BASINGSTOKE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY Meeting held on 25th March 2004, at Cliddesden Primary School. Those present Geoff Trussler Malcolm Trussler Brendan Shaw Bob Trevan Bernard Sullivan Stuart Simpson Paul Baldwin Michelle Palfrey Nick Hudson Jenny Morrison Max Flintoff June Collins Peter Heath Nigel Heath Mike Haroband Alan Lorrain Mike Patrick Chester Bates Dave Shavewell Andria Harbinson John Stapleton Paul Moulton Apologies Vicky Bennett, Helen Mountstephens, Geoff Judd and John Stapleton, as he would be late in arriving This was an informal evening, to which everyone contributed. Members brought along a wide variety of telescopes, and each person gave a brief outline of their main interests and how they got started in astronomy. As the sky was clear, this was an excellent opportunity to try out the range of telescopes brought along, and to get to know each other. 1 Election of Executive It had been decided at the previous meeting, that the Executive would be elected, these appointments to cover the period to September, when the group will be `opened up`. a. John Stapleton was proposed as Chair by Bob Trevan, and was seconded by Malcolm Trussler. This was put to members and carried unanimously. b. Andria Harbinson was proposed as Secretary by Malcolm Trussler, and seconded by Nick Hudson. this was put to members and carried. c. Geoff Judd, who had offered his services as Treasurer, was not present. It was thought that it would be improper to elect him in his absence. Malcolm Trussler was proposed by Andria Harbinson and seconded by Mike Patrick. It was put to the vote, and carried unanimously by members. d. Nick Hudson was proposed as Equipment Officer,by Mike Haroband and seconded by Malcolm Trussler. This was put to members and carried unanimously. e. It was suggested that there was a need for a general stand-in and factotum, to cover for holidays sickness and so forth. Bob Trevan was proposed by Bernard Sullivan and seconded by Malcolm Trussler. This was put to members and was carried. 2 Meetings a. It was confirmed that meetings should be held on the 4th Thursday of each month, between now and July. During this time, it was decided to experiment with different formats , to see what works best. b. Since we last met, the Board of Governors of Cliddesden Primary School has formally agreed for us to use a room for our Society meetings. The only proviso is that a member of staff (John Stapleton) is present. They have agreed that the cost for using the room, along with heating, lighting,use of power points and coffee and tea making equipment, will be £20 per night. Members voted in favour of accepting this offer. c. It was formally agreed that the focus of meetings should be on practical observation. If the topic for the evening is to be given by a member of the Society, and the weather allows for observation, the talk or presentation should be deferred in favour of practical observation. The talk or presentation can be given at a time when observation is not possible. If, however, the talk or presentation is to be given by a visiting speaker, this should take precedence, whatever the weather conditions. d. It was also agreed at some point, we should approach another Society in the region, with an aim to swapping speakers. 3 Finances John Stapleton has investigated the possibility of opening an account with a Building Society, and has everything in place for this to be done. If money is needed for any purpose, from this account, any cheque made out will need any two of the three Executives to sign, in order for it to be valid. b. Subscriptions for membership shall stand at £10 per annum. This will commence in September. Meanwhile, we will each pay £1 for every meeting, plus extra for tea and coffee, to cover costs. c. For visitors, the first visit will be free of charge. For each subsequent visit the charge will be £1.50. This will hopefully encourage enrolment as a full member. This will also commence in September. d. John Stapleton has made enquiries regarding insurance against accidental injury for members and visitors to meetings, with the FAS . The exact cost is not known at present, but it was felt that this is an essential outgoing. Cover for member`s telescopes should be included in their home contents insurance. Members were urged to either look at their policies, or contact their own insurers to make sure this is the case. 4 Adoption of the Aims of the Society It was formally agreed that the Aims of the Society, to be used for promotion, should be: a. To promote and encourage all aspects of astronomy, for all levels, from absolute beginners to the more advanced amateur astronomer. b. To provide opportunities for learning and the exchange of information. c. To provide opportunities for practical observation of the sky, when conditions allow. d. To meet and co-operate with similar societies. e. To be a number of like minded people, with a common interest, coming together to share knowledge and experiences. f. To arrange meetings in an interesting environment, with a wide range of activities related to astronomy. It was put to the vote, and as no one had any other points to add, it was agreed to adopt these aims. 5 Transit of Venus As we all know by now, the transit of Venus occurs on June 8th this year. John Stapleton has said that he will set up his telescope in either the playing field or playground of Cliddesden Primary School, and that the playing field will be available, if any members would like to use it for the duration of the transit. However, anyone attending will be required to report to the office to obtain a visitors` badge, which should be displayed for the duration of their stay. 6 Other Matters a. Peter Heath, who was investigating the need for Data Protection, has found that the information he has is out of date. He will phone for the latest information, by next meeting. b. Bob Trevan has heard there is a web site called `Heavens Above` which gives details to enable tracking of artificial satellites, if anyone is interested. c. Brendan Shaw has suggested a Yahoo group for astronomical chit chat, which could be used by members for arranging informal observation sessions. The main problem with this seems to be the privacy aspect. Brendan has said he will look into the possibilities of setting up such a group. 7 Next Meeting The next meeting will be held at Cliddesden Primary School on 22nd April, and will start at 7pm. Bryan Jenkins will give a presentation on Artificial Satellites Close