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President’s Pen— February 2008 |
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Tennessee Valley Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers |
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Tennessee Valley Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers |
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President’s Pen - February 2008
The February 2008 meeting of the Tennessee Valley Chapter, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, was held at Sagebrush Steak House in Oak Ridge the evening of February 21. Business discussed included: · A treasurer’s report. We have an operating balance of $4,144, and the scholarship fund is up to $31,131. · A proposed by-law change. In the process of awarding scholarships last year, the Executive Board observed that the language in Article X of our by-laws is ambiguous at best, and could be interpreted to require us to grant scholarships in amounts greater than our revenues can support. The board’s suggested changes were distributed to those in attendance, and are attached for all members to review.
Article IX of the by-laws prescribes the method of making revisions - the proposed revision is read at one meeting, distributed in writing to all members, and then voted up or down at the next meeting. The first two steps are now complete, and we will open the floor for further discussion followed by a vote on the proposed changes at the March 2008 meeting. Any members who wish to ask questions or discuss the issue in advance of the March meeting are invited to contact Monty, or any other member of the executive board. · Request from SFPE National for assistance in reviewing PE exam questions. They would like 4 to 8 of us to participate in a review session (exact time, place, and format to be announced later, but SFPE promises to buy lunch). Several hands went up, and it looks as though we won’t have difficulty getting the numbers National is requesting, but we need to tie this down a little more formally. If you are interested in assisting in this effort, please let Monty know so he can plan how to proceed. · Ken Dungan reminded the group of the 4th Annual Fire Safety Conference to be presented by the Greater Atlanta Chapter. It will be March 17 and 18, and they have a great line up of presentations. Please check out their web site at www.sfpe-atlanta.org ! It will definitely be worth your time.
After dinner, our own Wayne Waggoner presented a very informative (and as entertaining as Wayne always is) look at the activities and organization of the National Fire Sprinkler Association. Wayne is the Southeastern Regional Director for the organization, which keeps him running. We really appreciate the time he took to come and share with us.
Also, Wayne is asking for our assistance in helping to encourage our congressional representatives to support fire safety legislation. Check the NFSA web site for more information.
Jim Kern |