Your astronomy club needs you! CAAS is a small organization with a big mission – to connect the people of central Arkansas with their universe! But in meeting this mission, CAAS is run entirely by volunteers. The CAAS by-laws limit the term of the president to no more than one complete consecutive term. Therefore, Jim Fisher will pass the baton to a new president at the conclusion of the December Annual Meeting. Also, there are other opportunities for your service on the Board of Directors and in the various non-officers “Functionary Positions” such as a member of the observatory committee, Program Director, and Newsletter Editor, and Membership Director. Currently several members are “dual hated” holding down two or more of these positions. This can lead to burn-out for the folks involved. Between now and the November meeting, the Nominating Committee (President Jim Fisher, Vice President Eric Walker and Immediate Past President Carolaina Ferren) will receive nominations of members to serve on the Board for 2012. At the November meeting the Nominating Committee will present its nominations to the CAAS membership and elections will then be held at the Annual Meeting in December. If you are interested in serving in any capacity, please let Jim, Eric or Carolina know about your interest.
CAAS BOARD MEETING – OCTOBER 8TH 6 P.M.
The CAAS Board of Directors will meet on October 8th, at 6 p.m. in the classroom of the River Ridge Observatory. This will be the last meeting of the Board of Directors in 2011 and will cover several important organization business matters. All members of CAAS are encouraged to attend, however only Board members may vote on motions before the Board.
Public Star Party Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Saturday, October 1st
Join Central Arkansas Astronomical Society (CAAS) and our good friends at Pinnacle Mountain State Park for a public star party from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m at the park’s Visitor center parking lot. As twilight settles in, the members of CAAS will provide telescopes for viewing objects in the night sky. If cloudy skies prevent observation, an indoor program on astronomy will be presented at 9 p.m. As always our star parties are free to the public.
Highlights of the evening will be a beautiful crescent moon and a late appearance by king of the planets Jupiter, which is currently putting on a great show in the late evening and morning skies. We will also great views of the summer triangle stars of Deneb, Vega and Altiar, double stars, galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters.
We are also giving a telescope to one lucky attendee to one of the last three star parties in 2011! CAAS and Optics Planet, which is recognized as one of the world’s leading online retailers of sport optics, tactical and military gear, hunting gear, and astronomy products, have teamed up to give away a quality portable. The telescope is a Bushnell ARES 5” Compact Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope OpticsPlanet Edition and retails for $159.99 at OpticsPlanet.net. http://www.opticsplanet.net/bushnell-dob-5-compact-truss-tube-dobsonian-telescope-opticsplanet-edition.html
The drawing will be held at the October 29, 2011 near the conclusion of our final public event for the year – the Halloween Trick-or-Celestial-Treats Star Party at Woolly Hollow State Park. The Halloween Trick-or-Celestial-Treats Star Party will take place at the Woolly Hollow State Park swim beach, on October 29, 2011, 8 – 10 p.m. That night guests are welcome to wear their Halloween costumes (no face paint please, to protect the telescopes) and CAAS members will have plenty of candy for the kids in addition to the celestial treats.
The telescope contest will be open to all star party guests with a limit of one entry per star party. No purchase is necessary. Members of CAAS, employees of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and their immediate family members are ineligible. The drawing will be held near the conclusion of the October 29th Woolly Hollow event (approximately 10 p.m.) or at the November 12th monthly meeting of CAAS in the event of a cancellation. The winner need not be present to win and will be notified the following day if not in attendance for the drawing.