Joint Meeting Central Oklahoma Chapters of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association

Open Friday, Dec. 19th through Wednesday Dec. 24th, 2008 - e-mail vote

---

CALL for VOTE: Fawbush-Miller Scholarship

In the 1990s, the Fawbush and Miller Scholarship was established to reward students for excellence in the practice of operational forecasting. The $500 award goes annually to University of Oklahoma undergraduate student who performs best in the Weather Challenge, a 2-semester contest in which students forecast for a variety of cities across the United States . two weeks per city. COCAMS/NWA has traditionally funded the engraving of the winner.s name into a plaque that is displayed at the OU School of Meteorology. The scholarship is also presented to the winning student during a COCAMS/NWA meeting.

Unfortunately, the University of Oklahoma Foundation account from which the award is paid is being depleted quickly. The fund is currently worth about $7600, and will earn about $160 in interest this year while losing the $500 given out to this year.s winner. A donation of $5500 would convert this fund to an endowed account that earns a higher interest rate. The endowed account would earn at least $500 per year, ensuring the award could continue at its current level indefinitely.

This matter was brought up for discussion at the September 2008, meeting. COCAMS/NWA currently has $13,095 in available funds. Annual COCAMS/NWA income is approximately $2000 per year from membership dues and the National Severe Weather Workshop. Occasionally, other fundraising projects provide additional income.

Kit Wagner moves that COCAMS/NWA donate $5,500 to the Fawbush and Miller Scholarship account, making it an endowed account. In so doing, COCAMS/NWA should be recognized as a co-sponsor of the Fawbush and Miller Scholarship, with the name COCAMS/NWA appearing wherever the award is advertised, and on the award certificate. Primary emphasis (e.g. larger font, order of appearance) should remain on the names Fawbush and Miller.

Fred Carr seconds the motion.

Please reply by email to our Secretary, Derek Arndt (darndt@ou.edu), with your vote of "Aye" or "Nay". Voting ends at 5 pm on Wednesday, December 24, 2008.

Review of Recent activities and Preview of spring activities

Hello everyone,

We were sorry to postpone the December 16 meeting. This was to be primarily a business meeting, though, so rather than bring our non-National Weather Center friends out in the cold we chose to conduct business using a .virtual. meeting. Below is a brief look at planned activities over the next couple of months. This will be followed by a separate email detailing an important vote that needs your attention.

In November we held a joint meeting with OUSCAMS. It was a fun atmosphere, as numerous COCAMS/NWA members and dozens of students gathered at the National Weather Center for a chicken strip dinner. Dr. Lou Wicker detailed the ambitious research agenda of VORTEX-II, the NSSL-based tornado research project that will operate throughout the plains during the next two spring seasons. Thanks to all who attended! The students enjoyed our collaboration, and they have already asked us to begin planning a joint meeting for February 2009. We may have two meetings that month since we already had arrangements with Dr. Eve Gruntfest and her post-doctoral student, Heather Lazarus, who hope to speak on the integration of meteorology and societal studies.

In January, we will try to arrange for a meeting outside of the National Weather Center, hopefully involving one of the private sector weather companies operating in central Oklahoma. January also marks the beginning of our annual spring contest. Last year we awarded prizes for predicting the date, time, and location of the first Oklahoma tornado. This year we decided to add some challenging elements for you climate buffs. The contest will focus on April, our most tumultuous weather month, and we will predict the monthly rainfall and average monthly temperature (in the form of heating degree days) at the El Reno site of the Oklahoma Mesonet! We will also predict the distance from that site to the nearest April tornado. Once again there will be nice prizes for the winners in each of the respective elements. Watch the web page and your inbox for details on how to enter.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

-Patrick