cost associated with such a pool, mentioning American press clipping agencies as a potential alternative, though their cost was unknown. He also highlighted the importance of efficiency.

Kåre Elvik from Lillestrøm suggested waiting until the Nordic meeting to address these matters.

Svein Anthun from Bergen advocated for focusing on doing existing work as well as possible until the meeting. He expressed skepticism about press clipping subscriptions, as experience showed that much of the material might be of little interest.

Thommassen introduced another concern: the uncertainty of the Nordic meeting's outcome and who might gain control. He suggested that Norwegians should proactively seek control. He also questioned the extent of NUFOC's personnel problems and whether hidden resources existed, ensuring NUFOC would have its own capabilities even if Nordic integration faltered.

Hans Aass from NUFOC Sørlandet pointed out the vast resource of pensioners in Norway, suggesting contact with pensioner associations to gauge interest, particularly in translation work.

Stenødegård embraced this idea, noting the potential for an active Global Section to provide material for interested pensioners. Hans Aass's proposal was recorded, with a request for departments to follow up.

Anthun stressed the importance of every NUFOC member performing their duties diligently, emphasizing that a wholehearted effort from a few is preferable to a partial effort from many.

Elvik highlighted the need to clarify the pensioner initiative before the Nordic meeting.

Ottesen brought up UFO-Sverige's film, deeming it a valuable tool for engaging with pensioner associations. The Danish TV film was also mentioned as significant.

It was decided that a list of current UFO periodicals would be included in the internal magazine, and possibly in UFO Forum. (This would appear in the next issue of the magazine, editor's note).

Overall, the discussion on the Global Section illuminated various aspects of the situation and generated good ideas. These should be pursued leading up to the Nordic meeting, while simultaneously maximizing current resources. The Nordic meeting could also address Arne Foss's proposal for a Nordic pool.

The Global Section discussion concluded around 2 PM, followed by a lunch break until 4 PM. During the break, attendees could review materials brought by the Tønsberg section, and the Central Administration distributed NUFOC's Information Manual and Dr. Richard F. Haines' document on new methods in field research.

Reporting Procedures (Rapportrutinene)

Post III on the agenda concerned reporting procedures. Stenødegård described the original routines as secure but cumbersome. He then presented proposals for revised reporting procedures submitted by NUFOC Øst and Sør. These changes were prompted by a request from Kalvik, who felt the original routines were placing a significant burden, including financial, on the Reporting Center.

Two alternative proposals were thoroughly reviewed.

Thommassen stated that if human considerations were paramount, the Øst proposal might be the best, as it would alleviate the load on the Reporting Center. He believed Kalvik's presence would have been beneficial for this discussion.

Anthun commented that these issues might have been discussed in local meetings in Bergen, which he had not attended. He acknowledged Kalvik's opinions on these routines and suggested that Kalvik might have intended to raise the matter at the national meeting. Anthun added that the Øst routines were likely the most practical.

Thommassen raised the question of the cost implications for his department, which was already heavily burdened. Anthun interjected that their hobby was very inexpensive.

He then elaborated on the idea of filtering reports at an early stage, perhaps at the department level or even by field researchers, to avoid overwhelming the Research Section with 'unintelligent' reports.

Stenødegård pointed out the potential drawback of such filtering, as even discarded cases might prove significant in a broader context or for future research, considering psychological and sociological factors.

Ottesen highlighted the role of observation frequency in these routines, suggesting that it might not always be necessary to send reports in a collective envelope to the Reporting Center, although instances of 'peaks' had occurred.

He proposed that it would generally be beneficial for the relevant department to review the material locally before it is sent further. This would allow for local follow-up and ensure that the department is aware of what is happening within its area.

Avd. leder Elbjørg Fjeldberg reminded attendees that the primary purpose of drafting new routines was to alleviate the workload of the Rapportsentralen.

A lengthy and detailed discussion followed, focusing on the question of who should be responsible for collecting and processing the material from field researchers: the Reporting Center or the departments. (The original system had the Reporting Center in direct contact with all field researchers, while departments had a 'housekeeping' responsibility for field research within their regions. This was considered logical when the Reporting Center was new and the departments were less established.)

Stenødegård noted that the situation had changed, and departments must now be fully updated on activities within their regions. He acknowledged that the departments' role might evolve to include more of the Reporting Center's functions.

Stenødegård also mentioned that the Øst proposal would allow reports to have a brief stay at the department level before moving to the Reporting Center. This would be less significant if the routines were changed to give departments more responsibility.

Ottesen raised important points, sharing his experience of visiting locations to investigate cases and finding that the material had already been processed. He noted that situations could arise where only the Reporting Center, and not the department leadership, was informed about activities within a department's area.

Thommassen inquired if field researchers could send copies of their material to their respective departments simultaneously with sending the originals to the Reporting Center. He questioned if this would be cost-prohibitive for field researchers.

Arne Foss proposed that the national meeting could grant the Reporting Center, or Vest, the mandate to decide on the routines.

Anthun expressed concern that broad departmental involvement might lead to departments becoming reporting centers themselves, potentially diluting the Bergen section's focus. He reiterated that departments must send their material to the Reporting Center as quickly as possible.

Seksjonsleder Arne Smevik, Moss, focused on the core questions: What should the Reporting Center handle, and what should departments know? He stated that he personally always makes copies for all relevant instances and has invested in a copying machine for this purpose. This ensures everyone is informed, and the Reporting Center can directly contact him for further details. His conclusion was that everyone should be kept as well-informed as possible, and the Reporting Center should maintain the overall overview.

Thommassen raised the issue of the cost and extra work involved for his department, which was already heavily burdened. Anthun humorously added that their hobby was very inexpensive.

Following further detailed discussions, conclusions began to crystallize. It was agreed that Kalvik should take a stance on the routines, at least express his opinion, or that the matter should be decided by the National Board as soon as possible after the meeting. Ottesen, supported by Elvik, proposed sending the current routines to Kalvik for further improvement, with the results then being sent to the National Board for approval.

The organizational leader stated that agreement had not yet been reached and expressed doubt about the chosen method being the best for NUFOC overall. He added that as long as the matter was not presented to the National Board, the Central Administration could decide on the routines. The fundamental principle would be that when an incident occurs in a region, the department leader must ensure that the information reaches the key person as quickly as possible, until adequate, approved routines are in place.

It was finally clarified what needed to be done: The matter would be presented to Kalvik in its entirety. In the meantime, department leaders would generally ensure the best possible situation regarding reporting routines. Once Kalvik's full statement was received, the matter would be finalized and presented to the National Board for a final decision.

Membership Procedures (Tilknytningsprosedyrer)

Post IV on the agenda was presented by section leader Odd Gunnar Røed from Tønsberg, who proposed simplifying the procedures for affiliation (membership) with NUFOC. The proposal suggested having two membership types: A-membership and B-membership. The core idea was to centralize all member payments to the Hovedkassen, which would then distribute the funds as needed. Subscription payments would be handled by the Hovedkassen, which would then forward them to Bergen and Trondheim, etc.

A-members would pay a specific amount to the Hovedkassen and automatically receive UFO Forum, Rapportnytt, the internal magazine, and any printed materials produced by NUFOC. B-members would only pay for subscriptions and receive no other rights.

Thommassen commented that Sør had previously considered similar proposals, but the Central Administration had reservations due to issues with the current printing of Rapportnytt. He noted that if payments came directly to Bergen, it would be clear where the 'capital' could be accessed, whereas centralizing payments could lead to unforeseen problems (e.g., illness, absence).

Anthun regretted that these issues were brought to his attention so late, just before the national meeting, although they had been mentioned in the internal magazine for June. He was skeptical of the proposal at this time due to various circumstances related to the printing of Rapportnytt. He questioned if SA had heard anything from Kalvik on these matters, and Stenødegård replied that Kalvik had previously expressed strong opposition to consolidating the periodicals.

Stenødegård recalled that before NUFOC was founded, the situation was similar to the one proposed by Øst. The small core of active members in the Trondheim UFO Association, led by Tormod Hagen, was heavily involved in managing passive members and maintaining their interest. (Røed amended 'E-members' to 'subscribers').

NUFOC initially had only one magazine, UFO Forum, with nearly double the page count. To ease the editorial workload, it was agreed that the Reporting Center, under Kalvik, would handle 50% of the work for UFO Forum, specifically the section dealing with report material. This led to the division of UFO Forum into two separate issues, with the report issue being titled 'Rapportnytt'. The professional designer, Knut Aasheim, created a cover for this issue. However, both issues were originally named UFO Forum.

Only in 1977 did NUFOC Vest successfully push for operating with two independent periodicals, with the former report issue renamed 'Rapportnytt'. SA strongly opposed this but wanted to accommodate Vests' strong desire to a significant extent.

Discussion on Membership and Payment Procedures

Stenødegård outlined the negative aspects of the Øst proposal. He argued that currently, interested individuals have multiple options: they can be affiliated with NUFOC without subscribing, subscribe without affiliation, or choose which periodical they want. (It is known that not everyone is interested in both publications.) The Øst proposal would eliminate these choices, potentially making it too expensive for some to become A- or B-members.

Many participants expressed strong opinions that the payment procedures needed to be changed, citing the influx of giro slips and resulting confusion. Thommassen stated that confusion already existed, and new interested individuals were deterred by the 'insane organizational structure'.

Stenødegård expressed surprise that the current system was so cumbersome and confusing for adults. He explained that if one desires affiliation, it's a simple matter of paying the fee to the Hovedkassen once a year. For subscriptions, one pays for one or both periodicals annually.

Many participants emphasized the inconvenience of paying different amounts to various locations: the affiliation fee to Lillestrøm, UFO Forum subscription to Trondheim, Rapportnytt to Bergen, and the magazine to Gressvik.

Thommassen used an analogy: wanting a cup of coffee shouldn't require going to different locations for coffee, sugar, and cream. Stenødegård countered by pointing out the possibility of choice and the unreasonableness of being forced to eat butter with coffee, citing examples of Norwegian establishments where one cannot get a beer without also ordering bread or a sandwich.

It was noted that Thommassen's analogy had a point, but the payment system did not require visiting multiple locations. The postal service handles the payments, and all amounts are paid at a single post office. Even with two separate payment contracts, the expedition at the post office would be the same, just as it is with the two periodicals.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the internal organization and operational efficiency of NUFOC. There's a clear emphasis on streamlining processes, particularly concerning financial management (Hovedkassen) and the flow of information (reporting procedures, publications). The magazine highlights the challenges of managing a growing organization with diverse member needs and the complexities of international cooperation. The editorial stance appears to be one of seeking practical solutions to improve NUFOC's effectiveness and member engagement, while also acknowledging the need for Kalvik's input on key decisions regarding routines and membership structures. There's a strong undercurrent of striving for professionalism and clarity in NUFOC's operations.

This issue of UFO Forum, dated 1977, focuses heavily on internal organizational matters and strategic discussions within NUFOC (Norsk UFO Senter). The content primarily consists of detailed meeting minutes and debates from the NUFOC landsmøte (national meeting), covering a range of topics from membership procedures and publication strategies to media relations and international cooperation.

Membership and Subscription Processes

A significant portion of the discussions revolves around simplifying and clarifying the process for new members and subscribers. Initially, the process for joining NUFOC involved simply filling out a form and sending it in, with the organization handling the rest. The issue highlights a proposed "rationalization" that would combine the membership fee with the newspaper subscription, making the newspaper mandatory for all members. This proposal, put forth by Foss, suggested merging the magazines, editing them separately but presenting them as a single publication externally for easier marketing.

There was a debate about pricing, with references to the rising costs of Danish UFO-Nyt and Rapportnytt. Smevik suggested pricing themselves out of the market as a strategy. The discussions ultimately led to the proposal that the matter be presented to the national board (Landsstyret) for a democratic decision. The current system, exemplified by NUFOC Sør, is described as straightforward: new members are invited to meetings without needing to register, and joining NUFOC involves filling out a form and paying a membership fee. Subscriptions to publications are handled separately via giro cards.

Publication Strategy: UFO Forum and Rapportnytt

The potential merger of UFO Forum and Rapportnytt was a key topic. The central administration and publishers of UFO Forum expressed willingness to consider the merger under specific conditions: a majority agreement that it benefits the publications, the willingness of Odd Bjørn Rørendal (NUFOC Sør section leader) to handle the increased workload, or for VEST to take on the task, and for Kalvik to continue managing the report-related aspects of the publication. The appendix details these conditions further.

Concerns were raised about the internal newspaper being perceived as a member magazine, potentially casting NUFOC in an unfavorable light. Thommassen identified this risk, and it was agreed that certain safeguards would be necessary. Anthun suggested that the newspaper should be officially designated as an internal information organ, which would eliminate the need for censorship of its content.

Media Relations and Public Perception

Improving NUFOC's relationship with the media and public perception was a major theme. Hans Kr. Moe emphasized the importance of press releases, noting that many are discarded. He suggested that NUFOC should send press releases on lesser-known topics to gain media attention. The goal is to inform the public and make them more aware of the UFO problem. Moe suggested that sending out 50 press releases might be necessary before expecting significant media engagement.

There was also discussion about how the media often ridicules or misrepresents the UFO phenomenon. Foss suggested using skilled actors to parody certain aspects, while Elbjørg mentioned the Espevær case as an example where a seemingly rational explanation (birds) was proposed. The general consensus was that the public is not well-informed enough about UFOs to appreciate satirical portrayals, but that a well-informed audience might respond differently.

Nordic Cooperation and International Relations

The issue highlights the ongoing efforts towards Scandinavian integration within the UFO community. Stenødegård reported on the work done to establish this cooperation. The idea has received broad support in neighboring countries, with a particular emphasis on the close contact with UFO-Sverige. Thorvald Berthelsen of UFO-Sverige was credited for his work, including proposing that a Scandinavian UFO center's primary task should be to supply mass media in Nordic countries with UFO material systematically. This would involve gathering global material, internal Nordic communication, and issuing press releases.

Discussions also touched upon the possibility of NUFOC receiving assignments from the Swedish defense (FO). While the specifics were not finalized, the response indicated that the situation would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The issue of funding for comprehensive UFO research was also raised, noting that while many researchers are interested, the necessary funds (hundreds of thousands of kroner) are lacking, both from institutions like universities and from the government.

Organizational Structure and Future Planning

The landsmøte itself was discussed in terms of its structure and effectiveness. Anthun stressed the importance of adhering to fixed schedules for the meetings. The decision to hold the meeting in September instead of August was explained by compelling reasons. The possibility of other NUFOC departments organizing future landsmøter was also considered.

Key decisions and resolutions from the meeting included: the newspaper subscription being included in the membership fee starting in 1978; Odd Gunnar Røed's proposal being presented to the national board for decision; and the matter of report routines being presented to Kalvik and the Rapportcentralen for resolution or referral to the national board. The minutes also noted that the internal newspaper could serve as a protocol for the landsmøte's discussions, given its non-decision-making function.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are organizational efficiency, clear communication with members and the public, strategic planning for publications, and fostering international cooperation. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent internal management, aiming for transparency and a structured approach to UFO research and advocacy. There is a clear emphasis on democratic decision-making through the national board and a proactive approach to engaging with media and potential partners. The challenges of funding and public perception are acknowledged as significant hurdles that NUFOC is actively trying to address.