CN3y Sharing the Sky web log 22
Annual Meeting Time
Each year as March 9 rolls around, Wendee and I begin to prepare for Sharing the Sky’s annual meeting. It usually lasts a bit under two hours, and gives the members of our Board a chance to review what we have accomplished over the past year. Even though donations have been way down due to the poor state of the American economy, we still have the commitment and enthusiasm to do what we are chartered to do; to inspire people to observe the sky.
True, we have had to cut back. We did drop our weekly radio show Let’s Talk Stars after ten years of service to the astronomical community. We enjoyed doing it and still did right until the end, but we felt that ten years was enough. Now we are focusing on our core efforts, which include the monthly star nights at Corona Foothills Middle school, our annual Star Night (Saturday, May 7 this year) on the University of Arizona mall, and our Adirondack Astronomy Retreat.
March 9 by itself is an important date. Not only is it the official date of the 1launching of our foundation, but also it marks the evening of the first public star night that I organized—at age 14, at Westmount High School on March 9, 1962. On that rainy night more than 200 people came by to learn about the sky. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was starting the Sharing the Sky foundation on that night 49 years ago. It just took almost five decades for me to get the picture.
Although most of my observing time is still devoted to comet hunting, outreach—which is what STS is all about—may be the most important thing I do because, if we fail to inspire a new generation to reach for the stars, who will discover tomorrow’s comets, roam the surfaces of other worlds, and pass the torch to yet unborn generations? Ultimately, this is what we will be discussing on March 9.
David's 16-inch telescope, Miranda, facing the small Pro Dome that houses a different reflector. A replica of Galileo's telescope sits atop Miranda.
Whether or not we have funds to do all we’d like to do, the mission of Sharing the Sky is clear. We want to offer the next generation at least the same opportunity for getting to know the stars as mine did. Through star parties, lectures connecting the relationship among astronomy, literature, and music, and the continuing enjoyment of our annual retreat, we hope to make steps toward accomplishing these goals.