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Oca Club Meeting Star Parties Coming Up January 2004 Free to members, subscriptions $12 for 12 issues Volume 31, Number 1 BOARD ELECTIONS THIS MONTH!!!!! This image of the full Moon with Mars was shot by OCA member Wally Pacholka through the Arch Rock at the Valley of Fire, Nevada, on September 23, 2003. Wally, this month’s featured speaker, has won the Picture of the Year Award for 2003 from both Time and Life magazines for his astrophotography. OCA CLUB MEETING STAR PARTIES COMING UP The free and open club The Black Star Canyon site will be open this The next session of the meeting will be held Friday, month on January 17th. The Anza site will Beginners Class will be held January 9th at 7:30 PM in be open January 24th. Members are on Friday January 2nd (and the Irvine Lecture Hall of the encouraged to check the website calendar, next month on February 6th) Hashinger Science Center for the latest updates on star parties and at the Centennial Heritage at Chapman University in other events. Museum (formerly the Orange. The featured Discovery Museum of Orange speaker this month is Wally Please check the website calendar for the County) at 3101 West Pacholka, who will tell us outreach events this month! Volunteers Harvard Street in Santa Ana. ‘How To Take Astrophotos are always welcome! That Get Published’ You are also reminded to check the web OCA Board Meeting: Jan. 18th site frequently for updates to the calendar Astro-Imagers SIG: Jan. 20th, of events and other club news. Feb. 17th EOA SIG: Jan. 21st , Feb. 18th Astrophysics SIG: Feb. 20th President’s Message I’m sure that those of you who were at together, but with very different the December general meeting recall that backgrounds. He is a charter member By Barbara Toy Chris Butler generously volunteered to of the club, and has often contributed a run for Vice President, as we did not have valuable historical perspective to our Welcome to 2004 – and I hope you and a candidate for that position. This was discussions in addition to a rare patience everyone dear to you had a really met with enthusiastic approval by and attention to detail that has been wonderful holiday season! everyone at the meeting, but, carefully developed over the many years unfortunately, on further consideration of he has been on the Voyager team. While Before going to more weighty topics, I’d the many calls on his time and talents in I have depended on Russ to help keep like to make a small disclaimer. When I the coming year (including his signature discussions focused and the meetings wrote the introduction to the December “What’s Up” talks for us), he realized that moving along, I have equally relied on PM, I had no idea just how cold it was he wouldn’t be able to handle the duties Tim to be sure we didn’t overlook going to be at the November Star Party of the position the way he felt they should important aspects of issues under – or, rather, how cold and windy! Dark, be handled, and had to withdraw his discussion or forget about matters that clear, STILL nights make great winter name. I am delighted that Dave had been postponed for further viewing. Add a bitterly cold hard wind – Radosevich, who has been a real asset consideration. Even though I know that and that’s another story altogether! I’m to the Board as Trustee this last year, both of them will be available for hoping conditions will be better for the agreed to run for Vice President in his consultation if we need them, and they December party which, as I write this, is place, and I look forward to working with will both remain active in the club (and about a week away… him next year – and to Chris’s continued Tim will remain our representative to the “What’s Up”’s! WAA), I will really miss working with The OCA Election them both as Board members. Russell Sipe and Tim Hogle Leaving If all goes well with the January Sirius the Board On the bright side, they’ve both said that Astronomer, you should be getting your they hope to serve on the Board again in ballot with your newsletter. If there are Every year at this time we have to say a the future – so hopefully we’ll see them unexpected delays in spite of all of Steve sad farewell to members who have back before too long! Condrey’s efforts to keep things on track decided that the time has come for them (which include an early deadline, so he to leave the Board. This year, much to The Beginners Class can get it to the printer earlier than usual), our regret, we are losing Russell Sipe you may get it in a separate mailing. If, and Tim Hogle. One of the major educational services our for some reason, you don’t get it, you club provides to the general public is our can download a copy from the website, Russ was president when I joined the free “Beginners Class,” which has been and copies will be available at the January club, and has been a wonderful resource developed and taught by Antonio Miro for general meeting. during the three years that I’ve been on the last several years. It’s a cycle of six the Board. He has a very strong business sessions (so there are two complete Directions for voting are on the ballot – background, as well as useful ties to such cycles each year), and is almost always please be sure to follow them, so you entities as Sky and Telescope magazine, held on the first Friday of each month in can be sure your votes will be counted. and a lot of useful ideas – all of which the classroom behind the Centennial You can submit your ballot by mail before have enriched the Board discussions of Heritage Museum in Santa Ana. As one the January meeting (the address is on club issues. I have been particularly who has frequently attended the class to the ballot), or put it in the ballot box at grateful for his advice and support while harass Antonio in the guise of giving him the meeting itself. The deadline for voting I’ve been president, which have helped moral support, I can say from personal is the day of the January meeting, and tremendously as I’ve knowledge that he no ballot postmarked after 11:59 p.m. attempted to learn my has done a wonderful on January 9 will be counted – so get job. He has taken on the Don’t forget to place job of developing the your ballot in early! job of website editor for your vote by the class and filling it the club, so he will January Meeting! with helpful The final list of candidates for the definitely continue to be information for the 2004 Board is: very involved in club people who attend. It President: Barbara Toy affairs, even though it won’t be as a Board is very well attended, particularly Vice President: Dave Radosevich member. He also continues to welcome considering its location and the fact that Secretary: Bruce Crowe visitors to his observatory at Anza, there isn’t any aggressive attempt to Treasurer: Charlie Oostdyk especially on star party nights – which is publicize it. Trustee: Bob Buchheim, Gary a tremendous boon on a cold winter Schones, Tony Obra, Joel Harris, night, as his “warming room” is genuinely Antonio needs some help with the class, Craig Bobchin, Tom Kucharski, Bob warm! both in developing the curriculum and Swifka and Stephen Eubanks class materials and in teaching it. Tim joined the Board the same year I Change happens and, unfortunately, did, 2001, so we were newcomers recent changes in his personal life mean 2 that he no longer has the time that he continue to be the person primarily else’s complaint to the responsible person had in the past to devote to the class. If responsible for dealing with the problems when the complainer won’t complain you can help him out, or want more caused when volunteers have been directly, please don’t, and please also information about it, please contact pushed too far, I have to admit to a refrain from sharing the fact that Antonio ([email protected] or 714/898- certain amount of self-interest in offering someone has this complaint with people 9677) or me ([email protected] or 714/606- the following suggestions for reducing other than those directly involved. In 1825). volunteer frustration – which I make to other words, don’t let yourself be made volunteers and non-volunteers alike: a carrier of discord by someone who On the “Care and Feeding” of lacks the courage or the courtesy to Volunteers… 1) We all have complaints at some complain directly to the person who could point or other – it’s part of the human actually do something about the You may have noticed that, while our condition. When you find yourself complaint. records show that we have over 700 complaining about someone or something individual adult members of the club, in the club, please stop a moment and 3) When you contact a responsible there are only about 40 who regularly consider why you’re complaining. If you volunteer about an area of concern, volunteer their time and energy to keep want to see something corrected, is the please make a special effort to be the club and its various facilities and person you are complaining to a person courteous and diplomatic in conveying functions going.
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