DIRECTORS MESSAGE

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and all the ships at sea, the MUFON Symposium 2021 is set and picking up speed. The dates of August 27 to August 29 have been chosen, and the site is Las Vegas. The workload is growing, the excitement is high and there is great expectation for an incredible symposium. So, mark your calendars and get ready for a ride. You will be hearing lots more as things develop. Last month I wrote that the world is reopening, and things are starting to move back to our pre-COVID way of life. It won’t be long before we can get back to our in-person, state and state section meetings, events and gatherings. Boy, do I look forward to that! As much as I want to attend these events, and it is very important to me to get in the field and meet the members eyeball to eyeball, whip things up, stir things up and be as much of a helper and “answer man” as I can, it was just not possible during the COVID restrictions, not to mention the transition from Irvine to Cincinnati, which is still in process, and there is always the issue...

It’s April of 2021, and the world is coming back on track. Normality is returning to our lives all across the country. Many states have fully reopened, and the rest will soon follow suit. The same air of excitement is in full swing at MUFON. By the time you read this the plans for the 2021 Symposium will be wrapped up and put in place, and I hope to see many of you in Las Vegas. Also, we will have the “MUFON Observer Corps” in place. This will apply to every member regardless of one’s level of involvement. It will recognize everyone as an Observer, complete with spotting charts and a reporting app. There will be more on this as it develops. MUFON Radio will be returning to the airwaves and is targeted to air in April. Also in April is the opening of a MUFON museum located in Pine Bush, New York. The MUFON Journal continues to evolve with new features, focus and more items that will be both entertaining and educational. I do have one unpleasantry to tell you about. Steve Hudgeons, who has given decades of service to MUFON, has chosen to resign from his duties at...

During a recent State Directors meeting the question was posed, “Is there a document of some sort we could share with donors, members and volunteers that would show where our money comes from and how it is spent?” That is a great question so I thought I would address it in this Director’s Message. MUFON is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our financial data is a matter of public record. Although that financial data is only available to the Board of Directors, it can be viewed upon request from the IRS. MUFON was created as and remains a VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION. It has never paid its Field Investigators and never will. The Board of Directors, by law, cannot receive any pay. MUFON receives its funding from a number of sources: The generosity of our donors, membership dues, book sales, the annual symposiums’ podcasts, MUFON TV, merchandise sales, state/national chapter fees, TV and movie production companies who pay for rights to use our materials. And of course, our volunteers who give their time, skills, and knowledge without which MUFON would not be what it is today. We cannot quantify their contributions, but they are essential to the existence of this organization. The income...

February is general known for harsh weather and drab atmosphere. The holidays are over, the lights and festive decorations have been packed away, and most of us are huddled down for the Winter. But there is one bright spot and that is Valentine’s Day. So, do not forget to let those closest to you know that you love and care for them. It’s a simple act that can mean so much. Meanwhile, here at MUFON it’s a whirlwind of activity. With the renewed interest in UFOs and the mainstream approach to reporting and acceptance, MUFON continues to thrive. Our membership continues to grow, and our stature as one of the world’s most recognized repositories of UFO research and investigation remains strong—a shining beacon of UFO knowledge. Not a day goes by that Team MUFON is not busy dealing with requests for interviews, information and appearances from both domestic and international news outlets, TV producers, publishers and talk shows. Additionally, we have scores of volunteers working on preparing more and more data to be entered into our CMS files; the volume of that data is approaching the point where MUFON might have to buy its own servers to handle the storage....