ASGH COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

Current List of Committees and their Functions

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee is appointed by the President at least two months prior to the Annual Meeting (election of officers). Its duties are to nominate a slate of officers at the meeting prior to the annual meeting. The Nominating Committee for 2004 has not been formed.

Program Committee 

The Program Committee is appointed by the President. Its duties are to plan in advance the speakers for meetings.

StarConn Committee

StarConn is the ASGH's annual symposium of speakers from both the professional astronomical community and the amateur astronomy world.  It is held at the Science Building of Wesleyan University each Spring.

Van Vleck 20 Inch Refractor & Public Observing Committee

The Van Vleck 20 Inch Refractor Committee is chaired by John Sillasen. Members include: Allen Hall, Julian Shull, Frank Inferrera, Tom Karpf, and Dick Parker. The purpose of this committee is to provide aid and assistance to the Astronomy Department of Wesleyan University in maintaining and operating the 20 inch Van Vleck Refractor in its new role as an historic artifact and educational tool for the general public.  It is planned that members of the ASGH Refractor Committee are to aid and assist in public observing sessions in cooperation with the Astronomy Department and to assist the Astronomy Department in its efforts to provide education and enlightenment to the general public. In return for our assistance to the Astronomy Department, the refractor is also to be used by qualified members of the ASGH for personal observing.

The 20 Inch Van Vleck Refractor has largely terminated its research functions and has been restored to full working order through funds provided by the Walter Scott Houston Memorial Fund. This memorial fund is intended to perpetuate the memory of Walter Scott Houston through the educational public activities of the 20 Inch Refractor and associated observatory facilities.  Eric Williams, is our liaison with Wesleyan University Astronomy Department.  Members of the Refractor Committee will be kept informed via e-mail of meetings dates and all significant events as they transpire.

John Sillasen has enabled this committee to participate in the Night Sky Network, a joint project with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to promote the publics interest in astronomy through such activities as PlanetQuest and public star parties.

John A. Sillasen, Committee Chairman

Astronomer of the Year Committee
Represented by the current recipient of ASGH's Astronomer of the Year and other past years recipients this committee seeks to nominate and bestow the annual honor of the Astronomer of the Year on the new recipient each year at StarConn.

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