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MIXED PROGRAM
Paul Dellechiaie talk on Astronomy
John Upton slide show on Costuming
William Wagner talk on Edgar Rice Burroughs
MEETING SUMMARY:
Meeting Date: October 10, 1998.
Meeting Site: Saddle River Valley Cultural Center, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Official Attendance: 28.
Meeting Program: Talks on Astronomy and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Slide Show of SF Convention Costumes.
Notes:
Meeting Memories:
Newsletter Account:
The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 1998 Philip J De Parto:
We had a change of pace from our usual sort of program at the October 10, 1998 meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County. Instead of going outside the Association for a talk by a guest, we invited three members to share their expertise and enthusiasms with the group.
The evening began with a short talk on astronomical phenomena of note by Paul Dellechiaie. Mr Dellechiaie is a member of the Westchester County Astronomical Society (as well as the President of the New Jersey Science Fiction Society). Paul gave a talk and answered questions about a variety of upcoming solar, lunar and cometary events. Unfortunately, the overcast skies prevented him from setting up his telescope to point out some interesting sights.
A chance question from the audience elicited the surprise treat of the evening: a story about Paul's encounter with a U. F. O. He was driving home one night when he witnessed a strange formation of lights dancing and moving silently across the sky. I will not attempt to recapture the eerie build up Paul gave, but in the end, there was a perfectly reasonable explanation. (All right, I'll stop teasing you. They were a group of ultralights.)
John Upton then gave a slide show of costumes displayed at Worldcons over the past decade. Mr Upton has been the official con photographer at several conventions, as well as the treasurer of the New York Science Fiction Society, the Lunarians, and the chairman of Lunacon '97. He gave a brisk, clean, informative presentation that could be used as a model for how to give a slide show presentation.
We took a break before concluding with the final portion of the program in which Bill Wagner talked about one of his favorite authors -- Edgar Rice Burroughs. He concentrated on the first books of the Tarzan and John Carter series, moving back and forth between the books and the life of the author.