The Monitoring Council, now called the Executive Committee in line with the new IFRF Statutes, met in the new IFRF offices in Livorno last Thursday, March 15th.

The meeting was attended by Mikko Hupa (President and Meeting Chairman), Gennaro De Michele (General Secretary ), Hartmut Spliethoff (Superintendent of Research), and Susumu Mochida (Joint Committee and JFRC Representative).

Other participants were IFRF Director Leo Tognotti (Director IFRF), former interim Director Neil Fricker and Antonio Palamà from the Directors’ Office at ENEL Ricerca. Richard Waibel (Vice-president and AFRC Representative) was unable to travel to the meeting, but participated by telephone.

In terms of the IFRF Statutes, the Executive Committee exists to supervise and advise on the Director’s duties, and to monitor the financial situation, operations, technical progress, and other Member-related matters.

Agenda items of particular interest included the proposal of Neil Fricker as the Deputy Superintendent of Research for the next biennial, and Neil’s demonstration to the meeting of a prototype search facility for IFRF reports.  It was agreed to roll out this online facility very shortly to the Joint Committee and then to all Members, along with an exciting new reports policy which will see greater accessibility of reports for Members, and an automated online request system.

Other issues for discussion were the formal completion of the Joint Committee with the addition of three B members, still to be nominated, planning for the 15th Members’ Conference in Pisa in June this year, and the IFRF’s contribution to the International Symposium of the combined American and Japanese Flame Research Committees to be held in Hawaai in October this year, followed by TOTeM 30, also in Hawaai.  Finally it was confirmed that the move to Italy is now complete (http://mailgate.ifrf.net/staff/).

Watch the next Monday Night Mail for more details.