[SJAAboard] September 22, 2007 - Final SJAA Board Meeting Minutes

Craig Scull craigus at rocketmail.com
Sun Oct 28 13:03:33 MDT 2007


Here is the final version of the meeting minutes from last month...


======================================================
Sep 22, 2007 - SJAA Board Meeting Minutes
    Recorded by Craig Scull
======================================================

Rob made a motion to approve the August meeting
minutes. The motion was 2ded by Craig and approved by 
majority vote. 5 approved. 1 abstained. No oppositions.


-------------------------------------
Members present
-------------------------------------
SJAA Board Members
*-Rob Hawley
*-Rich Neuschaefer
*-Lee Hoglan
*-Craig Scull
*-Gary Mitchell
*-Steve Nelson
*-Dave Smith, 20 minutes late
*-Gordon Reade, not present
*-Robert Armstrong


SJAA Members
-None present


-------------------------------------
Coverage for upcoming events
-------------------------------------

October

  4 -Th- Meeting with Ozer from Chabot
The board has previously given Gary authority to sell
excess ATM supplies and tools to Chabot. What remains
is the meeting to exchange materials with Ozer.

  5 -Fr- Houge Park star party.  
Rob

  5 -Fr- Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 
Rob, weather talk

11/13 -Th/Sa- Cal-Star star party at Lake San Antonio
Park
Rob

 19 -Fr- Houge Park star party.  
Rob

 27 -Sa- General Meeting.  Speaker: Peter Dunckel 
Rob
 

 November

  2 -Fr- Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 7:30 pm.  
Rob, winter observing

  2 -Fr- Houge Park star party.  
Rob

 16 -Fr- Houge Park star party.  
Rob

 17 -Sa- General Meeting.  Speaker to be announced.
Rob

 18 -Su- Fall Swap at Houge Park.  Noon to late
afternoon.
Gary

 30 -Fr- Astronomy Class at Houge Park. 
Rob, topic TBD

 30 -Fr- Houge Park star party
Rob


-------------------------------------
Treasurer's report - Gary Mitchell
-------------------------------------

Treasurer's report for board meeting, September 22,
2007

Accounts:

CD 1        5251.66
CD 2        5000.00
CD 3        5393.07
CD 4        5000.00
Checking    2843.70
Observ. Fund    3235.84
PayPal         117.57
Savings         343.71
Petty Cash      80.24
        ------------
TOTAL        27,265.79


No new activity in any of the CDs or savings this
month.
CD 4 will mature October 1.

Payments for CalStar 2007 meals have been coming in, so
the total amount is a little artificially high this
month by around ~$1500.


-------------------------------------
General Meeting Programs - David Smith
-------------------------------------
There is a switch in our November 17 speaker, due to
a travel conflict.  Dr. Michael Connelly has agreed to
move up from January.  The schedule now reads:

Oct 27  Peter Dunckel               
Mapping Asteroid 90 Antiope in Professional-Amateur
Collaboration

Nov 17  Michael Connelly           
The Formation of Binary Stars

Dec 22  Lee Hoglan
Night Myopia

Dr. Jeff Moore will be rescheduled to speak on the
"Pluto Express Jupiter Encounter Update".
Dr. David Morrison of the SETI Institute has agreed
in principle to speak on "Astrobiology and Giant
Impacts", but no date is set yet.
I have a couple of other inquiries out, as well.


-------------------------------------
What is a Majority?
-------------------------------------
Gary proposes that the first line of section 14:
  "Every act or decision done or made by a majority
of the directors present at a meeting duly held..."

shall be changed to read:
  "Every act or decision done or made by a simple
majority of affirmative votes of the directors
present at a meeting duly held..."

The board decided to continue discussion about this
topic next month.


-------------------------------------
Weather Cancellation Policy for Houge Park
-------------------------------------
The previous policy was that star parties should be
held unless it is raining at the designated location.

Rob would like to modify this policy. It was
suggested that the web site be updated and a sign be
used at the designated observing site to notify people
that an event was cancelled. Discussion will continue
on this topic offline.


-------------------------------------
Ephemeris Mailing
-------------------------------------
Labeling party will be at the regular Kinko's
location. There were no lessons learned to report this
month.


-------------------------------------
Swap Preparation
-------------------------------------
Gary will set up the tables, bring the forms, and
write an article for the ephemeris.


-------------------------------------
Loaner Program
-------------------------------------
Discussion ensued about the loss and damage contract
that people are required to sign when they are loaned
a telescope from the SJAA. When membership lapses, a
telescope should be returned within 30 days. An
estimated value of the equipment will be provided on
the contract.


Motion L1: The board will continue to require a
formal contract for the loan of a scope including the
requirement for driver's license.

Gary moves that motion L1 pass. The motion was 2nded
by Rob, and passed unanimously.


Motion L2: The board accepts the wording of the
sample contract *in general*.
 
Rob moves that motion L2 pass as amended (indicated
by asterisks above). Rich 2nded the motion. The motion
passed unanimously.


Motion L3: The board will not sell a scope that a
member in good standing is willing to borrow.

Motion L3 was withdrawn because in the course of
discussion we decided that it was possible for a
member to want to borrow a telescope that was
expensive to maintain or would turn them off from
astronomy. Essentially, the SJAA will make telescopes
available for amateurs to borrow which will encourage
their interest in astronomy.
 

Motion L4: We will require a street address (not a PO
box) for the loan of a scope. {This does not affect
the delivery of the ephemeris}

Rob moves that motion L4 pass. Robert 2nded the
motion. The motion passed unanimously.


Steve also made a motion that Rich be added to the
loaner program committee. Rob 2nded. The motion passed
unanimously, largely because the board felt it was
a faster way to resolve the issue rather than to
argue that the vote was unnecessary because Rich
was already on the committee and had tasks assigned
to him.


Discussion about the contact information of the
address database ensued. We decided to add wording to
the mailings (both ephemeris and loaner telescope
correspondence) requesting address correction service.

Rob will send out certified letters to the people who
have not replied to his original correspondence. There
are 7 telescope loanees whom he has not been able to
reach.


-------------------------------------
Observational Astronomy Class Report
-------------------------------------
None this month


-------------------------------------
Houge Park SP
-------------------------------------
None this month


-------------------------------------
Observatory Committee
-------------------------------------
No updates. This is a solution in search of a
problem. This should not be disbanded however, because
this could be a creative solution to a problem in the
future.


-------------------------------------
School Star Parties
-------------------------------------
We received the wrong written insurance policy and
have requested to get the correct contract wording so
we can see if we are covered for any issues related to
misconduct in school star parties. Steve recommended
that a $10 background check be done for all leaders of
the school star parties to demonstrate that we have
done due diligence to ensure public safety. Once we
get a copy of the actual policy back we will have a
better idea of what our coverage is. Further
discussion is tabled until next month.


Cumulative list of school events for 2007-8 school year
(report by Jim Van Nuland)

    Total  Good Part. Cloudy Cancel
    sched  sky  succ.  fail  at noon
Jul   1     1     -     -     -
Aug   3     3     -     -     -
Sep   2     1     -     -     1

Coming attractions
    Total  Firm Makeup  Pending (date not firm)
Oct   7     5     -     2
Nov   7     4     1     2
Dec   2     -     2     -
2008
Jan   1     1     -     -
Feb   2     1     -     1
Mar   4     -     -     -
Apr   2     -     -     -
...
Aug   1     -     -     1
-----------------------------------
tot  32

  "Makeup" are firm dates. They will be dropped from
this list if the primary event is successful.  If 
primary fails, the makeup event will be moved from
3rd to 2nd column, and the name of the school will
be added on the Current Events page.


-------------------------------------
Membership Report - Rob Hawley
-------------------------------------
Report Date        9/18/2007


When memberships expire

expired        84
        
Aug-07        14
Sep-07        8
Oct-07        16
Nov-07        15
Dec-07        17
Jan-08        16
Feb-08        17
Mar-08        20
Apr-08        12
May-08        19
Jun-08        58
Jul-08        23
Aug-08        22
Sep-08        18
Oct-08        2
more than 13 months        7
complementary        35
        
expiring            14
paid(current)        270
        
email delivery        38
Labels Generated        279

S&T Members        174
New Members since last meeting        5
current + complementary        305


Membership retention

    paid only        
    Members at end of year    Members retained    
2007        38    
2006        58                38    66%
2005        64                27    42%
2004        68**                18    26%
2003        61**                23    38%
2002        26**                15    58%
< 2002    148**                111    75%

    ** based on 12/04        
total        270    


History

         Total       paid    Compl    new
9/7/06     318        289    29       7    
10/4/06    316        285    31       7    
12/13/06   321        289    32       2    
1/10/07    319        286    33       4    58 in 2006
2/20/07    315        281    34       2    
3/21/07    312        279    33       4    
4/14/07    311        278    33       4    
8/14/07    308        274    34       8    
9/18/07    305        270    35       5    


-------------------------------------
Calstar
-------------------------------------
The planning for CalStar is going very well. Despite
having many more parts this year, many people
stepped up to help. All key positions are covered.
The signage will be finished next week.

Number of registrations    Num People registered     
102                        143        


Friday Night Meals    Sat Night Meals        
48                    52        

Net Cost    Handling    Collected    Owed
1668        58          1468         200


                     Dark    Casual     LA/ED
num registrations    76       22            4
num people           100      38            5



The meeting was adjourned at 7:45pm





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