Letter from Steve Pfaff

Good afternoon!

First off, I want to let you know how much I appreciate the time and effort committed that made last night's meeting a huge success in my mind. We all have the same goal in mind and will make Skywarn in northeast SC and southeast NC much stronger as a result. There were many good ideas discussed and some hurdles bridged so that we can move forward.

Here are some of the action items from last night:

 MOU crafted by ILM VHF for repeater usage to be collaboratively reviewed by ILM VHF, ILM AECs, and NWS ILM (I believe Wayne Pearce is leading this effort)
-Mike Leek will spearhead the development of ilm-skywarn.net webpage with assistance from Chris Cawley. The webpage will detail Skywarn operations protocols, guidelines, training and other resources. The team (this email group and others interested) will provide feedback as we move forward. Mike will also set up an email mirror? (correct me Mike if I called this the wrong thin)  so that our team can discuss any issues
-Wayne Pearce will develop a repeater map that will be used as the back of the Skywarn Reporting Procedures handout, plus for use on the ilm-skywarn.net webpage as a resource. Steve Pfaff will make the changes to the aforementioned handout. 
-John Richardson is also going to find additional amateur radio operators to support Walter Fipps as AECs that will help in the Florence (Pee Dee) area.
-Make sure all club leadership, county ECs, AECs, and Skywarn ECs/AECs are on NWSChat

Lastly, the team was asked what they though made for a good EC, and the following were the responses. These are some excellent comments that any person wanting to be an EC should consider as they evolve with amateur radio.

-reliable
-excellent listening skills
-effectively utilizes the skills of the people they serve, and is focused on safety
-good planner
-effective communication and interpersonal skills
-exhibits integrity and a high level of ethics
-stays current on training, which enables him/her to ask the right questions
-remains calm, makes educated decisions, and knows how to gather facts before "jumping the gun"
-completed Skywarn Training (Basic and Advanced)
-excellent mentoring skills
-keeps people engaged and talking
-develops relationships within the counties
-needs to enjoy public service

Mike Leek suggested quarterly meetings. I have no problem with coordinating the meeting dates/times and think it will help provide feedback as the action items are completed.

Again, I was very pleased with the discussions we had last night. I look forward to building a stronger program with all of you.

Thanks!
-Steve