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 September
2009
By John McDonald
Summer seemed to fly by for me this year. Busy summers seem to do that and this
one was exceptionally full. Much progress has been made on the observatory and
some really fine sessions were held on both Monday and Friday evenings for our
Active Observers. The 14" Meade on its Paramount ME is a joy to use and
will point to anything in the sky with ease. Outside the shed, a great 20"
Dobsonian can pull in a dazzling array of faint objects when the sky is dark. If
you are not currently listed as an Active Observer you are welcome to become one
- just contact Lauri Roche (Active Observers
-
Members Only).
Our summer 2009 Island Star Party
was held in conjunction with the Cowichan Valley Star Finders this year and it
proved to be especially successful. Thanks to great organization by both clubs
and an attractive new day pass for visitors, there were many more guests than
usual and great weather also contributed to a fine weekend for all.
The summer has been filled with successful
IYA events thanks to the continuing generosity of members who keep
volunteering their time. There were so many activities this summer they cannot
all be listed in this space, and it took a real team effort to run them. Because
of the hard work of our members, all our expectations for success were met or
exceeded. I understand that we are on track to meet our ambitious goal of 20,000
Galileo Moments for the Victoria Area community. Well done everyone.
The fall's IYA roster is shaping up to
be the "Mother" of all finales so keep up the great work.
I am deliberately not singling out any of the many key contributors to our
summer's successes because it was so obviously a team effort. I am proud to be
on the Victoria Centre team and I extend thanks on behalf of our Centre to every
one of our great volunteers.
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