Quaderni UFO - Vol 03 No 13 - 1983 03-04

Magazine Overview

Title: Quaderni UFO
Issue: N. 13
Date: March/April 1983
Publisher: Centro Ufologico Nazionale (C.U.N.)
Type: Internal bulletin and supplement to Notiziario UFO.

Editorial Content

This issue of Quaderni UFO, the internal bulletin of the Centro Ufologico Nazionale (C.U.N.), covers organizational matters, financial reports, and research updates from early 1983. The cover features a striking black and white illustration of soldiers confronting a hovering saucer-shaped UFO.

General Assembly and Organizational Restructuring

The main focus of the issue is the report from the Ordinary General Assembly of members held in Rome on February 27, 1983. Key agenda items included the review of the Council's activities in 1982, the financial report, the internal situation of the C.U.N., and future activity programs for 1983. A significant decision was the proposal to expel over 70 collaborators and 30 members for non-payment of dues or inactivity, with the National Coordinator tasked with the bureaucratic process.

Roberto Pinotti, President of the C.U.N., noted the general disinterest from mass media towards ufology. He highlighted the consolidation of the Documentation Bank in Turin and the role of Quaderni UFO as a connecting organ. Efforts to collaborate with entities like RAI for potential UFO-themed broadcasts were mentioned. Pinotti also expressed disappointment over the lack of interlocutors at the 5th Convention on February 26th, emphasizing the need for greater internal cohesion and professionalism within the C.U.N. He also noted that the aviation magazine JP4 would feature an intervention by him regarding the CUFOS American convention.

The assembly also addressed the restructuring of the C.U.N., including the refounding of its Sedi (branches) and Sezioni (sections). The need for practical commitment and constant control over members' activities was stressed by Gian Paolo Grassino. Renato Fedele reiterated the proposal for update seminars. Edoardo Russo pointed out the lack of serious, organic study on UFO phenomena and difficulties in information transmission among members, advocating for the C.U.N. to focus exclusively on scientific research.

A vote on the legitimacy of researching Marian apparitions within the C.U.N. resulted in a majority abstention, with the decision postponed due to pressing organizational issues.

The assembly approved a delegation to the Council of Directors to establish the new structure of the Center and oversee its functioning.

Financial Report 1982

The economic and financial results for 1982 were analyzed. The report indicated a net deficit for the year. Costs increased, particularly in general secretariat and publications, while revenue from member and collaborator fees was insufficient. A significant issue highlighted was the large number of unpaid dues from both members and collaborators, making it unrealistic to expect collection and burdening the organization. The report noted that a substantial portion of collected funds was spent on publications, functioning more like subscriptions than contributions to research. The overall financial situation was described as unbalanced, with insufficient revenue to cover operational costs.

Activities and Projects

Progetto Italia 3: A meeting on February 26, 1983, focused on defining the short, medium, and long-term goals of this project. Discussions included deepening parallel themes like methodology and epistemology. The project decided to publish a list of existing documents in the IR3 Archive and encouraged members to submit their materials. Future meetings would involve critical debate of investigation reports and potentially the creation of monographs.

Archivio Casistica Tre Venezie: This project, initiated in early 1982, aims to definitively organize the vast amount of documentation collected in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. Efforts include creating detailed case files with various documents (tapes, sketches, letters, photos) and transcribing audio recordings. The project also involves creating preliminary regional catalogs of sightings and conducting investigations, often in collaboration with Antonio Chiumiento.

• Local Branch Activities: Reports from various branches were included:
• Trento: The local branch emphasized its structured organization and its efforts to build a network of collaborators for immediate information gathering. Despite a seemingly 'lean' year for sightings in 1982, the branch had compiled a preliminary catalog of about a hundred sightings and conducted investigations, including those with Antonio Chiumiento on cases like Passo Gardena, Monte Bondone, and Laives-Bolzano. They also highlighted their work on the Tre Venezie casuistry catalog and the importance of meticulous transcription and analysis of evidence.
• Palermo: The establishment of the first European branch of APRO (Aereal Phenomena Research Organization) in Palermo was announced, with Dr. Amleto Pezzati appointed as its head. This initiative aims to foster collaboration between the US and Italy in ufological research.

Communications and Publications

Notiziario UFO: The publication of issue number 100 was announced. This issue highlighted the existence of a military commission in Italy (operating since 1979) tasked with studying UFO sightings, coordinated by the Italian Air Force's Second Department. The Notiziario UFO is the official organ of the C.U.N., dedicated to the scientific study of UFO phenomena.

Segreteria Estera (S.D.E.): The Foreign Documentation Service (S.D.E.) resumed its publication, offering improved quality photocopies of articles from foreign ufological publications. Fascicles for January-March 1983 were available at a subsidized price for members.

UFO Sightings in Italy 1982: A report indicated a significant decrease in reported UFO sightings in Italy in 1982, with only about twenty cases archived by the C.U.N., continuing a downward trend observed in previous years.

Errata Corrige

An author, Edoardo Russo, noted that his article "In difesa del G.E.P.A.N." in a previous issue of Quaderni UFO had been "censored" in two points by the editorial staff, providing the original wording.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue reflects a strong emphasis on the organizational and financial health of the C.U.N. There is a clear concern about member participation, financial stability, and the need for professionalization. The editorial stance leans towards rigorous scientific research, with a critical view of media coverage and a focus on internal development and structure. The importance of accurate documentation and systematic investigation is repeatedly stressed. The C.U.N. appears to be navigating a period of internal consolidation and strategic planning, aiming to overcome financial challenges and enhance its research capabilities.

This issue of 'Notizie dalla Banca', dated April 1983, is a publication curated by Gian Paolo Grassino and Massimo Nebbia, focusing on ufology and related research within the Italian context. It is part of a larger initiative by the CUN (Centro Ufologico Nazionale) and its associated publications like 'Quaderni UFO' and 'Notiziario UFO'.

Archivio Stampa

The 'Archivio Stampa' section laments the insufficient collaboration from members in systematically monitoring and contributing to the press archive. Since 1978, the Torino branch has been collecting approximately 40 Italian newspaper titles monthly to extract ufology-related articles before reselling the papers. While the initial years saw successful systematic collection, a decrease in personnel and an increase in urgent tasks have hampered efforts. The current system relies on collaborators to report relevant articles from their local newspapers, allowing the central archive to request copies. Despite appeals, several regions remain 'uncovered,' and the curators urge active members to contact them to offer assistance and receive reporting forms. Collaborators receive a bi-monthly 'Notiziario' featuring selected national articles.

Problemi per la casistica recente (Problems for Recent Case Files)

Parallel to the publication of 1981 case files in 'Notiziario UFO' issue no. 100, an index of sources for these cases has been compiled. The article notes a significant lack of collaboration in preparing and updating these lists, highlighting a persistent disconnect between members, collaborators, and central bodies, particularly the archives. The reliance on a small, core group of individuals is deemed unsustainable. The authors emphasize the need for greater and more responsible input to improve both the expansion of the Italian case archive and the quality and quantity of space dedicated to it in 'Notiziario UFO'. They express hope for increased collaboration starting with the next issue for the 1981 case update and the 1982 list, as well as for ongoing initiatives like regional catalogs.

Incidenti (Incidents)

This section reports two unfortunate incidents where correspondence was lost. In one case, a request for the first two issues of 'Notiziario UFO' from Mariotti, accompanied by a payment of L. 2,000, resulted in the loss of the sender's address due to a postal mishap. Similarly, a collaborator from Puglia who requested material related to their region via telephone also experienced a loss of contact. The authors express regret for these inconveniences and ask the individuals involved to re-establish contact with the headquarters.

Proposal for a Training Plan for CUN Members

This section details a proposal for a training plan for members of the CUN, initiated by Gianfranco Neri, the National Coordinator. The proposal was developed following interest shown by members after an initial announcement in 'Quaderni UFO'. Neri acknowledges the time constraints but presents a detailed plan.

Key Considerations:

1. Member Interest: Several letters indicated strong interest in the training initiative.
2. External Expertise: Neri believes that while internal members are valuable, external consultants with specific expertise will be necessary for effective training.
3. Quality of Training: The goal is to provide professional and qualifying seminars, not superficial ones, requiring the involvement of competent individuals.
4. Financial Implications: The plan acknowledges the need for funding to support these courses, especially if external experts are involved.

Proposed Training Modalities:

Neri suggests two main approaches:
1. Pilot Experimentation: Start with a pilot section, evaluate results, and then scale up nationally.
2. Direct National Organization: Skip the pilot phase and organize seminars directly on a national level.

The second option is deemed more costly due to the geographical dispersion of members in Italy, requiring seminars to be replicated multiple times to accommodate attendees. He estimates that each seminar might need to be repeated a dozen times, with a maximum of thirty participants per session, given the estimated 400 members.

Organizational Suggestions:

Neri proposes implementing a reasonable registration fee for courses to ensure participant commitment and to help gauge the number of actively engaged individuals. This fee would also contribute to covering costs.

Proposed Seminar Filons (Tracks):

He suggests focusing on three main areas:
1. Field Investigation: Gathering information directly from the field.
2. Data Analysis and Elaboration: Processing and interpreting collected data.
3. Analysis of the Bases and Significance of Ufological Research: Understanding the theoretical and scientific underpinnings of the field.

Seminar Structure:

As a starting point, Neri envisions a basic seminar structured over three days of instruction, clarification, and discussion, followed by an additional day dedicated to debate. This would constitute two weekends of training. After this foundational seminar, participants could then choose to follow one of the three specialized tracks.

Detailed Seminar Topics:

• A) General Seminar:
• Importance and characteristics of field investigation.
• Importance and characteristics of data analysis and elaboration.
• Importance and characteristics of the analysis of bases and significance of ufological research.

• B) Field Investigation:
• Atmospheric phenomena.
• Optical effects and atmospheric phenomena.
• Conventional natural phenomena and errors in evaluation.
• The night sky.
• Estimating dimensions, distances, altitudes, speeds, and luminosity.
• Natural electromagnetic effects (lightning, plasmoids, seismic lights, green lights).
• Trace detection.
• Natural traces (animal and plant causes).
• Artificial traces (artifacts causing misinterpretations).
• Instrumentation for trace detection.
• Learning theory.
• Suggestion and autosuggestion in learning.
• Memory: its evolution and possible alteration.
• Witnesses and their reliability.
• Physiological alterations and their perceptual implications.
• Perception and its interpretive alterations.

• C) Data Analysis and Elaboration:
• Data and their significance.
• Qualitative data analysis.
• Quantitative data analysis.
• Statistical analysis: distributions.
• Statistical analysis: correlations.
• Statistical analysis: regressions.
• Time series analysis.
• Multivariate analysis.
• Factorial analysis.
• Inferential analysis.
• The problem of cataloging.
• Probability.
• Tests and their significance.
• Manual archives.
• Computer archives: files and databases.

• D) Analysis of the Bases and Significance of Ufological Research:
• Scientific knowledge.
• The problem of method.
• Galilean method.
• Reichenbach, Popper, and the scientific method.
• Kuhn and scientific revolution.
• Feyerabend and scientific anarchism.
• Cryptosciences.
• Epistemology and ufology.

Each specialized seminar is estimated to last no more than two working days. Neri welcomes feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Further Considerations on Training and Collaboration

Roberto Farabone, responding to the training proposal, acknowledges that the focus has been on practical investigation and data analysis, with less emphasis on psychological aspects and sociology. He explains that while basic psychological knowledge is necessary for field work, complex psychological or psychopathological issues should be handled by external consultants. He admits to lacking specific knowledge in sociology and not frequenting experts in that field. Farabone awaits decisions from the CUN's Executive Board regarding operational decisions, the search for consultants, and the planning of work sessions. He also reiterates the invitation for anyone knowing potential consultants to provide their names and areas of expertise.

Two Words to Conclude

Gianfranco Neri provides a concluding statement, reflecting on the past three years as National Coordinator. He notes that with the first two issues of 'Notiziario UFO' published by the Center, the role of 'Quaderni UFO' in disseminating information will largely cease, shifting its focus to everyday problems and fostering calm, common debates. Neri describes his tenure as challenging but ultimately preferable to seeing the 'Casa' (organization) collapse. He expresses gratitude to several members (G.Galardo, G.L.Diana, V. Cinelli, O.Stradella, S.Casadei, M.Beneduci, and the Palermo branch represented by Dr. Amleto Pezzati) for their spontaneous extra-quota contributions, which he sees as a sign of growing consciousness and participation. He emphasizes that for 'Quaderni UFO' to be interesting and instructive, it needs two things: a reliably published internal bulletin (which now exists) and, more crucially, interesting, unpublished, intelligent, and qualified material. He expresses confidence that there are individuals in Italy capable of making 'Quaderni UFO' a valuable tool for professional training and urges them to contribute.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue reflects a strong emphasis on the practical and organizational aspects of ufological research. There's a clear drive towards professionalization, evidenced by the detailed training proposal and the call for specialized knowledge. The editorial stance highlights the importance of systematic data collection and archival work, while acknowledging the persistent challenges posed by member engagement and resource limitations. The shift in focus for 'Quaderni UFO' suggests a move towards broader discussion and community engagement beyond purely case-file reporting. The publication values contributions from its members and seeks to foster a more informed and participatory approach to ufology in Italy.