For the record and for those who didn't make
it along the SAG AGM on
Saturday 23rd Feb 2008 was a very brief affair.
The only motion was the one I circulated on the society list
I have.
This was *"The Scottish Astronomers Group be
re-constituted as an
occasional observers group without official positions and no
financial,
or other, liabilities. Participation is at the individuals
own risk."*
This motion was carried unanimously by 19 to 0.
So what does this now mean for the group. Well basically the
SAG is
dead, Long live the SAG!
Over the coming year or so the available funds will be run
down and the
bank account closed and the "Officials" will cease to exist.
The SAG Mag
editor has agreed to continue producing it until such time's
that it
becomes impractical. Future newsletters will be distributed
electronically.
In the meantime the Group will have a steering committee
made up of the
existing members until such time as a new statement of
intent, rather
than a constitution, is drawn up (The "participation at own
risk bit".)
Going down this route I feel frees us from much bureaucracy
Hopefully this will re-invigorate the group as there now
should be no
issues of the SAG being a society now and trying to do all
the things
that societies do and not doing it terribly well.
The SAG exists purely as a forum for observers no matter
what other
society they may be in, if any at all. In fact this was the
reason I
found the SAG attractive when I first discovered its
existence. At the
time I didn't know of any local society and the SAG was a
route to meet
those who actually got out under the skies.
This must be it's primary goal once more. It's aim is to be
a meeting
place for anyone interested in getting together with fellow
observers.
This, along with occasional, day time meetings was the
original goal
before things began to change for the worse.
It is my hope that we will once again have the 100+ people
affiliated
and prepared to share their work.
Any suggestions of events, "barby's", star parties or more
serious
programmes are all welcome. The simple proviso is that it
should be open
to all, trans society. So to all the hundreds of "reads"
counted, come
on board!
Cheers,
Bill.
