Minutes, General Meeting, January 18, 2011

MINUTES 

GENERAL MEETING

JANUARY 18, 2011

Jamaica Trade and Invest / JAMPRO

Present 

Vice President                    Christopher Benjamin, Consultant

Vice President Finance       Stephen Shaw, NWA

General Secretary              Cheryl Smith, Min of Finance and the Public Service

Past President                    Mark Thomas, JAMPRO

Past President                    Blossom Laidlaw, UWI CARIMAC

Past President                    Beverley Josephs, UTECH

Member                            Gwyneth Davidson, OPM

Member                            Gerry Mc Daniel, Local representative, Elsevier Publishing

Member                            Opal Davis, NSWMA 

Member                            Claudette Myers, PIOJ

Guests

Dr Lyndon Brown, Head Earthquake Unit, UWI

Shelly Ann Harris, Women's Resource Outreach Centre

Farah Lovley, UWI Arts and Humanities Faculty

Apologies

Delmares White, President

Marie Stewart

Michael Bryce

Lorna Clarke

Dayner Azzellino Clarke

Jean Lowrie Chin 

Keith Brown

Collin Campbell

The meeting was called to order by DW at 6:00 by Christopher Benjamin. Apologies were said for President Delmares White who was on assignment.

Head of the Earthquake Unit, UWI, Dr Lyndon Brown says that buildings in Jamaica are, by large, constructed with the expectation that there will be earthquakes. Dr Brown said that journalists and other writers use the old term, "Richter Scale" in reference to earthquakes. The internationally accepted term now used by siesmologists is "magnitude". Practitioners urged Dr Brown to write directly to newsrooms to advise them of the change.

Presentation by research Fellow and Head, The Earthquake Unit, UWI

Head of the Earthquake Unit, UWI, Mr Lyndon Brown made a detailed presentations on earthquakes and the island of Jamaica. He updated practitioners on current working terms used in the discipline including the fact that earthquakes are measured by magnitude and no longer use Richter Scale, which is considered to be outdated. Practitioners suggested that the Unit write to individual heads of news departments asking that news stories use the correct modern term.

Dr Brown noted that earthquakes are an unavoidable part of life in Jamaica and showed maps that detailed the major faults right across the island. He said that on average, Jamaica experienced 200 earthquakes each year.

He urged practitioners to promote safe placement of furniture and other objects in rooms and the adoption of the safest manoeuvre "duck, cover, hold" in case of significant earth movements.

He assured practitioners that the local construction industry already factored earth movements in design and construction, which some persons might consider to be "overbuilding".

Dr Brown was presented with a copy of the the coffee table picture book Jamaica Absolutely. Presentation was made by C Smith and C Benjamin.

PR Takeout

• Correct use of technical terms
• Promotion of correct earthquake safety precautions and action during and after an earthquake in home and workplace
• Jamaica's building practices anticipate ongoing earth movement

Membership

Members were reminded that dues would be due in February. A date is to be set for the AGM.

Launch of Newsletter

Gwyneth Davidson made a short presentation on the Society's monthly online newsletter, PR Brief, that was launched a few days before.

Its goal is to:

• Encourage, in various ways, professional development
• Facilitate peer recognition. 

PR Brief will be distributed by email and will be available on the Society's website.

Feedback and content is welcome to prsj2009@gmail.com

The motion to adjourn the meeting was moved at 8:00p.m. by C Smith and and seconded by M Thomas.