Meeting Minutes July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Co-Chair Dana Bostic hosted the meeting which was held at the NCMNS in Raleigh.  Thank you to everyone who came early for the pre-meeting social. A good time of fellowship was had by all and plans are underway for the next one!

Upcoming Events:

• July 12 – 3BA – CANCELLED 
• July 26 – Stargazing on Tap Star Party (Cameron)
  • Coordinator: Steve B
  • Volunteers registered:
    • solar telescopes: 4/5
    • floaters: 1/3
• August 1 – First Friday with TLC at Three Bear Acres (Creedmoor)
  • Coordinator: Ana V
  • Volunteers registered:
    • telescopes: 1/15
    • floaters: 0/5

Tonight’s Presentation:

Speaker: William T. Bryan

Topic: SLS and the Artemis Story

Meeting Description: NASA and its partners are returning humans to the Moon under the Artemis campaign. A key element of the architecture is the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) super heavy-lift rocket. Will Bryan with NASA’s SLS Program will discuss the Artemis campaign, the SLS rocket, and progress toward the Artemis II mission, which will send astronauts to the lunar vicinity for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Business:

Current Officers

Co-Chairs: Naveen Malik, Dana Bostic

Treasurer: Steve Izzo

Secretary: Susan Herring

Naveen Malik has decided not to run for re-election in the Co-chair position but will continue to be involved with other club activities.

Officers were elected.  Here are the new officers that were elected.

• Co-chair – Dana Bostic
• Co-chair – Susan Herring 
• Co-chair – Blair Groden
• Treasurer – Steven Izzo
• Secretary-  Ann Murphy

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
• Safety: Steven Blake
• Social: Susan Herring

Give Away

• Gave away Peter Birren’s Object in the Heavens

Reports: 

Treasurer’s Report: Steven Izzo

Memberships:

• RAC memberships: 495
• Admin memberships: 1
• TOTAL memberships: 496

Financials:

• Checking: $1,378.69
• Savings: $26,710.01
• Special Purpose:  $0.06

Paid Astronomical League dues for the 2025-2026 year totaling $2,787.04.

ALCor awards for July:

• Bob Muzzi – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver April Cert
• Bob Muzzi – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver May Cert
• Adnan Asif – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver May Cert
• Adnan Asif – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver June Cert
• Adnan Asif – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver July Cert
• Mustafa Asif – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver May Cert
• Mustafa Asif – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver June Cert         
• Nathan Raynor – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver May Cert (sent)
• Chris Wittum – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver May Cert (sent)
• Doug Lively – Hubble 35th Challenge Silver May OP Cert
• Doug Lively – Hubble 35th Challenge Silver June OP Cert
• Bob Muzzi – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver April Cert
• Michael Keefe – Hubble 35th Challenge Silver March OP Cert
• Michael Keefe – Hubble 35th Challenge Silver April OP Cert
• Blair Groden – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver June Cert
• Al Hamrick – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver May Cert
• Al Hamrick – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver June Cert
• Susan Herring – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver June Cert
• Dana Bostic – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver June Cert
• Dana Bostic – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver July Cert
• Dean Herring – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver June Cert
• Dean Herring – Hubble 35th Challenge OP Silver July Cert
• Dean Herring – Globular Cluster OP Pin and Certificate
• The BIG One!!  How many Master Observer Gold’s are there
  total in all of the Astronomical League?  22
  • Who is number 22?
  • Congratulations Dean F Herring

Outreach Report: Steve Blake:

• June 02 – Sanderson HS (Raleigh)
  • Coordinator/presenter: Tony V

• June 06 – First Fridays with TLC at Three Bear Acres (Creedmoor)
  • Canceled due to weather forecast

• June 18 – The Willard Rooftop (Raleigh)
  • Coordinator: Steve B
  • Volunteers: Bill, Blair, Dean, Susan, Annelies, Lauren, Steve B
  • Recap: Steve B –

We had a fantastic turnout of at least 80+ people who turned out at the Willard, despite the late start and heat. Mars and various globular and open clusters were observed. We handed out a variety of handouts and had good conversations with the attendees.

Loaner Scope Report:  Rob Parsons

Scopes:

• Cassagrains: 3 out / 7 available/ 1 in for repair
• Dobsonians: 8 out / 3 available/ 0 in for repair
• Maksutovs: 4 out / 1 available/ 0 in for repair
• Refractors: 1 out / 1 available/ 0 in for repair
• Reflectors: 3 out / 1 available/ 0 in for repair
• Binoculars: 2 out / 2 available/ 0 in for repair
• Big Telescopes: 1 out / 2 available/ 0 in for repair
• Accessories: 5 out / 28 available/1 in for repair
• Outreach: 2 out/0 available/ 0 in for repair

1. New category “Outreach” for equipment with “Outreach Priority”.

• Solar Telescope: Coronado 70mm NearStar H-Alpha
• EAA Telescope: Explore Scientific 102mm (4″), Sky-Watcher EQ6, ASIAIR Plus, ASI2600

2. The Meade 14″ LX850 will be transferred to Mayland College Bare Dark Sky Observatory.
3. Received accessories donation for X4 (Astro-Tech Imaging OTA):

• MPCC Mark III Coma Corrector, ZWO EAF Adapter, Dew Shield, Dew Heater Strap, DC cable for the cooling fan.
• Keyholder Report:
• Application for Big Woods keyholder is open through the end of July. We have 4 applicants at this time.
• Imaging Meeting & Report:
• No report
• A/V Report: 
• There are discussions within Leadership of discontinuing hybrid meetings, thus going back to in-person meetings only.Doing the A/V for the meetings is easy, especially if there are two at a meeting.

  If there are only two people to do it ever, then those two have have to attend everything and it becomes a burden.

  Without some help we will have to discontinue doing hybrid and probably video as well.

Education Committee Report: Anastasia Vail

• July 26: Eyepieces and Visual Filters, taught by Jim Pressley

Social Events:

• Pre-meeting social held for the July 11th indoor meeting.  Good time by all.

Social Media

• No Report

No Report:

• Webmaster Team
• Social Media
• Safety