Presidents 2011 Report
Presidents 2011 Annual Report
It gives me great pleasure to forward to you tonight this our 2nd Annual report for Astronomy Benalla. Where last year
was one of development, this year has been one of consolidation. This could not have been achieved but for the great
work done by a real team effort by your active committee and supported by our membership.
Our guest speaker for March, Trevor Hand, was without doubt the highlight for the year whose presentation and
knowledge of meteorites wowed the large audience.
Thanks go to all the members who researched and presented a wide range of astronomical talks throughout the year
for our monthly meetings.
To our committee, thanks go to:
Patrick Watson, for stepping up and taking over the huge job of monthly updating of our web site from Terry
Dillon and for filling in whilst our secretary was on leave.
Secretary Jan Andrews, who regularly kept our communication lines open to so many organizations and
forwarding regular details to our committee and to each of our members.
Treasurer, Jeff Knight, for his valued guidance and the regular reporting of our finances.
Wayne Roberts, for accepting the programing position and producing regular and detailed reports for our
viewing nights. His reports to the Baddaginnie Babbler, known as Astronomy Corner, are now eagerly read
each month by the Baddaginnians.
Ian Corry for producing and distribution of the monthly meeting and viewing night, promotion posters.
Cynthia and David Webb, and Anne Summer, for their continued keen interest and valued support.
Thanks also go to all the members who assisted in our many and various outreach activities throughout the year:
o
The Australia Day solar telescopes, morning viewing, at the Civic Centre park,
o
the public viewing evening at the Ceramic Mural,
o
the astronomical display in the Benalla Library glass cabinet,
o
Day in the Gardens astronomy promotion,
o
Relay for Life anti-cancer display,
o
two Scout Group viewing nights,
o
presentations to Benalla Woodworkers Association, The Violet Town Probus Club, Benalla Rotary Club,
and Benalla Secondary College Year Eight students.
Perhaps one of the best and widest reaching Astronomy Benalla promotions has been when radio announcer Matt
Dowling asked early in the year for us to have a regular monthly session on the Goulburn/Murray ABC 97.7 FM radio
station, resulting in good and consistent feed-back coming from right across North Eastern Victoria, from a wide cross
section of listeners eager to hear more.
Unfortunately Mother Nature this year supplied more than our fair share of clouds and rain on our programmed viewing
nights, resulting in only three really clear-sky nights. Here is hoping for a better year in 2012.
We are fortunate in continuing to receive valuable support from the Benalla Hockey Club who has supplied their room
for our monthly meetings, and storage for our library. Our continued effort in obtaining a room to store our telescopes is
slowly being achieved with the room now cleaned out but still needing to be lined and sealed to be made safe for the
storage of our five, for-hire telescopes and promotional gear.
In September, six of our members attended the four day/night Border Stargaze at Wymah Resort, where the weather
was at its best and clearest this year, so we were able to see the stars every and all night. Again we enjoyed the high
standard of astronomy speaker presentations and social inter-change. A bonus was for the Benalla team to have a win
in the trivia competition.
Finally thanks go to my wife Gwen who has been my greatest supporter in all our activities Astronomy Benalla has
conducted.
Rupe Cheetham
President 18-1-2012
Pictures from the Hubble Site
