July 2023 Board Meeting Notes

Bartlesville Astronomical Society Board Meeting Minutes

July 7, 2023

In attendance: Craig Brockmeier, Evan Zorn, John Blaesi, Denise Gregg

Not present: Rick Buck, Duane Perkins

Night Sky Network special speaker for September/October/November: Suggest topic of cosmology and the topics suggested by Lauren at the July Club meeting.

New library telescope: Denise has submitted an application to get another “free” one. Earlier this year, at the February meeting, the Club approved to spend up to $600 to purchase the library another telescope, if we can’t get another free one like we did in 2018.

Library display application for 2023: At the July Club meeting we decided on May first choice, April second choice, and Denise is submitting our request to the library today.

We agreed at today’s Board meeting to purchase upon Club approval (majority of those attending at next Club meeting):

1. Binoculars - two pair, one adult (10 X 42) and one child (8 X 32). We will order these and pay with the Club card upon approval. Craig has contacts and information from the vendor who agreed to sell at half price for non-profit use.

Unlimited Lifetime Warranty Link: https://vortexoptics.com/optics/binoculars.html
Adult - CROSSFIRE® HD 10X42 ~$200 retail or $100 our price
Child - Vanquish 10x26 or Raptor 8.5x32 ~$129 retail or $65 Our price

Note: Once we have bought these new binoculars, if they work out well in usage, the Club may choose to purchase additional for the library, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Osage Hills, etc.

2. A telescope for club use. Evan Zorn will order any equipment since he has the club credit card.

We could get a telescope such as a ZWO SEESTAR S50 SMART TELESCOPE.

Link: https://www.astronomics.com/zwo-seestar-s50-smart-telescope.html

Cost about $500.00.

Note: If the library, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Osage Hills, etc. show success in their astronomy outreach, the Club may choose to purchase a telescope for any of these that could use them, probably optical scopes at this point.

3. Star party at Jo Allyn Lowe July 14/15: Denise will email new Police Chief Ickleberry and Bobby Robinson about staying at Jo Allyn Lowe after 11 p.m. At the time that former Police Chief Tracy Roles transitioned to his new job as Assistant City Manager, he told Denise to contact Chief Ickleberry about any star parties going forward.

4. BAS publicity for youth:

· Put together a flyer for kids to take home from Bartlesville schools?

· Advertise for specific events on Bartlesville schools’ bulletin boards?

· Do something with the Boys and Girls Club?

· Do something with On the Rock Ministries? Evan will talk to Rick Bryant about these ideas.

5. Do something with Osage Hills? John B will talk to Osage Hills to get an update from them on astronomy/dark sky initiatives.

6. BYA handout—It needs a QR code. Once the BYA resume meeting in the fall, we will need to look at the handout to see if it needs any other updating. We will need to remove Facebook and Twitter references if these aren’t going to be updated. Denise will call Gil to see if he might be able to do Facebook. (And if Facebook and Twitter aren’t going to be updated, will need to update the BAS business cards. We still have a lot of those on hand.)

7. Solar eclipse glasses—Craig will see what the library is getting

8. Club storage:

· Could the Washington Park Mall provide storage?

· The storage we have now is 9 X 12.

· At Rice Creek Storage, if we do this option, we could use a 10 X 5 space if that were available. We would also ask for any discounts for 501C3 nonprofits, and find out the time clause on leases.

· Denise will contact the Bartlesville Art Association President to see if she knows of any storage options, since that group has needed temporary storage recently.

· Denise has contacted her church about potential storage options. There are none inside the church building. She will ask about the Boy Scout “house” behind the main church building.