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SARA Happenings of June 1, 1999



Hi,
This is a regular mailing intended to improve communication within the Search and Rescue community in Alberta. It's going out to over 80 e-mail addresses that are listed as the primary contact of SAR Alberta member groups or which were requested to be added to the mailing list. If you want to be added or removed from the list, please contact Brett Wuth .
Here are some of the happenings in SAR in Alberta:

Courses in Whitecourt
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Whitecourt SAR is holding an Advance First Aid course June 11-13. They have a Wilderness First Aid and Survival course planned for July. Contact Bob Dumond .

Man-Tracking Courses in Grande Prairie
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Grande Prairie is having a Man-Tracking course on June 12. They are also planing a UTS 1 (as in US Border Guard) Man-Tracking course August 6-8. Contact Noel Hill .

By-Laws Committee
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The By-Laws Committee takes a look at the SAR Alberta By-Laws and recommends changes that better fit the needs of the society. Last year's committee recovered and distributed the by-laws, identified the major ways in which the society had diverged from the by-laws, and drafted proposed amendments.

Would you be willing to help out SAR Alberta by serving on the new By-Laws Committee? There are still several important issues which the old committee wasn't able to address. You'll have to identify and prioritize them, survey the options, make recommendations to the board, and then encourage an informed debate within the membership leading up to vote at the next Annual General Meeting (April 2000).

The work is likely to involve e-mail and a few phone or face-to-face meetings. If you can help out, please let me know.

Morinville Regional Elections
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Morinville will have a regional meeting and elections for Regional Representative and Deputy, June 26 in Barrhead. Contact Calvin Freigang for details. 780 778-2868.

Fund Raising Idea: Dance Security
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Peace SAR have a useful and unique way of fund raising. They provide security at dances and grad parties for $500 a night. Talk to Scott Brickwood to learn more about their experience.

Request: Boat Course Suggestions
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Peace SAR just got a new boat. Scott Brickwood would like to hear what other groups are using for courses in water SAR.

Coordinate Conversion
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Ken Tryon has pointed out that the web page http://hanbar.ags.gov.ab.ca/TOOLS/AGS_TOOLS.HTP can be used to convert between latitude and longitude, UTM, and legal land description.

New Initiative Fund
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Ric Henderson has received a "call letter" from the Contract Policing Branch in Ottawa for the submission of 1999/2000 New Initiative Fund (NIF) proposals. Any NIF funding requests must be for new initiatives, and cannot be for vehicles or vessels, require ongoing funding,or to replace equipment. New initiatives which promote prevention, research and development, and promote efficiency in SAR are encouraged.

Any proposal which could have a National perspective, or effect, has to be sponsored through a federal agency, in our case, "K" Division would sponsor as they have in the past if they agree to the proposal. Grants through this route are funded 100% if approved.

Any proposal which has a local, regional, or Provincial perspective must go through Alberta Disaster Services (contact Ken Tryon ), and require a funding commitment of 25% from someone else. Although there has been a recommendation to remove this condition, it is still in effect at this time.

Copies of the NIF Guidelines can be obtained from Ric. He will entertain any proposals which would have that "national' flavour.
The deadline to have any proposal forwarded to Ottawa is July 1, 1999.

Further info can be obtained from Ric Henderson at (780) 412-5564.

Let's Hear from You!
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What's happening in your group? What training exercises do you have coming up? What would you like help with? Send me a note and I'll pass the word along. .

Take Care,
--
Brett Wuth wuth@acm.org wuth@telusplanet.net bwuth@cuug.ab.ca Box 1251-U, Pincher Creek, Alberta T0K 1W0, CANADA Tel:+1 403 627-2460 pgp-public-keys@uit.no has mine; Print=E4F8EDEECBE01AD2FA3D8B2D94B1A292 What is the meaning of life?! Yes.


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