RAC Indoor Meeting Minutes

July 28 2023

Co-Chair Anastasia Vail hosted the meeting in-person at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, as well as virtually using the Zoom and Facebook platforms.

25 meeting participants attended in-person (18 signed the attendance sheet), 16 attended via Zoom and 11 attended via Facebook.

Presentation: “Light Pollution – It’s not just bothering the turtles anymore” by RAC member Dana Bostic.

Business

Milestones by Co-Chair Anastasia Vail

  • Mike Keefe replaced the battery for his EAA setup with a 20 lb lithium ion battery. It has the same 100 amp-hour capacity as the 60 lb battery it replaced but can maintain voltage longer and be drained lower.

2023 RAC Officer Elections by Secretary Steven Blake

  • 5 open positions: Co-Chair (3), Treasurer, Secretary. The ballot was uncontested.
  • Nominees:
    • Co-Chair: Anastasia Vail, Mike Keefe, Naveen Malik
    • Treasurer: Steve Izzo
    • Secretary: Dana Bostic
  • Online voting was held through midnight Thursday July 27. 34 votes were collected.
  • 7 votes were collected in the meeting room. 2 votes were collected over Zoom.
  • 43 votes exceeds our constitutional requirement for at least 25 votes. The nominees are elected.

Outreach Committee Update by Co-Chair Anastasia Vail

Upcoming outreach events:

  • August 4 – First Fridays Under the Stars at Three Bears Acres with TLC
  • August 11 – Perseid Meteor Shower at Howell Woods (overnight camping available). ~75 attendees expected.
  • August 12 – Skywatching at Dorothea Dix Park
  • August 19 – Stargazing at NC Museum of Art
  • August 31 – The Willard Rooftop

All First Friday Under the Stars with TLC events in 2023 will be held at Three Bear Acres, until further notice.

The observing committee is looking for volunteers to coordinate events and assist at events with or without a telescope. To join the committee send a blank email to [email protected]. Any club member is welcome, regardless of experience level. To volunteer for an event, register via the RAC Calendar.

Treasurer’s Report by Secretary Steven Blake

Membership – 480 total

  • 296 single memberships
  • 109 family memberships with 75 secondary members

Balances:

  • Business checking: $810.30
  • Savings: $23,290.83
  • Special purpose checking: $0.01

Imaging Group Report by Chris Cole

  • There is currently no topic decided for the upcoming August 17 imaging meeting.
  • Last month’s meeting was a 3 month challenge meeting on globular clusters.
  • An Astrophoto Workshop on September 30 will cover Camera (DSLR/Astrocam) + Equatorial Mounts.

Upcoming Club Events by co-chair Anastasia Vail

  • August 4 – First Fridays Under the Stars at Three Bears Acres with TLC
  • August 11 – RACOBS
  • August 11 – Perseid Meteor Shower at Howell Woods (overnight camping available). ~75 attendees expected.
  • August 12 – Skywatching at Dorothea Dix Park
  • August 17 – Imaging Meeting (topic TBD)
  • August 19 – Stargazing at NC Museum of Art
  • August 25 – RAC Indoor Meeting (topic TBD)
  • August 31 – The Willard Rooftop

RGAS Meeting – Gym Tacos, 3701 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC 27607 (Crafy Crab Seafood was the original choice but was too loud)