SUFOI Intern - 1999 11

Magazine Overview

Title: SUFOI Intern
Issue Date: November 15, 1999
Publisher: SUFOI
Country: Denmark
Language: Danish

This issue of SUFOI Intern, dated November 15, 1999, focuses on internal news, organizational changes, and recent events within the UFO research community in Denmark.

IGAP and UFO Contact

The lead article by Ole Henningsen discusses the departure of Ib Laulund, a long-time employee and editor of 'UFO-kontakt' and leader of IGAP Denmark. Laulund, who had worked for IGAP for 20 years and edited 'UFO-kontakt' for 17 years, announced his resignation in 'UFO-kontakt' nr. 3, May 1999. His decision was partly influenced by the cancellation of the 'IGAP Kongressen 1999' due to insufficient registrations (only 62 signed up when 100 were needed). Laulund stated that while he was grateful for his time with IGAP, his teaching job had become increasingly demanding, reducing his free time. He had intended to step down by the end of 1999 regardless, but the congress cancellation accelerated his official departure, which occurred at the editorial meeting on April 10. Laulund will remain involved in a less active capacity.

The remaining editorial staff expressed their intention to continue 'UFO-kontakt', with plans for restructuring in the coming year. Kurt Abildskov was invited to join the editorial team and accepted. The article concludes by noting that changes are also expected from IGAP's side in the new year.

Observations

Ole Henningsen reports on a UFO observation from Nordsjælland. On September 18, around 8:40 PM, a woman and her husband, staying in a summer house on the west coast (Henne Strand), observed a light flying from the west and disappearing to the southwest over a period of 2-3 minutes. SUFOI's Information Centre had no immediate reports of similar observations. Henningsen is attempting to gather information from Esbjerg Airport regarding local air traffic, particularly concerning oil fields in the North Sea, but has not yet received a response. He humorously notes the 'triangle drama' of a Lolland resident investigating a Vesterhavet observation made by a couple from Nordsjælland, covering the country well.

Lectures

Ole Henningsen provides an update on recent and upcoming lectures:

• October 27: A lecture was held in Nakskov at the Odd Fellow Loge Urania, attended by approximately 80 participants from the Nakskov and Maribo lodges. The topic was 'Searching for life in the Universe'.
• November 6: A lecture on UFOs was held at the Town Hall in Rønnede, Midtsjælland, organized by the High School for Pensioners and Early Retirees, with 100 attendees.
• January 18, 2000: A lecture is scheduled in Storstrøms Amt, involving a walk in the evening darkness on South Zealand. Nature communicator Alice Foged and Ole Henningsen will discuss mysteries of the dark, will-o'-the-wisps, celestial phenomena, life in the universe, and UFO phenomena. The event will include video and slides, followed by coffee indoors. This is a repeat of a similar event from January 1999 on Nordfalster.

Correspondence

Ole Henningsen mentions receiving a letter from Steven Spielberg, who will continue to draw him as a member of The Planetary Society, a society Henningsen has been a member of for several years.

Deadlines

• Next SUFOI Intern deadline: December 10, 1999.
• Next SUFOI Newsletter deadline: January 10, 2000.

SUFOI Meeting Minutes (October 13, 1999)

This section contains minutes from SUFOI's representative meeting held on September 26, 1999, and an email from the SUFOI webmaster dated October 13, 1999, forwarding the October issue of SUFOI Intern and the meeting minutes. The email notes that documents are attached in RTF and TXT formats.

**Key points from the meeting minutes (September 26, 1999):

• Welcome: By SUFOI's chairman (TH).
• Election of Chairman: PN was elected as the new chairman.
• Election of Secretary: PN was elected as the secretary.
• Approval of Agenda Items: Two new points were added to the agenda.
• 4.1 Proposal for SUFOI's Representative Meeting (September 25-26, 1999): A proposal was unanimously adopted with 13 votes (including 3 proxies). This concerned a change in bylaws, requiring a 2/3 majority for amendments, which was met.

Organizational Restructuring:

The board has been dissolved organizationally, replaced by four areas of responsibility, each with a designated person for one year:

• Report Work (Rapportarbejde)
• Publications (Udgivelser)
• Information Work (Informationsarbejde)
• Website (Hjemmeside)

The idea is to delegate responsibility and competence to those actively working in these areas. However, certain decisions will require clarification with the chairman or other area managers if they are principal, significant, or debatable. The association will be represented by three out of the four area managers.

Specific Points:

• Accounting and Dispatch: These will remain separate points outside the four areas.
• Budgeting: "Fixed-ceiling budgets" will be created for the four areas.
• Intern: FR has agreed to take over responsibility for 'Intern'.
• Meeting Invitations: Responsibility for sending out meeting invitations will be handled.
• Bylaw Amendments: TH and PN will work on formulating changes to the bylaws.

4.2 SUFOI's Report Work:

TH presented a proposal regarding the future level of report work and ambition. There was agreement to align resources with public perception. While the ambition level may be toned down, visions for report work should be maintained. Decisions were made to:

• A: SUFOI will generally cease investigating all observation reports, focusing instead on more specific cases.
• B: AC (or a similar role) will be the focal point for report work and contact with observers. Report recorders will form an informal network linked to AC.
• C: Descriptions of SUFOI's efforts will be revised.

5. Approval of Minutes from Last Representative Meeting: Approved.

6. Financial Report: Discussion on improving the economy through increased earnings or savings. The report was approved.

7. Financial Report 1998/1999:

• Income Generation: PA suggested generating income of approximately 20-30% through book buybacks. PA will review the accounts and create a new breakdown according to the new structure.

8. SUFOI's Assets as of July 1, 1999: No remarks.

9. Revision of Budget 1999/2000:

The following was agreed upon:

• a) Ufo.dk Domain: Consider offering advertising, potentially from other UFO organizations or publishers. BN will contact potential advertisers.
• b) Video Sales: KMH will investigate this. CD-ROMs: KMH will assess the selection and decide on potential purchases for resale. Estrella video promotion is an task for FR. Video sequences on ufo.dk will be handled by AN contacting FR.
• c) UFO-Nyt Print Runs: The number of prints for UFO-Nyt will be reduced starting from the next issue. KMH will coordinate with JH.
• d) Newsletter: The newsletter will be dropped.
• User-Paid Website Content: TH inquired about introducing user payment for parts of the website. PA noted the need for software and administration. The representative body encouraged FR to assess the possibility of introducing protected areas on the website. A proposal for FR is to create a website competition to potentially be featured in a comprehensive website overview.
• e) Clipping Subscription: There is a sentiment to continue this to stay updated.

Various adjustments were made to departmental expenses. The board decided to spend approximately 15,000 DKK on two advertisements in 'Aktuel Astronomi' and 'Nyt Aspekt's new trial issue (70,000 copies), expecting this to generate inquiries and new subscribers. The income budget was revised from 105,000 DKK to 108,200 DKK. BN can advertise for free on ufo.dk and offer UFO-Nyt subscribers the purchase of a PC, with the profit going to SUFOI.

10. Election of Auditors: No external auditor. PN remains the internal auditor.

11. Election to the Representative Body and Potential Resignations: No changes.

12. Election of Area Managers:

• Report Work: TH (for six months, until March 2000)
• Publications: KMH
• Information Work: PN
• Website: FR

If FR does not wish to be the area manager for the website, this responsibility will transfer to Information Work for the next year, with reference to PN. This would mean 2 out of 3 area managers would represent the association.

13. Election of Chairman: KMH was elected unanimously.

14. Handling of Incoming Proposals: None.

15. Review of Half-Year Reports:

• TH thanked Toke for his efforts as chairman.
• FR was thanked for his work on the website and the speed of text updates.
• PN and TB had no remarks.
• KMH mentioned that they are still selling some pictures through the SUFOI Picture Library.
• JH: PA believes JH has a PC. BN will contact JH to investigate a problem, possibly to get JH an email address. EO contributed well to the Saturday evening entertainment with report stories.

16. Handling of Major Issues Raised:

• 16.1 Handling Inquiries from Individuals with Psychological Problems: AN raised the issue of how to handle inquiries from people who clearly have psychological problems. TH will update a phone list to be distributed to all members, providing service by referring to relevant phone numbers instead of engaging directly with these cases.

17. Time and Place for Next Representative Meeting: Copenhagen area, March 25-26, 2000.

18. Miscellaneous:

• Exhibition Plans: KMH will contact someone knowledgeable about central libraries to explore possibilities for including SUFOI's exhibition in a traveling exhibition for schools. PN will ask Inge Svane if she has any old display boards.
• TH thanked C. Svahn and will respond regarding the outcome of the weekend meeting.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of SUFOI Intern reflects a focus on organizational continuity and adaptation within the Danish UFO community. The departure of key figures like Ib Laulund signals a transition period, while the restructuring of SUFOI into specialized areas indicates a move towards more efficient management and delegation. The reporting of a UFO sighting and upcoming lectures demonstrates the ongoing commitment to investigating and disseminating information about UFO phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be pragmatic, emphasizing the need to align ambitions with resources, particularly in report analysis, and to manage the organization effectively through clear responsibilities and financial planning. The inclusion of meeting minutes provides transparency into the decision-making processes and future direction of SUFOI.

This document is an issue of "Projekt kuglelyn," published by SUFOI, with the primary article authored by Kim Møller Hansen and dated October 1999. The issue also includes a report on a SUFOI organizational meeting.

Article: Projekt kuglelyn

The article "Projekt kuglelyn" by Kim Møller Hansen details the collection of ball lightning (kuglelyn) reports. In October 1997, Poul Thomsen, through the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) program "En naturlig forklaring" (A Natural Explanation), requested TV viewers to share their experiences with ball lightning. This appeal resulted in over 100 letters being sent to Poul Thomsen/DR.

The program "En naturlig forklaring," aired on DR2 on October 24, 1998, featured ball lightning as a topic. During the broadcast, some of the collected ball lightning reports were read aloud. A guest shared two personal experiences with the phenomenon, and Ole J. Knudsen explained the current understanding of ball lightning and recounted the experience of Juplau Janssens. The article also references Ole Henningsen's piece "En naturlig forklaring - denne gang om kuglelyn" (A Natural Explanation - This Time About Ball Lightning) in UFO-Nyt 1/99, pages 12-15.

Following the broadcast, Ole J. Knudsen received the viewer letters. He then passed them on to Toke, who in turn forwarded them to the author of this article. The author expresses a long-standing fascination with ball lightning and finds the collected letters to be interesting, exciting, and entertaining reading. The author hopes that this material might eventually be published in a more accessible format, perhaps as a small booklet under the SUFOI banner, though this remains to be seen.

The author also appeals to readers to search their archives for any books, articles, internet links, or other materials related to ball lightning. This includes not only eyewitness accounts but also theories on the phenomenon's origin (in Danish, English, or German), as well as photographs, drawings, and old prints. Initially, photocopies of such materials would be greatly appreciated.

A brief note titled "Ros for hjemmesiden" (Praise for the website) is included, where two girls from Grenaa thank SUFOI for their website, stating it was very helpful for their school project on UFOs.

Report: Discussion on SUFOI's Future Organizational Structure

This section, dated October 3, 1999, and referred to as a report by TH, details a discussion held on Saturday, September 25, 1999, concerning the future organizational structure of SUFOI. The meeting was moderated by PN, with participants including PN, VM, TB, JH, AN, EO, KMH, PA, and TH (referent).

The discussion was intended to build upon a proposal for changes to SUFOI's structure that the Board had distributed with the meeting invitation for the representative meeting on September 26.

However, the meeting began with a broader discussion about SUFOI's future as an association and its basis for existence. Key topics included how to engage people in the association's work, what interests potential active members, and whether to change activities to attract new members or stick to existing interests. After an extensive discussion on radical changes, the prevailing sentiment was that SUFOI should largely continue in its current manner. The conclusion was that while some adjustments are necessary to adapt to new conditions (such as having fewer members and active individuals), a radical change in the association's purpose and focus areas is not imminent.

More concrete proposals emerged during the discussion. KMH suggested creating a "white paper" summarizing SUFOI's accumulated knowledge and experience with report work. This paper would include an evaluation, status update, and statement regarding SUFOI's work with and stance on observations of aerial phenomena.

Participants were asked by PN to state their personal driving force for working with the UFO subject in SUFOI for the next three years, and to write down three such drivers. The listed drivers, presented in random order, include:

• Talking to people who call in
• Report work - especially special cases
• Information work - dissemination
• Social interaction
• Expedition work (e.g., book orders)
• Collaboration with and contact with authorities
• "Mysterious" observations
• Providing information to observers
• Participating in work on a mysterious/interesting subject with many aspects
• Working with old cases
• Interest in the religious/sectarian element of the UFO issue, the cultural dimension
• Following the polarization within the UFO field between believers in spaceships and skeptics
• Using the website and internet as a medium for disseminating information
• Socializing with others
• Staying informed about general developments (specifically in the socio-psychological field) through work in SUFOI
• Report work
• Working with the newspaper clipping archive
• Socializing
• Public education
• Giving lectures (communication and dissemination)

Following this, the discussion attempted to categorize these suggestions into overarching themes:

• Public education / information
• Social interaction
• (Improved?) communication within the association
• Opportunity to keep up with developments in the UFO field
• Report work
• The cultural/social/psychological dimension of the UFO phenomenon and issue

Discussion of the Board's Proposal

There was general praise for the Board's proposal. However, PA raised a concern about the lack of specific detail regarding who would formally represent the association externally, particularly in the event of legal action. PA emphasized the necessity of clarifying this to avoid the chairman practically having to handle numerous cases alone due to a lack of other designated responsible individuals.

As a solution, it was decided that the association would be represented by the group of area representatives. For any decision to be valid, at least three of the four area representatives must agree.

It was stressed that this group of area representatives should not be considered a new (or expanded) board. A key aspect of the proposal is precisely that a larger portion of decision-making authority will henceforth lie with the area representatives, where it previously rested with the board.

Finally, it was decided that the association's accounts and budget would henceforth be "tied" to the four subject areas: information, publications, website, and report work. This means that a budget and accounts will be specified for each of these areas, and it will be the responsibility of the respective area representative to ensure that expenses remain within that budget.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the phenomenon of ball lightning and the internal organization and future direction of SUFOI. The editorial stance, as reflected in the article and the meeting report, appears to be one of continued interest in unexplained phenomena, particularly ball lightning, coupled with a pragmatic approach to organizational management. There is a desire to engage the public and gather data (as seen in "Projekt kuglelyn") while also focusing on internal structure and efficient operation of the association, as evidenced by the detailed discussion on decision-making and budgeting within SUFOI.