RAC Indoor Meeting Minutes
August 16, 2024
Co-Chair Naveen Malik hosted the meeting in-person at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, as well as virtually using the Zoom platform.
23 meeting participants attended in-person, 20 attended via Zoom.
Upcoming Events:
Aug 17 – Artspace Summer Celebration
Aug 22 – Imaging Meeting
Aug 25 – Beyond the Flames: Astronomy Amidst Wildfires
Sept 6 – RACOBS & First Fridays with TLC
Sept 7 – RAC Class
Sept 19 – Imaging Meeting
Sept 27 – Indoor Meeting – Betelgeuse: Will It Supernova Soon?
Sept 30 – SRSP!
Oct 4 – RACOBS & First Fridays with TLC
Oct 12 – RAC BBQ!
Presentation: Curiosity: 12 Years Roving Mars
On August 6th, 2012 Curiosity touched down safely on Mars. She’s been hard at work ever since, and this presentation brought us up to speed on what’s going on with Mars exploration.
Speaker: Ken Brandt – Robeson Planetarium & Science Center, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
Business:
Current Officers & Committee Chairs
Co-Chairs: Naveen Malik, Dana Bostic
Treasurer: Steve Izzo
Secretary: Susan Herring
Committee Chairs:
ALCOR: Dean Herring
Outreach: Steven Blake
Webmaster: Barton Meeks
Loaner Scopes: Rob Parsons
Key Holders: Naveen Malik
Education: Anastasia Vail
Social Media: Anastasia Vail
Imaging: Chris Cole
A/V: Naveen Malik
Officer Elections:
Ballot:
- Co-Chair: Dana Bostic
- Co-Chair: Naveen Malik
- Treasurer: Steve Izzo
- Secretary: Susan Herring
A voting quorum was not reached as some members left or signed off before the vote. The next Election vote will be
held at the September 27, 2024 indoor meeting.
Budget Ratification:
The proposed budget has been prepared by the Treasurer and is ready for member review.
It will be voted on for ratification at next month’s meeting, September 27, 2024.
Officers will email link for review.
Note this is the same budget shared earlier in the year with some small modifications as we have reviewed committee spending.
Reports:
Treasurer’s Report: Steven Izzo
Membership: -530 total.
324 single memberships
119 family memberships with 87 secondary members
Financials:
Business checking: $1,172.70
Savings: $24,658.30
Special purpose checking: $0.21
Astronomical League Awards: Dean Herring
Awards:
- Marshal Sweet – Outreach Basic, pin & certificate
- Blair Groden – Outreach Basic, pin & certificate
- Dean Herring – Master Observer: Silver, pin & certificate
- Dean Herring – Sketching OP, pin & certificate
Outreach Report: Steve Blake
- https://raleighastro.org/blog/2024/08/06/
rac-outreach-committee-report-august-2024/ - Search: “outreach report”
Loaner Scope Report: Rob Parsons
Cassagrains: 7 out / 2 available
Dobsonians: 10 out / 1 available
Maksutovs: 1 out / 0 available
Refractors: 1 out / 1 available
Reflectors: 1 out / 2 available
Binoculars: 1out / 3 available
Donations:
- Celestron AstroMaster 70 Refractor on AltAz Mount
- AstroTech 8” Imaging Newtonian (OTA & Finderscope Only)
- Celestron CGE1400 Schmidt-Cassegrain
Key Holders Report: Naveen Malik
Education Committee Report: Anastasia Vail
Next Class:
Saturday September 7, 2024 @3:00 PM
Beginner Astrophotography Series, Part three: Telescope +Equatorial Mount
Social Media, A/V & Imaging – No Reports
After meeting social:
Hiberian Pub 311 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
All First Friday Under the Stars with TLC events in 2024 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.