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
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
Once again, I want to congratulate everyone on the absolutely fantastic job you're doing with public outreach this year. When I logged our last public night event, I was astounded to see that we are #5 on the national rankings in the NASA Night Sky Network! Folks? This is phenomenal... We are the little observatory that could! I cannot wait to see where we end up once everyone has turned in the various programs you have done in camps, scouts, etc.
And speaking of scouts...
For those of you who were not at our last meeting, Dan Everly has a major project in mind. On October 4 (yes, our next Public Night) there is going to be a HUGE Boy Scout Convention nearby. We're talking thousands of boy scouts and thousands of kids wanting to see though a telescope! Right now I'm working on trying to organize as many local area astronomy clubs as can possibly help, and we do need volunteers from our own club as well. Be sure to keep an eye on your email as I will be sending you more details, instructions and a map as to how to find the camp and what all the day will involve. It's your time to shine!
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're looking at a tentative 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. And keep an eye on your email for further details! Once it sounds like a good idea to everyone, I think it would be great if we advertised it in the Mansfield News Journal. Maybe this time we could ask for some donations, huh?
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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.
While rewriting our By Laws means a lot of stress, it's a very neccessary function of a healthy club. In order for us to operate the way we should, all members need to have copies and by 2009 these new laws will need to be finished and put into place. While not every one is going to be pleased with everything, the outcome is going to be decided upon by a full club vote - be it done electronically, by mail, or in person. Once they are finished, the original draft will be left in the Clubhouse for safekeeping and the draft stored electronically where it can be accessed and replaced at anytime. In addition, each Club member will receive a copy via mail, along with a copy of the new Codes of Conduct and the new Discrimination Policy, too. What's more, every member will also receive a hard copy of our most recently updated club roster, our 5013c declaration and a copy of our insurance statement through the Astronomical League. These are important papers that are benefits of being a Club member.
Before rumors start to fly, remember that 2009 will be a year of great changes. At the end of the year all Board positions and all Officer positions will be open to new nominations and new votes. Before you get ready to take up arms and start arguing, remember this is the way that things need to be. Too many years have gone by in confusion and the time has come to start fresh. We need a nominating committee!! Once Board and Officer nominations are taken, just like with the By-Laws, every club member will be given an opportunity to vote on who they want their representatives to be. All Officer terms will be for one year, while some Board terms will be for one or two years. Just like the By-Laws, not all choices will please everyone - but it's time to be democratic.
Once the latest draft of the By-Laws has been prepared, we'll make sure to email all members of the club with a draft for their inspection. As always your opinion is important and we will work out a method of making sure your opinion is heard and acted upon. The BLC will do it's very best to come up with a set of laws we can all be proud of!
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Welcome To Our New Members!
Another new member? You bet! This time it's Mark Vanderaar! Welcome to the Club!
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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October Public Night
By October Public Night (October 4) the skies are going to be getting dark a lot earlier and we're not going to have as many members present. Why? Don't forget the Boy Scouts! For those of you who will be attending, let's try to make that 7:00 pm meeting as punctual as possible, ok? (yes, even me... ;) We'll try to have our regular monthly astronomy outreach program about 8:00 and then free stargazing afterwards! Please keep an eye on your email for a lot of things that need to be discussed and voted on since we'll be low on meetings over the next few weeks.
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