Fresh Request for Sector 5

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Gang, I know this might seem confusing. But we need weather forecasts for next week – I’m told specifically for the dates on August 23rd and August 24th.

No – these weather forecasts are not for potential test flights of Santa’s sleigh.

It’s my understanding that a shipment of some sort is scheduled to take place on those dates. It will be coming from the North Pole, through Canada and the United States and maybe as far south as Northern Mexico.

What it is, I can’t tell you. But they want to know what the weather will be like in all areas. They either want to avoid weather, or fly right into it. I don’t know right now.

I’m told I may find out sometime this weekend. They say it’s “no big deal”. We’ll see.

Anyway, if you can accommodate this as soon as you can get a forecast for those dates, it will prove most useful.

Maybe by Saturday or Sunday I’ll be able to give you more information.

Thanks, elves.

An Update for Tracker Elves

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(From the Office of Elf Roger Star – International Director of Santa Trackers) – As you are all well aware, yesterday a test flight of Santa’s sleigh crashed in the South Pacific. If you are following the news reports here and on other official websites of the North Pole, you are as informed as I am about the current status of the test flights.

There have been many from every sector who have questions about what happened and what this event means. The purpose of my statement here today is to clarify the situation as much as I can and to provide direction for tracker elves everywhere about what they can and should be doing right now.

North Pole Flight Command, hours ago, announced that all test flights have been suspended while they conduct an investigation into what happened and how another similar event can be prevented. How long test flights will be suspended is not known at this time.

Regardless, I have instructed elf supervisors of every sector to continue with their plans. That means you MAY receive direction and/or requests from your elf supervisor even if the test flights remain grounded. The operation of test flights never had anything to do with your responsibilities as a tracker. The test flights give us good training and are helpful in developing tracking skills such as spotting Santa’s sleigh in flight. But the test flights are not necessary for you to do your job.

We remind you, that this is a new year and that Santa has placed upon us new expectations in our tracking duties. We must move forward with those things.

Please remain engaged in checking in as frequently as you can for new direction from your elf supervisor.

If and when the test flights resume, you will hear how those flights might impact your sector and if there is an opportunity for you to participate in some way.

For now, assume that all operations are normal, and that you are “on-the-job” in your tracking duties. Your elf supervisor will provide an occasional update of your responsibilities.

Thank you.

Radio News Report of Sleigh Crash

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The North Pole Podcast
The North Pole Podcast
Radio News Report of Sleigh Crash
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Elf Frank Myrrh and Elf Crash Murphy have now filed this radio news report of the crash of a test flight of Santa’s Sleigh.

Sleigh Crash Reported in the South Pacific

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North Pole Flight Command is reporting that one of the sleighs that are part of the test flights has gone down in the South Pacific. The sleigh pilot and the reindeer have been rescued by a team from the SS Jingle Bell and are reportedly in good condition. We have no indication of the fate of the test sleigh, however.

This is a breaking news situation. We will keep you posted as more information becomes available.

Chat with Crash This Saturday

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If you are available we invite you over to SantaUpdate.com and North Pole Chat for a conversation with Elf Crash Murphy. This general-audience chat will begin at 1pm EST in the North Pole Chat room at SantaUpdate.com on Saturday, August 20th.

While this chat is not specific to tracker elves I have it on good authority that Crash will be prepaid to update us on the status of the test flights and how tracker elves world wide are doing.

He will also be available to answer any general questions about Santa, Christmas and the North Pole.

Hope you can make it!

Elf Winslow

Sector 5 Alert Possible

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The test flights of Santa’s Sleigh will engage with the North Pole Navy, per Elf Randi’s report from Sector 1 yesterday. But the bigger point is that we’re not entirely sure where the North Pole Navy is at this point.

We have been told we might see some of these test flights at least partially in Sector 5 over the coming days. So we need to alert everyone to a possible alert in the coming days.

Does that sound confusing?

I’m sorry if it does. I just haven’t been informed exactly what is going to happen.

I know this is unfair to you. And it certainly is not normal. But in the early going here of the test flights this is not all that unusual.

So just be ready to be ready. Or be ready to sit still.

I don’t know.

Reports Slowly Coming In

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Reports to North Pole Flight Command are a little slow to come in. This is expected.

Hello everyone, Elf Flip here, with an update on our goal this year. In the past, I have updated you on the number of tracker elves recruited each year. With the change of focus to tracker elf reports, my job changes slightly.

Our goal, as announced at the annual tracker elf press conference at the North Pole in July, is to get 1 billion tracker reports. We have a little more than 3,000 reports as of this morning.

I know it sounds like a tiny little dent towards our goal. But I would remind you that last year at this time we had 0 reports by this point in the season.

Some here at Flight Command feel that part of the reason for the low number is because tracker elves for the most part haven’t even checked in yet.

And it is easy to see why that is true. In many parts of the world it is still summertime and many are on vacations. Some elves haven’t even thought of Christmas yet. As elves wake up to the fact that Santa’s flight is soon to be only 100 or so days away, they will come back and check in.

So nobody is really panicked about the report totals. It’s going to happen.

I have spoken to each elf supervisor. They are all very pleased so far with the quality of reports coming in. In fact, there are no issues at this time to tell you about.

Yes, we have a long way to go to that goal. And we recognize that the vast majority of reports will be coming in November and December.

I think it is safe to say that as of right now, we are right on target.

Weather Report Requested

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We need a WEATHER REPORT from all areas of Sector 5 by August 15th from all available elves.

NOTE for FREELANCE ELVES: Please use the standard freelance elf report for this request.

No, we do not have a schedule yet for test flights of Santa’s sleigh in our sector. This report is requested because we have North Pole scout teams coming to North and Central America in advance of test flights later this month. The weather report is for them.

As far as when we will see the test flights in our sector all I can tell you is that it will happen on very short notice. Maybe a day or two in advance we might learn of it. So please be paying attention.

I’m being told that they likely won’t need much from us but I’d still like you all to be on alert just to see if we can be the first sector to report a sleigh sighting this year. That hasn’t happened yet and I’d like to be the first, ya know?

Some of you have expressed concern about our regional tracking center here in Mistletoe, Kentucky. Yes, I know that recent flooding in nearby areas have been a concern. But please be assured that we are all okay. The barn – which is really where our tracking center is, truth be told – sits at the top of a hill. While we can see flooded areas close by where we are is totally fine and we’re operating without issue.

Thank you for your concern.

 

Sector 5 Now Activated

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Hi, Kids. Hahaha. Sorry. That was a dumb way to start this.

I’m activating the sector today. This is official. This counts. So make sure you do this right. Go to the Elf Status Report and give me an idea of your availability.

Remember, the Elf Status Report is one you can use at any time. Yes, there will be times I will ask you to update it. But I know many of you have a lot of stuff going on right now. Some are going on vacation, others are heading back to school. Your status could and probably will change a lot over the next couple of months.

Whenever a change is upon you, just update your Elf Status Report. We’ll work with what you have going on.

And speaking of things going on – frankly, I’m not exactly sure when we’re going to see much action in Sector 5. It seems Flight Command is changing their tune nearly every day.

I think some of that has to the with the weather. In much of Sector 5 right now it is dry and hot. I think they want to test right now in cooler climates. So I think they will be sticking to the south for a while. They keep sending me mixed signals on that, so don’t take it as gospel truth. If there is an official change, I’ll let you know.

But as other elf supervisors have indicated, I think the tests are headed into the South Pacific for a few days before venturing into Sector 1. I think after that they may drift over towards us.

However it plays out, I want to be ready. I see no reason not to activate and to begin our own little tests.

So be on your toes! I may test you with a request even IF we don’t have test flights in our area.

Toodles.

Sector 5 Nears Activation

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Hi Elf Friends – I send you greetings from Mistletoe, Kentucky where the regional tracking center is getting ready for the first flight activity over Sector 5. It’s coming very soon.

I’m writing today to let you know that we will be activating as a sector very soon. That’s because North Pole Flight Command has informed us that the test flights of Santa’s sleigh are headed for Northern Mexico and the South West of the United States very soon.

Once I have more concrete information I will activate the sector. With that status I can begin receiving reports from you.

That means you need to be paying attention. DO NOT SEND ANY REPORTS YET. I’m just letting you know it is happening very soon. Like, within a few days. So stand-by. Okay?

New Report Added for Trackers

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A new report has been added to the Trackers Report menu. It’s called the Sleigh Sighting Report and it is for those elves who believe they have seen a sleigh in flight.

The Elf Supervisors specifically asked for this report to be added in advance of tracking the test flights of Santa’s sleigh. They said that with so many sleighs in flights this was a very common occurrence last year.

Elf Pinky reported that her regional tracking center alone last year received more than 40,000 reports of sleigh sightings.

“It is not hard to see how this can happen,” Elf Pinky said. “We have right now 12 prototype sleighs testing around the clock. That’s more than 100 flights a day and they go all over the place, day and night. Then, in the hours before Santa launches and even when he is in flight the North Pole sends up tens of thousands of sleighs in support of Santa. Those are airlift sleighs moving freight, scout sleighs, transport sleighs moving elves all over the place, reindeer support sleighs and weather tracking sleighs – how is it possible that people DON’T see more sleighs on Christmas Eve?

So if you have seen a sleigh North Pole Flight Command wants to know about it. You can access the new report from this link, or by clicking on Tracker Reports in the menu above.

A New Era of Tracking Santa Begins

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A new era of tracking Santa has begun.

Starting in the next few days your Elf Supervisor is going to ask you to file a new report – and this one counts. This is the time we have been talking about all year. This is when you really need to be paying attention.

Today was posted a new report, titled Elf Status. This new report will tell Flight Command and your Elf Supervisor whether or not you are on the job.

Traditionally, we have done in the past something we called the Elf Check-in, which was a way to indicate your readiness before Santa took flight. That old way of doing things is now gone. Tracking Santa is now different in every way and it begins with this new report.

This next week, all Elf Supervisors in each sector will call for your Elf Status report.

It is important that you respond by filing that report when the Elf Supervisor asks for it. It does not matter what your Elf Status report says at this point. But the fact that you respond to YOUR elf supervisor within the window of time called for matters a great deal. This will be one of those reports that applies to your elf evaluation score later next year.

If you file that report that you are on the job it will lead to other very important reports that will count between now and Christmas. This is definitely the time to start paying attention to what is happening.

Also, today and over the next few days – changes have been implemented to our elf registration process. For all new elves coming aboard, as previously announced, a 90-day working period as a FREELANCE ELF is now required BEFORE a new elf will be allowed to become a part of the Elf Community here at SantaTrackers.net and classified as a NORTH POLE ELF.

A freelance elf works by contract for one full season. You can read the contract at this link. All new elves will need to abide by the contract, do their jobs as elves and gain the endorsement of their elf supervisor. This is another way in which tracking Santa is different. No more can an individual sign up as an elf and do no work. They have to actually be an elf tracking Santa for Santa.

A freelance elf still files reports. In fact, the reports are even MORE critical to a freelance elf because a review of their reports over their first 90-days is key to them becoming a North Pole elf.

Regardless of your class as an elf, reporting is now active and it all counts. We are attempting to get 1 billion tracker reports this year. Starting today, those reports count.

But they only count if you file the reports needed when your elf supervisor asks for them. Please do not just send in reports willy-nilly.

In fact, if your reports are not applicable, on-time, and comprehensive they will not help you at all. The point behind all of this is to do a better job of reporting the right information at the right time when Santa needs it.

Right now, Santa’s sleigh is in the test flight period. Your reports during this period matter because we are testing all systems, including the reporting system, as part of the test flights. If your reports show snow where there is really dry heat, it hurts the effort and could count against you.

We also remind you that many reports have changed and some new reports are yet to come out. Please pay attention.

Thanks and happy tracking, elves!