BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING, JANUARY 30, 2007
 
The 1st quarter 2007 board meeting was held at George Washington high school in Bob Frostick’s lab.  We started at 7:00pm with President Curt Spivey leading the meeting.  Board members in attendance were; Mike Riggs, Lee Hanz, Pat Shaffer, Chuck Spann, Bob Frostick, Melissa Thorner, Rick Archer and myself, Rodney Waugh.  Ron Buckalew arrived after the election due to a previous engagement.
 
An election was held and Bob Frostick, Rodney Waugh & Chuck Spann were nominated for president.  Rodney Waugh was elected.  For vice president, Lee Hanz & Chuck Spann were nominated.  Chuck Spann won vice president.  For secretary only Patricia Shaffer was nominated and therefore elected.  For Treasurer, only Rick Archer was nominated and therefore elected.  Other club positions remained the same.
 
Departing President Curt Spivey cheerfully passed the torch and departed.
 
We discussed several possible changes to the bylaws.  Any change to the bylaws requires a majority vote of the membership.
 
  1. Should the monthly meeting time be changed from 7:30 to 7:00 pm?
  2. Currently the members elect the board and the board elects the club officers.  It has been suggested that the members continue to elect the board and also the club officers.
  3. It was suggested that new members be given some sort of a special right to be a club officer, to prevent older members from being elected all the time.
 
In other business the board approved several needed short-term goals that include;
 
1.  To reduce liability, allotting the necessary money (up to $500.00 at this time) needed to hire an electrician to replace the power box on the pole, install outside white lights that can be used after observing is over for cleanup, and to make improvements inside the observatory to the dimmers for the red lights, possibly repositioning the receptacles so they are more user friendly (or install power strips high on the wall in the corners) and to make the electrical system more shock proof, the most important change of all.  All receptacles must remain Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters, also known as GFCI.  Observatory Director Ed Connors is in charge of this project.  Passed by the board. 
 
2.  To reduce liability, a lock is to be installed on the water tank building door.  Also a ladder will be placed at the bottom of the tank to allow escape, if someone should fall into the tank. Passed by the board. 
 
3.  A spring work party was proposed for Breezy Point Observatory to clear the horizon for better viewing.   This includes installation of a drain pipe across our entrance road located just below the road that turns up the hill to prevent erosion of our road.  More gravel may also be needed.  KVAS will look into other work that may be needed at BPO.  Passed by the board. 
 
  1. It was proposed that Chuck Spann be put in charge of Blackwater Falls
Astronomy Weekend.  Passed by the board. 
 
It was discussed that a good door prize for astronomy weekend would be A Celestron Sky Scout.  We will decide on this at the February monthly meeting. 
 
Club Treasurer Rick Archer announced that KVAS total cash assets amount to $4,417.83. 
Rick Archer mentioned an annual budget that consists of the following:
We expect to pay about $500.00 for grass cutting at the Observatory annually.  Our electricity cost about $8.00 per month.  This is paid on an annual basis and amounts to about $96.00.  KVAS pays St. Mathews Church about $100.00 per year for a meeting place.  KVAS pays a small amount for the club website, and needs to keep money available to purchase the Astronomy Weekend door prize.  We should recover the door prize money (and a profit) thru ticket sales. 
 
Club expenses on an annual basis runs at a minimum of over $700.00.  For 2007 including the expenses at BPO we will spend a total of about $1,300.00 or more, depending on needed repairs & improvements.
 
Long term possible plans include a clubhouse or a picnic shelter.  See Chuck Spann for more information on this.
 
Astronomy Weekend & Star Quest remain high on the club agenda.
 
If I missed anything, please let me know.
 
RODNEY WAUGH