1) Constitutional Vote
The constitution was voted in the following manners – Online, via mail, and at the meeting. People could only vote in one manner. The club did get a quorum. There were only 65 paid members at the time of the January meeting, thus only 43 were necessary to pass. The tally was:
49 votes for the Constitution
16 either No, abstained or did not vote.
Conclusion: Constitution changes passed.
- For the By-laws only 16 votes were needed. The tally was:
Greater than 16 votes for the By-laws
- The secretary will make a print out of the Constitution and By-laws as was voted on and copy the electronic copy on a CD. These two items will be put into the required location.
2) January Schedule
- RACOBS was scheduled for Friday, January 24, but This is Astronomy Days. The club decided to move RACOBS to the next Friday. This is 1/31/2014.
- Astronomy Days, January 25-26, 2014
Speaker on Friday Night. Currently there is not a Keynote speaker for Friday night. Several club members said that they will come if there is a speaker on Friday, weather permitting.
Weather – This topic was brought up. Everyone should use their own good judgment about whether or not to be on the roads. The Raleigh Astronomy club does not decide if the weather is enough to close down the event. The museum does. Sometimes the information comes out really late. Ian Hewitt suggested using the RAC twitter feed or looking at the Astronomy Days website for closings.
Security – A question was brought up about whether it is safe to leave your equipment overnight. There is a security guard and the doors will be locked overnight. In past Astronomy Days, we have not had a problem. Also the museum will take responsibility for any security issues.
Lunch on Saturday/Sunday – In the past the volunteers could have lunch if they volunteered a certain amount of time. Ian Hewitt will be checking on that.
Location – Astronomy Days will be split between the two buildings as has been done in the past.
Volunteer if you have not already done so. Below is an email with all the pertinent information concerning this event.
Astronomy Days is almost upon us! For those of you new to the club, Astronomy Days is a 2 day event at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, centered around Astronomy and Space Science. This event hosts up to 17,000 visitors over the course of the 2 days. This event is perfect event for Astronomy and space enthusiasts of all ages! This year’s Astronomy Days is Saturday January 25th (9am to 5pm) and Sunday January 26th (12pm to 5pm).
Astronomy Days is always RAC’s signature event of the year and our chance to share Astronomy with a large number of people. In order to do this effectively, we need lots of help! The number one area where we need help is in manning the exhibit tables. If you do not think you have enough knowledge or experience to help, think again. In the past we have even had children and grandchildren of members assist with exhibits. The fact that you are a member of Astronomy club and have an interest in Astronomy already gives you a leg up on 95% of everyone that will pass through the doors at Astronomy Days. Additionally we’ll have ‘scripts’ written for each exhibit to provide you a little more comfort around the subject matter. We also try to ensure we always have a seasoned member at each exhibit.
So please, please consider volunteering for Astronomy Days. It is a truly rewarding and enjoyable experience. Below is a URL for volunteering at the 2014 Astronomy Days:
https://raleighastro.wufoo.com/forms/rac-astronomy-days-volunteer-registration-form/
If you would like more information on the various exhibits RAC will be managing, a summary is posted on the following page on the RAC web site. Please note you will need to log into the web site as a member to view this content:
http://www.raleighastro.org/news-n-events/club-reports/292-astronomy-days-2013-info-for-members-only
As we get more information from the Museum about times and logistics around Astronomy Days, we will forward that on to you.
3) Club Social – This is moved to February. The date is 2/13/2014. The reason is that Michael Tourney will be able to speak in March.
4) Educational Workshops
- Schedule Proposed with Museum
- Need Input on Material. This is on the Google drive. Contact Mike Keefe for more information. He will send an email as things progress.
5) Public Events
- Statewide Star Party – Part of the NC Science Festival
This will take place on April 4th and April 5th. This is Friday and Saturday respectively. The website for the NC Science Festival Star Party is www.ncsciencefestival.org/special-opportunities/starparty/.
The club is committed to three locations. The first location is the NCMNS Prairie Ridge Eco Station. This will be from 7pm to 9:30pm. Doug Lively is the contact for this location.
The second location is the Annie Wilkerson Nature Preserve. This is located in North Raleigh and will be from 7pm to 9:30pm as well
The last event is Howell Woodstock on April 5th and is located at Howell Woods. The event starts at 1pm. The observing will be in the evening.
This will be more information as to how to sign up as it gets closer to this event.
