Singapore Chapter | Tennessee Valley Chapter | Washington DC Chapter |
Winners Circle Chapter

Singapore Chapter News
Singaporeans celebrated the Lunar New Year on January 29 and 30, 2006. Still in a celebratory mood, the Singapore Chapter held a system safety seminar on February 10 in the auditorium of the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA). The seminar concluded with a networking buffet dinner.

The seminar was well attended, with more than 100 participants. Attendees came from DSTA, Singapore Technology Engineering Subsidiaries, Ministry of Defence, Defence Science Organisation, Ministry of Manpower, DNV (Singapore), Land Transport Authority and others. During the Q&A time, it was clear that there was substantial interest in software safety, and Chapter President Michael Tan suggested that the next sharing session focus on that subject.

The presenters and the titles of their presentations were:

• Ron Howlett, U.K. Ministry of Defence Procurement Agency: "Safety Management System in the U.K. MoD"
• Audrey Lao, DSTA: "Assessing Submarine Explosive Stowage Risks"
• Lt. Col (Ret.) Keith Cook (MBE), System Design Evaluation Ltd. (U.K.): "Legacy Munition Safety Case Report — Lessons Learned"
• Fan Yue Sang, DSTA: "Operationalizing System Safety in DSTA"

In response to interest from the local defense community, the Singapore Chapter organized two five-day system safety management courses in February, in collaboration with the University of Washington. Sixty participants from DSTA, Ministry of Defence and the local defense industry attended the courses.

The seminar and safety courses have generated interest in system safety, as well as in the System Safety Society's activities. To date, there are 50 Singapore Chapter affiliates, including two from outside the defense community. As a result of the good response and interest, the Chapter Executive Committee has decided to make them annual events.

Tennessee Valley Chapter
On February 22, the Tennessee Valley Chapter (TVC) conducted its monthly meeting nestled between the Good Safety Measures Workshop hosted by APT Research, Inc. and the GEIA G-48 System Safety Committee meeting. The meeting was hosted by APT Research, Inc. No Chapter business was conducted, but Chapter President Gary Braman gave a brief "brag" presentation that highlighted the TVC's string of Chapter of the Year awards and current Chapter activities. Attendees included 26 TVC members, 4 visiting Society members from other chapters, and 12 additional guests.

On March 15, the Chapter conducted its monthly meeting, hosted by SAIC. Jim Blanteno provided an update on the status of The Great Moon Buggy Race preparations. The Chapter is sponsoring a system safety assessment contest that is open to 38 high school and 22 college teams from across the country. John Livingston, the Society's current Executive Secretary, gave part two of his upcoming International System Safety Conference presentation on "Flight Systems Safety: A Program Life Cycle Challenge." Twenty-one members and guests were present at the meeting.

The Chapter continued its community involvement at the 2006 North Alabama Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Again this year, the TVC awarded a $200 savings bond for the best safety-related project in each of three different age groups: Middle School (5^th-6^th grade), Junior (7^th-8^th grade) and Senior (9^th-12^th grade) The judges this year were Bill Pottratz, Chief of Missile Systems Safety in the U.S. Army AMCOM Safety Office, and Tom Delong, current Chapter member and Army civilian retiree. The purpose of the award is two-fold: promotion of safety as a career, and supporting interest in science and engineering education. This year's winners were:

• Middle School — Zach Overby, "Which Types of Fabrics are the Most Flammable?"
• Junior — Emily Georgiou, "How Safe Are You Sleeping?"
• Senior — Hannah Black, "Are There Harmful Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation as Demonstrated on the Growth of Planaria?"

Pictured below with Chapter President Gary Braman is Emily Georgiou, winner of the Junior Division.

Washington DC Chapter
The DC Chapter is pleased to announce that its 2006 elections are complete, with a record vote tally! We had a renowned group of candidates and a competitive race for President Elect. The new Chapter officers for 2006-2007 are:

• Mike Demmick (President-Elect)
• Scott Allred (Secretary)
• Brett Shank (Treasurer)

Chapter President Warren Naylor writes, "The Baltimore 2007 Conference is progressing well. The City of Baltimore's Area Convention and Visitors Association and the Hyatt Regency have been extremely helpful with the planning and organizing for the historic 25^th ISSC. The Conference facilities are the best I've ever been to, and the location is perfect. Hope to see you all this year in Albuquerque!

"Don Ammerman has retired again. The odds are currently 5-1 that Don's next assignment will be on a golf course, and retirement is out of the question. Don's career spanned over 50 years, and included commanding a minesweeper in the U.S. Navy, along with 42 years total of government experience, ending up with 10+ years at EG&G. Don, fair winds, calm seas, and please stay in touch."

Winners Circle Chapter
The Winners Circle Chapter's Executive Committee continues to hold monthly tele-meetings. The Chapter by-laws were approved in March.

On May 16, the Chapter held its second general meeting, with spouses and guests, in Louisville, Kentucky. This was a dinner meeting, and included a networking session and a presentation on becoming a successful chapter, along with a short business meeting.

All Chapter offices are up for re-election, and a nominating committee has submitted a proposed slate of officers. Voting will take place in June, with the new (or returning) officers beginning their new term on July 1.