Are you ready to renew?

   Welcome to the holiday season: It's time to renew your TVS membership. The renewal period officially opened in October, and it will close early next year. After examining a preliminary 1999 budget, the board voted to hold the dues structure at its current level.

   As usual, however, we provide the opportunity for you to spend far more than just your annual dues. Both Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazine offer reduced rate subscriptions for club members. The Sky & Telescope rate remains $27 per year, but Astronomy now bills at $29 annually. See Page 10 if you are interested in subscribing.

   Additionally, we invite you to add TVS to your holiday gift list. Plan ahead now for than nice hefty tax deduction on April 15! Any amount donated to TVS, beyond your annual dues, is tax deductible under Internal Revenue Code provision 501 (c)(3).


Observatory director's report

   By the time you receive this newsletter, the club scope at Hidden Hill Observatory will likely be down for renovation. The new mount and drive will be placed on the scope as quickly and efficiently as our force of volunteer labor permits.

   Scope status will be updated regularly on the club website (www.hooked.net/~tvs/). Be sure to check this posting before making plans to visit the observatory and use the scope.


Librarian's report

   We are indebted to Tim Swenson, an amateur astronomer from Union City, for the donation of eight books to our lending library. A sampling of the titles reveals, Burnham's Celestial Handbook (in three volumes), Black Holes, Revealing the Universe, and others that are equally interesting.

   Librarian Chris Cody demonstrated the online checkout service at the October general meeting. It is a rapid and effective way to borrow library items. Ap-proximately five percent of our collection of books, tapes, and videos is on loan at any time.

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club president Dave Anderson at davidand@home.com. If you prefer, contact the club at tvs@hooked.net.


Nominating committee hard at work

   November means the Leonid Meteor Shower, great eats at Thanksgiving...and TVS elections. In addition to the all-member phone tree mentioned on Page 2, nominations for club officer and board positions will be solicited at the November general meeting. Elections will be held immediately following.

   We will (re)elect a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and up to ten board members on November 13. If you want to nominate a member in good standing, but do not wish to do it publicly at the meeting, you may send your nomination to Alane Alchorn at circlewing@aol.com.

   A new appointed position, club historian, will be discussed at the December planning meeting. If you wish to serve TVS in this capacity, please speak up on November 13.


Making our mark on the Web

   Our website has become very successful in a relatively short period of time. Web master Chuck Grant reports that in September we passed the 10,000-hits mark. At the October planning meeting, the board formally thanked Chuck for all his work in maintaining this great spot on the information super highway.


Seeking early award winners

   Recent records of TVS observing awards granted to members are in excellent order. Prior to 1996, we did not maintain a list of special awards or recipients. In an effort to memorialize the accomplishments of all TVS members, the board would like to correct this situation.
If you received any TVS award, commendation, or certificate prior to 1996, notify any board member, send an e-mail to tvs@hooked.net , or drop us a line at the post office address shown on Page 2.

Page 6        Prime Focus  November 1998  Next Page  Previous Page