Meeting Info
	AAVSO Schedule

We have many interesting events planned for this meeting, including: a Thursday-night cookout, a workshop focusing on members' and observers' involvement with the AAVSO's educational curriculum - Hands-On Astrophysics, an open discussion session, an invited talk on the Sun given by AAVSO Council member and astronomer Dr. Margarita Karovska of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the AAVSO membership meeting, 2 scientific paper sessions, the annual banquet, and special after-banquet program.

October is a wonderful time to visit Cape Cod! This time of year brings both comfortable temperatures and fewer tourists. We have a full schedule planned for this meeting, so you may want to stay a few extra days to do some sightseeing and take in the beautiful scenery. Whether you have attended dozens of AAVSO meetings or are a first-time attendee, we hope to see you and your family in Hyannis for the 88th Annual Meeting of the AAVSO.

Special Events

Courtyard Cookout: All attendees are invited to attend a cookout in the Four Points Sheraton courtyard Thursday night, October 28th at 6:30pm. This will be an excellent opportunity for all attendees to catch up with old friends or meet some of our new members. The menu will include: hot dogs, hamburgers, barbequed chicken, assorted salads, desserts, iced tea, and coffee. The charge for the cookout will be $18 and should be paid in advance.

Hands-On Astrophysics (HOA) Workshop: This workshop will focus on the various ways in which our members and observers can become involved with HOA. Members and friends who have been using and promoting the HOA curriculum will share their experiences and ideas. We would very much like to hear from any additional members who have been using HOA and those who have ideas about how they could use HOA in the future. We encourage those members to contact us about possibly sharing their experiences during the workshop. If you cannot attend this workshop, but would like to contribute, we encourage you to prepare a short report on your experiences, which can be read during the session.

Open Discussion Session: We have scheduled a special session for you, our members and observers, to share ideas, ask questions, and discuss important issues in an open forum. This is your chance to get input on a recent project or share observing tips. We encourage everyone to participate in this session, which will be very much like an AAVSO "Town Meeting". Please note any topics that you would especially like to discuss in the appropriate place on your registration form, so that the session moderator may insure that these topics receive adequate time. The session will begin with a report from past President, Al Holm, on the results of the recent AAVSO member survey.

Invited Talk: This year's invited talk will be given by AAVSO Council member and Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics astronomer, Dr. Margarita Karovska. The talk will be titled "The Sun in Time", and will take place on Friday night, October 29th, at 8:00pm. Dr. Karovska is especially interested in the physical mechanisms driving the variability of pulsating stars, and is currently a member of the Chandra X-ray Observatory scientific team.

Our Sun is the best-studied variable star. It changes on time scales ranging from a fraction of a second to billions of years. Dr. Karovska will briefly discuss several stages of the Sun's evolution. She will trace a solar type star from its past as a young stellar object to its future as a Mira-type variable, including the final stages of its life as a planetary nebula and white dwarf. The emphasis will be on the characteristics of the Sun during the current stage of its life as a normal star on the Main Sequence, seen through the prism of numerous ground-based and space-based observations.

Membership Meeting: All attendees are invited to this gathering, which will be held from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturday, October 30th. The purpose of this meeting is to inform attendees of the activities of the Association, and will include reports from the Secretary, Treasurer, Committee Chairs, and the Director.

A group photo will be taken immediately following this meeting. A copy of this photo is included in your registration fee.

Meeting attendees may order the lunch buffet (see registration form), which will take place immediately following the group photo.

Scientific Paper Sessions: Members and friends are invited to present papers on variable stars and related topics. Because of the popularity of the paper session at AAVSO Annual Meetings, this year we will have two paper sessions. Papers will be presented both on Friday and Saturday afternoons, October 29th and 30th. Realizing that some results require more than 15 minutes for effective presentation, we will be flexible this year with the allocation of time for paper presentations. Timeslots will range from 15 to 30 minutes. Those planning to present papers at this meeting should indicate so on their registration forms, and complete and return the enclosed abstract form no later than October 8, 1999. Authors with email access are encouraged to send the information requested on the abstract form electronically to: meetings@aavso.org

Annual Banquet: The Annual Banquet will be held at the Four Points Sheraton on the evening of Saturday, October 30th. Preceded by a cash bar and followed by a special program, the banquet will feature a choice of grilled top sirloin with tomato and artichoke ragout, macadamia crusted chicken breast with sun dried tomatoes and basil, or red pepper pasta with roasted vegetables and basil (vegetarian).

After-Banquet Program: The AAVSO Solar Division Chairman, Joseph Lawrence, will give a short presentation on the AAVSO Solar Division and its recent progress. This talk will be followed by the presentation of the newly established AAVSO Solar Observer Awards and the AAVSO Nova Award.

Possible Tour of Cape Cod National Seashore: If there is enough interest among attendees, Bruce McHenry, a long-time resident of Cape Cod and a retired National Park Ranger, will lead an informal tour of the Cape Cod National Seashore on Sunday, October 31st. Participants will caravan from location to location; therefore those interested must provide their own transportation. Fall at the Cape signifies a return to tranquility following a summer season of tourists and guests who come to visit the sandy beaches and warm waters of this famous New England coastline.

Accommodations

Rooms have been reserved for AAVSO meeting attendees (at special group rates) at both the Four Points Sheraton and the Ramada Inn Regency. Please note that the room reservation deadlines are quickly approaching, so please make your reservations as soon as possible.

Four Points Sheraton
Route 132 and Bearse's Way
Hyannis, MA 02601

All meeting activities will be held at the Four Points Sheraton. The hotel has extensive recreational facilities including tennis courts, indoor & outdoor pools, volleyball court, and fitness center. The Four Points is also the home of both Sandcastles Restaurant and the Toby Jug Tavern.

The following special rates have been obtained for meeting attendees:

$89.00 (US funds) per night, single or double occupancy
(9.7% room tax not included)
(check-in after 4:00pm, check-out by 11:00am)

Please make reservations by calling the Four Points at 1-800-598-4559 before October 1, 1999.

Ramada Inn Regency
1127 Route 132
Hyannis, MA 02601

The Ramada Inn Regency is located less than 0.2 miles away from the meeting site. The hotel has an indoor pool and a game room. The Ramada's Greenhouse Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The following special rates have been obtained for meeting attendees:

$60.00 (US funds) per night, single or double occupancy
(9.7% room tax not included)
(check-in after 3:00pm, check-out by 11:00am)

Please make reservations by calling the Ramada Inn at 1-800-676-0000 before September 28, 1999.

Please be sure to mention that you will be participating in the AAVSO meeting when making your room reservations. Again, be sure to make those reservations early!

Registration

A registration form for this meeting is now online. Please fill out the form and send a payment in US funds no later than October 8, 1999. After this date the early registration rate will no longer be available. Please send your form and payment to: AAVSO, 25 Birch St., Cambridge, MA 20138, USA.

Transportation

A map with driving directions will be mailed to all meeting registrants.

The Hyannis Four Points Sheraton is located about 75 miles from Boston's Logan International Airport.

Bus: The Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway Company provides bus service daily between Logan International Airport and Hyannis. The fare between Logan and Hyannis is $16 one-way and $29 round trip. The bus stop is a couple of miles from the hotel. There is a taxicab stand in front of the bus terminal. Bus schedules may be viewed via the following web site: http://www.p-b.com/

Rental Car: Below is a list of some of the rental car agencies that operate out of Logan Airport and their toll-free phone numbers.

Dates to Remember

• September 29th - Ramada Inn Regency Reservation Deadline
• October 1st - Four Points Sheraton Reservation Deadline
• October 8th - Early Registration and Abstract Deadline
• October 15th - Council Election Ballot Deadline (New members who have joined since 04/23/99 will be officially voted-in on 10/29/99 and were not sent a ballot for this election.)