September 2008
Previous Editions of the M111:
M111 Fall 07
M111 Late Fall 07
M111 Dec 2007
M111 Jan 2008
M111 April 2008
June/July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
Greetings...
Welcome all ye weary travelers to a new type of M111... "On Line"! Thanks to the magic of the internet, it's now easier than ever to keep up a new newletter each month. The only thing that isn't easy is getting new content! Any time you have something you'd like to offer - be it a story of how you first got started in astronomy, a star party you just attended, a telescope you just bought, or your favorite constellation, just drop me a line with the story included and I'll be sure to get it posted!
In the meantime, I do my best to make sure everyone is aware of our newsletter. If for some reason you need a hardcopy and cannot print one yourself, please feel free to contact me at 419-845-2629 and I will be happy to send you one via regular postal mail. As always, if you have something to contribute? Let me know!
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Words From Da' Prez
Howdy, Everyone!
Well, since the last couple of meetings haven't been very well
attended (with good reason!) I thought now would be a really good time
to catch everyone up with what's going on!
First off, I want to tell everyone CONGRATULATIONS on such a great
year of outreach! Right now we are holding fourth on the national
standings for Night Sky Network. Would you believe Terry McQuistion
just turned in paperwork for 9 outreach events and 30 hours of work
over the summer just that he did in his weekly campground tours? What
an awesome use of the "astronomy buckets"! And speaking of
outreach... WAY TO GO to Dan Everly, Robert Payne, Keith Moore and
Dave Mohrbacher who went the the Boy Scout Jamboree and served over
2000 (yep, the number is right!) young men in a day!! What an awesome
job.... On the same day, we held public night at the Observatory and
myself, Kim and Ron, Terry M. and our newer members Robert Kocar and
Mark Vanderaar had a very busy public night with about 65 guests!
Needless to say, all the telescopes got a great workout and it was so
great to see our new members smiling and enjoying working with our
guests! This is teamwork in action and we all should really be very
proud of ourselves!
Next order of business? Keep an eye on your mailbox for the next
draft round on our new by-laws. Don't be shy about speaking your mind
about changes you'd like to see or things you'd like to see
incorporated... And please don't hesitate to write with your opinions.
We're going to have a board meeting in the very near future (which
will be announced to the general membership should you wish to attend)
and we need to get this finalized so we can get it taken care of
before the end of the year.
Which brings us to nominations. Again, don't be shy, folks. We need
to get some nominations out there and discussed before the end of the
year so we have time for a proper vote. Nominations can be a fairly
straightforward and simple affair and I'd love to see someone
volunteer for a committee! Officers need only to have been a club
member for a year and board members need to have been club members for
two years. When it comes time to vote, you will be physically mailed
a ballot with a return envelope. Please... Fill it out and return
it, ok? At our Christmas Party, the ballots will be opened and the
votes counted.
Last, but not least... Our Haunted Star Party!! Yep. We're on again
for this year! We'll be scheduled for the last Saturday of October.
That's October 25th for those who don't have a calendar handy... and
this program WILL BE WEATHER DEPENDENT. In other words, if it is
raining - the program will be cancelled and rescheduled for the
following Saturday, November 1 - which is our normal public night -
rain or shine. In this instance, I will advertise it in the Mansfield
News Journal, so please expect a nice public turnout. What is it?
Ah.... How about just a minor Halloween Party? Try doing a little
dress up. Nothing elaborate. How about a crazy hat or T-shirt? Put
on glow in the dark buttons or something flashy that makes kids smile.
Bring a bag of candy, cookies, or chips. How about cider or donuts?
I'll snatch some hotdogs and buns, ok? We'll have us a cookout and
stargaze! Have a few laughs, enjoy the kids and give them a safe and
fun place to enjoy Halloween and all the great things to see in space!
For now? That's all fffffffolks.... Great job!!
In the mean time? Keep on doing what you love to do best...
Always at your service,
~Tammy
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Haunted Star Party
It's getting to be that time of year again... That's right. Time for a "Haunted Star Party"!!!
With most of our club members busy and gone, it's really hard to organize things during the last part of the year. Right now we've agreed upon the date of October 25 with a backup rain date of our November 1 public night. What's a Haunted Star Party involve? How about costumes for one! If you're so inclined, dress in your spooky best and let's make this a night for our guests to remember! That's right... The public is invited, too! Bring hot dogs, marshmallows, hot chocolate... and candy! Why not decorate? Carve a pumpkin? It's all fun!
What time? We're looking at right around dark. Now that it sounds like a good idea to everyone, I think it would be great if we advertised it in the Mansfield News Journal, but remember, this will be WEATHER DEPENDENT!! If it's raining, it will be cancelled, but cloudy is OK. Maybe this time we could ask for some donations, huh? We've got a nice refractor downstairs we could raffle off... ;)
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Rewriting the By-Laws
Good news! I'd like to thank Dave Hartsel for stepping up to the plate and taking our resignee's place on the By Laws Committee. The BLC now consists of Dave Hartsel, Dave Mohrbacher and Keith Moore.
Keep an eye on your email box for a new copy for you to review and approve! Don't be shy about emailing us with your opinions on the new revisions or things you'd like to see added or changed. We're about due for another board meeting and it would be a good time to incorporate these changes.
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Welcome To Our Guests!
If you're thinking about joining, come on in! Right now, your $40 membership gets you in for the 2009 year and the rest of 2008 is free. Our on-line application for membership is now currently updated and running smoothly! In the meantime, if you prefer to print off regular registration and bring it with your dues to our regular monthly meetings. If you can't find what you're looking for, please feel free to email me!
OPT Rewards
Are you hankering after a new telescope? Do you have an eyepiece you've always wanted? Got your eye on an astronomy book? Don't shop around... Shop at OPT!
Oceanside Photo and Telescope is more than just one of our Hidden Hollow sponsors - they are also a source of our club rewards program. Not only is OPT one of the country's largest and most reputable telescope dealers, but they're also offering a great discount to WRO members! Take a look around on the website. When you find something you want to order and go to check out, simply put "Warren Rupp Observatory" into the club affiliation box and... poof! You automatically get a discount. There's only one thing. The discount doesn't show until you get your final bill. How much? It could be just a few dollars and it can be as much as 20%! Now that's using a real rewards program!
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November Public Night
By Novemberber Public Night (October 4) the skies are going to be getting dark a lot earlier and it will be our last formal public night of the year. If our Halloween Party gets moved to this date, it's going to be a great time to celebrate the end of the year! Won't you please come? I would especially like to see all of our members (at least for a little while, please?) who have worked so hard on Public Outreach. I really want to take pictures of you with the Astronomy Buckets to share with Nasa Night Sky Network. Remember, this is probably our last good night to enjoy for a few months, so be there!
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