|
|
|
|
|
|
The 2001 Annual NERAL Meeting was convened at the Pink Clubhouse at 1530hrs EDT, August 17, 2001
Present:
NERAL Chair: Maryann Arrien
NERAL Treasurer: Richard Roberts
NERAL Sec/Reg Rep: Doc Kinne
Doc went through a quick overview of the Astronomical League Board of Director's meeting held the month before. Once done we quickly fell into a brainstorming session regarding NERAL memberships.
We discussed the lack of members at the NERAL meeting. This can be attributed both to the lack of active members, and the lack of advance publicity regarding the meeting.
We also discussed the lack of Astronomical League awards that have been issued to NERAL members...or the lack of awards awarded that we know about.
This lead into a discussion about improving communications around the Region.
We discussed a bi-annual printed newsletter that would come out after the NERAL Annual Meeting to inform members of the things that had happened at the NERAL and AL Board Meeting, and also an issue before these meetings to determine what issues the NERAL membership wanted brought up and discussed. These printed newsletters would be bridged be two more newsletters that would appear only online at the NERAL website at <http://home.twcny.rr.com/datahold/neral/>. This would cut down costs.
Generating these newsletters would be e-mails and s-mails to the ALCors and MALs of NERAL. We very desperately need to start communication going not only from NERAL to the members, but from the members to NERAL!
We hope that the newsletter (both digital and print) will contain by-lined reports by the ALCors and MALs, announcements of AL Observing Awards won and local awards won as well. We can advertise NERAL based club events as well! Think of this as free advertising for your club! What have you got to lose!
A NERAL Logo Competition was discussed. This new logo would go on the website, newsletter, and in shirts and hats that we'd produce.
Other possible NERAL Officers were discussed both in order to do needed work and to create an opportunity for increased Regional participation. The possible offices discussed were:
NERAL Webmaster
NERAL Historian
NERAL Youth Coordinator
It had been mentioned that with Bert resigning as AL Webmaster the request for a replacement had brought in a lot of very good resumes. Doc will contact Bert and see if any of the people who "didn't make the final AL cut" were NERAL members and if those resumes could be forwarded for our consideration. Doc will also pass the thought of a Regional Youth Coordinator by Ryan Hannahoe and the rest of the Youth Committee to see how they feel about it.
Finally, Richard gave a Treasurer's report that reported a current balance in the NERAL Treasury of $600.91. Expenses over the past year had been $68.09 for printing and postage of the last newsletter. We had gained $7.38 in interest income.
The Annual NERAL Meeting was concluded at 1645hrs EDT, August 17, 2001
At 1830hrs that evening NERAL conducted a dinner at the local Oriental Palace Chinese restaurant. Six people attended the dinner and we were joined by none other than John Dobson himself who regaled us by speaking to the waitress and waiter in Chinese, quizzing us on the definition of a calorie, and discussing the days of his youth.
Finally, nicely sandwiched in between David Levy's talk and the keynote speaker on Saturday night at Stellafane Chair Maryann Arrien and Secretary Doc Kinne presented the first NERAL Walter Scott Houston Award plaque to Anna Hillier, a Member-at-Large of the Astronomical League from the Boston Amateur Telescope Makers. Doc got up and said a few words thanking Stellafane for the support they've given NERAL in the past couple of years and how important it was to make sure our history as Amateur Astronomers is not lost. Maryann then came up and brought the Award Plaque to show and to read:
In Recognition of her many years of ongoing Service
and Dedication to the Astronomical League,
her Observational Contributions to Project Moonwatch in the late
1950's,
and her substantial efforts in Preserving the
History of Amateur Astronomy in the Northeast Region
by her work establishing the Archives of the ATM's of Boston,
we hereby present this Award to
ANNA SUDARIC HILLIER,
HISTORIAN
Presented this day, August 18, 2001 at Stellafane
In fond remembrance of Legendary Observer,
Writer, League Organizer and ATM Historian,
Then, right on queue, out of the darkness, Anna came to accept
the
award! She comments, "Thanks to all those who participated in the
decision to award me with this prestigious Scotty award. I hope that
all
of you out there would be ambassadors of amateur astronomy and
treat everyone you meet as an individual unto themselves. Long
life
to Stellafane and may she prosper."
A duplicate plaque will hang in the McGregor Observatory at Stellafane.
And with that, NERAL contines to march proudly into the future!
Page last updated 12 October
2001 by Doc Kinne, NERAL Secretary, Regional Representative, and
Webmaster