Can I Help You?

[mlfj4901]

Greetings,

Well, I've been coordinating this group for about 5 months now, and I'm looking for some feedback. I'm not fishing for compliments here. What I want to do is make this a better group, where people feel like the group is meeting the individuals' needs. So if you have a complaint, I can take it. If you have an idea, let's hear it. I have to admit right now I really don't feel like we have much of a group, and I'd really like that to change if possible.

Projects in the works (after getting some ideas from Patti Neavin)

-Trip(s) to the Goodsell Observatory at Carleton College (Northfield)

-A return trip to the Eisenhower Observatory in Hopkins - a big thanks to Ron Schmidt for the wonderful outing this spring.

-Another cookout hopefully coupled with a "hands on" collimation class presented by Phil LeFever...tenative date Saturday 8/29 pending Phil's schedule.

-Caravan evening roadtrips to Cherry Grove and Metcalf. We'll find the place by light, and the beginner's will "crash" the starparty!!

Well that's what's going through my head, I'd love to hear some feedback about what's going through your's.

-matt

[orbital1]

Matt-

As someone new to MAS and to astronomy I like all those ideas. The hard part of course is being able to get enough people together on a specific day and time. Trying to set a date early for an activity is good. I've already told my wife about the Jeffers trip at the end of Sept, and I plan on being part of the convoy down (up??) there.

Any idea how many people belong to MAS and consider themselves a beginner? I'm one! But maybe there are not enough of us "newbies" to support organized beginner group activities.

Anyway, I really like the idea of a trip to an observatory. That's not something one could just do, so may get more people to come out...myself included!

Andrew

[Gomanson]

I'm a beginner too. I have been to the beginners' cook-out and star party last month at Onan and that was really fun! (Even though we didn't get more than 10 minutes of sky watching.) I also went to July's monthly MAS meeting at the Science Museum. I loved the astrophotography demo (it was a bit advanced for me) and I can appreciate even more now how much work goes into each photograph. I'll eventually make it to more star parties and events but I'm planning a wedding and preparing to move, so after August is when I will really have more time for astronomy. (I'd like to say I will try to sneak in some viewing of the Perseid meteor shower but I'd get yelled at if I stayed up all night and slept through my own wedding!)

My ideas/comments for the SIG:

- As a beginner I love seminars/talks/lessons etc. Something not too advanced, but at the same time not so basic as one could read in an astronomy 101 book. After all...that's what those books are for. I would like to learn more about specific aspects of practical and theoretical astronomy, but without the techno-babble.

- I've gotten to know some of the personalities on the message boards, but I can only connect 4-5 faces with avatars. Without getting too cheesy, I think it would be helpful to do some sort of "ice-breaker" when the beginners' SIG is represented. Even if it's just each person saying their name and forum handle.

That's my €0.015

[mlfj4901]

Greetings,

-Orbital: I'm not sure how many people in the MAS would consider themself a beginner...that's a good question. Even of those I wonder how many of them live in the TC metro area and how many live farther out.

The monthly meetings are planned far in advance, but the other stuff been more short notice. I'll try to give more warning.

-Gomanson: The ice breaker thing is something so simple, that it bugs me I never thought of it , thanks.

By having a more technical talk/seminar would that be in place of the presentation at one of the BSIG monthly meetings, along with, or an extra meeting? I would lean more to doing it the same night in leiu of another topic, but that's just my thought.

Good luck with the wedding, my daughter is getting married on 8/9 near Seattle, and she just decided to tell us last week... Hopefully I'll be able to catch the Persieds while I'm out there. Last year I watched them from the ferry coming "home" from the Twins Mariners game.

-matt

[youngsww]

Matt,

I for one think you are doing a great job. I have been a member for about 15 months, am trained in on and have keys for all equipment and observatories, and have participated in many public nights...yet I still consider myself a beginner. I probably will for a long time.

I would be glad to take anyone down to Cherry Grove some couldless day, or Onan for that matter.

Keep up the social part of it...I would have been to more Beginner's SIG meetings had my schedule allowed it. I hope to make more in the future.

Steve Emert still comes to Beginner's SIG meetings and he has been a member four years and is Sec'y of the MAS!

John