President’s Letter – June 2020
The first day of our online SAS/AAVSO meeting last Saturday was a tremendous success! Many thanks to Bob Buchheim and the SAS production team for working out the details and adjustments needed to move the meeting to an online format. Over 180 people attended!
Four more exciting days remain – on the weekends of June 13/14 and 20/21. You can still register at https://socastrosci.z2systems.com/np/clients/socastrosci/event.jsp?event=27&.
Over the past twelve months, Stella and the Board have been working together to develop the AAVSO strategic plan. We have three primary objectives – high membership satisfaction, increased organization impact, and having long-term financial stability.
We are receiving positive feedback from members regarding changes already instituted. Observing sections are becoming more active. Bert is leading periodic meetings with Section leaders to share ideas about how to increase section activity, better communicate with section members, and respond to their interests. We are trying new ways to communicate. Last month the binary stars observing section held a two-hour pilot online meeting with over 30 participants. It was so successful that every section now plans to hold similar meetings this summer – through an observing section science fair (please check your inbox for more details to come). CHOICE courses have expanded, and enrollment is at an all-time high. And we are increasing our ties with professional astronomers, working hard to improve feedback from them in response to alerts and campaigns.
On Saturday, June 20, we will hold a one-hour AAVSO-focused meeting as part of the SAS/AAVSO joint meeting, open to both members and non-members. We’ll discuss the strategic plan and recommendations for our future. I hope you can attend.
Nominations for the AAVSO Board are now open.If you are interested in potentially running for a Board position, please submit your own nomination or nominate others. Visit https://www.aavso.org/invitation-nominees-2020-board
I’d like to close with a brief comment about the crisis in today’s society. We are living in a difficult time. The coronavirus has altered life around the globe. Coronavirus,combined with unemployment, long-standing societal inequities, and intolerance has sparked severe unrest in the United States. Life is unsettling for many. We all want to be safe, and we all want to be healthy. Please take care of yourself, your family, your friends, and treasure your communities
Clear skies!
Gordon