AAA President Message – August 2020 – Amateur Astronomers Association

Hello AAA members!

As we enter August, exciting things are happening at our Association. New By-Laws were recently adopted that will allow us to build on the phenomenal groundwork laid before us by past presidents, board members, and membership as a whole. The Board, now headed by our first-ever Chairperson, John Bills, also elected former President Irene Pease as our first-ever Vice-President of Operations. With solid leadership, an already solid Board in place, and the newly named Executive Committee, AAA is set to soar even higher. These By-Laws give the Association room to grow and expand and become a true one-stop-shop for all things astronomy in the New York region. And, with so many activities being online, our presence has begun to, and will continue to a great extent, be felt world-wide.

Speaking of online, stay tuned for new classes, lectures, and observing updates soon to be listed on our website. The website itself will be overhauled shortly, as well as an app added for the convenience of carrying around AAA in your back-pocket.

With so much opportunity available using technology, the sky is truly the limit for us. We hope that all members become involved — committees are always looking to expand their ranks. Eyepiece is always open to receiving articles from everyone who reads this newsletter. As observers gear up to head outdoors, assistants and trainees will be wanted. Board and Executive Committee elections are open to all; we welcome fresh perspectives and ideas. We are always on the lookout for new teachers for our classes. Astrophotography continues to have near-weekly meetups and sets the standard for observing and capturing the cosmos.

There is almost too much happening to write it all down, but we will not stop there. AAA will continue to seek out all avenues of engagement with the New York astronomy community.

In fact, The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York continues to aim for heightened inclusivity and that all starts with you — everyone reading this article. Everyone visiting our website. Everyone participating in any of our events. Tell your friends and family. Ask them to join. Spread the knowledge. Share in our similarities and discuss our differences. And let’s continue to make AAA a robust, engaging, and highly science-literate association to be proud of.