| Owner | Item | |
| Thomas Vaughan | Check on Earthworks Park or other south-end star party venues. | |
| Stephen Van Rompaey | Appoint member to manage our UW Observatory Program. | |
| Stephen Van Rompaey | Communicate our dues increase. |
Minutes
The meeting started at 7:00 pm.
Approval of Minutes
The September board minutes were approved.
There were some suggestions for topics and observations on the
audience:
We think the program has matured to the point where we'd like to
appoint a member to manage the liasion program. Stephen Van Rompaey
will follow up.
The question was asked: what are we getting out of the relationship
right now? So far we believe we could use the Observatory as a
venue for outreach programs, which we think is worth it.
It was resolved that we would hold board meetings on the first Monday
following each (Wednesday) club meeting.
Some members have asked about a south-end location for Star Parties.
Action Item: Thomas Vaughan will check on the availability
of south-end sites. Earthworks Park in Kent was mentioned as one
possibility.
Currently our dues are $25 per person, and we have been barely
covering our expenses for the past year. It was voted that we
increase dues to $30 per person, without changing student
membership dues. Stephen Van Rompaey will follow up.
8:15 - Meeting Ends
Banquet Speaker
Ron Wodaski will be the speaker for our 2004 Awards Banquet.
Ron is the author of "The New CCD Astronomy", famous among
amateur astronomers who do CCD imaging.
UW Observatory Program
The UW has asked if we would be available every Wednesday, instead of
every other Wednesday as we do now. We would like to do this, but
will check to see if we have the resources for this.
VP Membership
Janice Edwards, a recent member, has volunteered for the position of
VP of Membership (thanks, Janice!). She will be included on the November slate for the
election.
Board Meeting Dates
There has been some confusion over when the board meeting date should
be. We have been holding it on the last Monday of each month, but that
isn't as convenient as holding it the Monday after the club meeting.
Urban Astronomy and Star Parties
There was some question about creating an "Urban Astronomy" or
"Sidewalk Astronomy" SIG. It sounds like that would be identical
to what our star parties are doing right now.
Dues
In addition to the magazine subscription rate hikes, AL dues have
also increased from $3.50 to $5.00 per person.
Pacific Science Center
The Pacific Science Center contacted us, asking about the
feasibility of us hosting star parties there. Again, this
sounds like a great opportunity for the club, but given
our UW Observatory commitments we don't know if we have
the resources right now. Stephen Van Rompaey will follow
up.
Science Fairs
Mike Langley is looking for suggestions for how the club
might help out with various school science fairs. He has
been contacted by several teachers, asking if we could
contribute somehow. Mike is following up to see what they
want, and what we can do.