Minutes

Open actions from previous meetings

1. Committee members

• Currently the committee has 6 members out of a possible 9, with vacancies for a Membership Secretary and an Observing Coordinator, additionally Lynne Watson needs assistance with the catering. Also, it has been suggested that members could volunteer to “shadow” committee members to provide more “resilience” and ease the burden on committee members.

Action: No response to KP’s email other than assistance with outreach and managing registration at ACC. The subject will be raised again at AGM emphasising the possibility of “shadowing” of committee members. – KP

2. PLI (Public Liability Insurance) issues

• PLI insurance provided through FAS (Federation of Astronomical Societies) is very generic. It covers members of the public attending society events but possibly not society members at events.

Action: Contact Doug Edgeworthy of ESAS (East Sussex Astro Soc.) for details of their private insurance – JR

• Do we earmark funds for PLI policy? – JR

Action: Not necessary until more details obtained from ESAS.

3. Monthly Meetings

• Continue with both ACC and Zoom for this year

Action: Investigate audio improvements – DT – Complete

Action: Investigate using MiFi 4G router – AC

Action: Encourage more ACC attendance – KP

Action: Encourage more speakers at ACC. Assume outside speakers via Zoom and in-house at ACC  – KP – Complete

• Do we give ACC a raise to £65 per meeting? – JR

Action: Agree increase at AGM

• Is Zoom giving us what we want? – JR

Action: Yes, and probably will be used well into 2022.

• No buffet at AGM
• Thank you present for ACC barman – JR

1. Observing at Alice Holt

Action: Still trying to make contact with Alice Holt to renew observing contract – DT

Topics for discussion

1. Health and Safety

Action: Members should be respectful and wear of face masks, sanitise hands, etc. as they see fit.

2. FAS telescope stock – EG

FAS stock of loan telescopes mostly languishing in committee members garages and rarely loaned to members. Do we:

1. Look at reducing stock?
2. Reject future bequests to FAS of similar scopes?

Robinson estate is still in dispute so the telescope cannot currently be released – DT

Markys’s friend has donated a scope, collection to be organised by Markys and DT

 Action: Look at auctioning/raffling surplus equipment at monthly meetings.

 Action: Be more selective when accepting donations as we have quite a large stock.

 Action: Offer trial equipment to members who are looking for guidance before purchasing equipment.

3. Do we need to buy any kit? – JR

Action: Probably not necessary at present.

4. Do we restart membership fees, is so at what level? – JR

Action: Yes, restart membership fees. Probably at previous rate of £15 per member. Put to membership at AGM.

Any Other Business

1. Next meeting 6^th December?