[AANC Contacts] Re: 2010 Membership Renewal Time: Re-up or Join the AANC

[Alan Gould]

Correct link for AANC Renewal page is
http://www.aanc-astronomy.org/join/Renewal-AANC.html

----Alan
________________________________________

At 8:47 PM -0800 2010/01/10, Kenneth Frank wrote:
>Dear Greater Bay Area Astronomy Clubs,
>
>It's renewal time! Time to pay your dues.
>
>The AANC Board suggests your club join or renew your membership in the AANC:
>http://aanc-astronomy.org/Renewal-AANC.html
>
>Purpose: The AANC was created to facilitate the flow of astronomical 
>information among the various segments of the astronomical community
>(public, amateurs, educators, commercial vendors, and professional 
>astronomers) in the Northern California area.
>
>Activities: We help coordinate regional activities such as:
>
>ASTRONOMY DAY- Enjoy participating in a worldwide celebration of 
>astronomy in your area. Doug Berger, former AANC President created 
>this "Day" in 1973.
>
>MESSIER MARATHON STAR PARTIES - Try to find all 110 Messier Objects 
>in a single night.(March 13)
>
>ISAN 4 -- International Sidewalk Astronomy Night:
>http://www.sidewalkastronomers.us/id10.html
>
>AWARDS - Annually, we choose an AANC Amateur, Commercial, and 
>Professional of the Year, honored for enriching the activities of 
>amateur astronomy in northern California. This year they will be 
>presented at the FPOA Star B Q.
>
>SPECIAL EVENTS - We help coordinate special activities related to 
>unusual celestial occurrences such as comet viewing, close 
>approaches of Mars, spacecraft encounters --Voyager, Galileo, etc.
>
>BIANNUAL ASTRONOMICAL CONFERENCES AND/OR WORKSHOPS - We most 
>recently had, along with the ASP Meeting/Conference on September 12, 
>2009:
>http://aancstars2009.org/
>
>where you had the opportunity to "rub elbows" with the pros, find 
>out about the latest and greatest astronomical discoveries via 
>workshops, symposia, lectures,  Scope City and Far Point Optical 
>displays, raffle and more.
>
>ANNUAL STAR-B-QUE  -  Each year AANC holds a Star-B-Que, again this 
>year at Fremont Peak State Park on July 17th, where we will present 
>our Annual Awards, hold a astro-gastronomical contest, give out door 
>prizes, and enjoy a weekend of observing fun with the 30 inch f/4.8 
>Challenger telescope,  mounted on an English cross-axis equatorial 
>system.
>
>REGIONAL STAR PARTIES - Enjoy exciting observational astronomy at a 
>dark sky site, like GSSP:
>http://www.goldenstatestarparty.org/
>
>GRANTS -- Underwriting the likes of Striking Sparks telescopes each year:
>http://www.sonomaskies.org/Striking_Sparks.html
>
>and supporting individuals like Avani Bedagkar, who spoke at the AANC Meeting:
>http://aancstars2009.org/speakers.shtml
>
>and has been accepted to the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Program:
>http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/profiles/Avani_Bedagkar.htm
>
>History:
>
>The Astronomical Association of Northern California was founded 
>September, 1971 at Fremont Peak, by local amateur astronomers, John 
>Bally, discoverer of a comet, Doug Berger, co-discoverer of a comet, 
>and founder of Astronomy Day, John Dobson, Creator of the Dobsonian 
>Telescope Revolution, Frank Miller, an officer of the Western 
>Amateur Astronomers, Joe Farkas, President of the Eastbay 
>Astronomical Society, and two very active observers of the area, 
>Gerry Rattley, and Bruce Rhodes.   The original guiding principles 
>were:
>
>    1. To act as an intercommunication media for various astronomy 
>groups of the area, thereby allowing greater participation in 
>activities.
>    2. To hold two annual conferences a year, one that would be 
>oriented towards astronomy, and one that would be oriented towards 
>telescopes in connection with a star party.
>    3. To serve as a coordinator for projects such as seeing testing, 
>occultations, star parties, etc.
>
>Organization:
>
>AANC is a "club of clubs" in which delegates from many of the area 
>astronomy clubs, educational institutions, and commercial vendors of 
>the area meet every other month at the Chabot Space and Science 
>Center, to exchange views and announcements. We also work together 
>to organize annual activities and other functions described above. 
>We maintain the AANC Northern California Resource Guide listing 
>astronomy clubs, planetaria, observatories, and astronomical 
>businesses in northern California.
>
>To join AANC (cost-what a deal $20), please mail your check to:
>
>AANC Treasurer,
>Richard Ozer
>2539 Cordova St.
>Oakland, CA 94602
>
>Thanks and Happy 2010,
>
>Ken Frank
>AANC VP