We are very happy to invite our members, observers, and friends to the new AAVSO Headquarters building in Cambridge, MA for the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. The meeting will take place from November 1st through November 3rd and will be the first AAVSO Meeting held in the new HQ's conference space. The AAVSO annual meeting gives both newcomers and longtime attendees the opportunity to share ideas, experiences, and tips on variable star observing. Attendees will have ample opportunity to meet the AAVSO Staff and to check out the new AAVSO Headquarters and its conference space. Attending the AAVSO annual meeting is an excellent way for the AAVSO members and observers to stay informed about the many activities and accomplishments of the Association.

We have many interesting events planned for this meeting, including: a Thursday evening informal welcome reception, a Friday workshop titled "Variable Stars 101," a Friday night guest lecture, the AAVSO membership meeting, two scientific paper sessions, and our annual banquet with awards presentation and banquet speaker. All events will take place at the AAVSO Headquarters building. Due to the change in venue there may be some differences in meeting events (timing, format, etc.) compared to past meetings. One of these differences that we are happy to point out is a reduction in both the registration fee and the banquet ticket price from last year's Fall Meeting!

Autumn is a beautiful time to visit New England. Bring your families and stay a few extra days to enjoy the sights! Whether you have attended dozens of AAVSO meetings or are a first-time attendee, we hope to see you in Cambridge at the New AAVSO Headquarters for the 96th Annual Meeting of the AAVSO. It is sure to be an interesting and exciting weekend, so come and be a part of the new AAVSO HQ's first full scale AAVSO meeting!

SPECIAL EVENTS

Welcome Reception: All early arrivals are invited to join us for an informal welcome reception and open house at the new AAVSO Headquarters building. The reception will take place from 8:00pm to 10:00pm on Thursday night, November 1st and will include complimentary snacks and drinks. We invite you to come by, chat with the AAVSO staff and other meeting attendees, and last but not least, take a tour of the new building. Van transportation will be provided between the meeting hotel and AAVSO HQ.

Breakfast and Lunch: We have booked a block of rooms at a local hotel which includes a daily hot breakfast buffet. As a result, we will not be providing breakfast items at our Friday and Saturday morning coffee breaks. Of course we will still provide coffee/decaf/tea throughout the day. For lunch on Friday and Saturday attendees have 3 options:

1. Eat at AAVSO HQ: We will offer the option to purchase a ticket to a lunch cookout (or cook "in" depending on the weather) on Friday and Saturday for those who would rather not leave AAVSO HQ during the lunch break. Lunch will include typical cookout fare such as soft drinks, burgers, hotdogs, chips, potato salad, etc.
2. Restaurant: There are a variety of restaurants in the area which provide breakfast and lunch items. We will provide registrants with a map of local eateries.
3. Return to Hotel: Please note that the hotel rooms in our reserved block include kitchenettes, so guests will also have the option to return to the hotel and make their own lunches.

"Variable Stars 101" Workshop: This workshop will be held on Friday morning, November 2nd from 8:30am to 1:00pm and will consist of lectures on four broad areas of variable star research. Dirk Terrell will speak on Eclipsing Binaries; Doug Welch will speak on Pulsating Stars; Paula Szkody will speak on Cataclysmic Variables; and Michael Richmond will speak about Novae and Supernovae

Evening Guest Lecture: All attendees are invited to attend the evening guest lecture on Friday, November 2nd at 8:00 pm. Joe Patterson will present a talk titled: "Cataclysmic Variables, Computers, and CCDs: The First Thirty Years." Dr. Patterson is a professor of astronomy at Columbia University, founder of the Center for Backyard Astrophysics, and an expert in the field of cataclysmic variables. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

Membership Meeting: All attendees are invited to this gathering, which will be held from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturday, November 3rd. 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. We will also announce ballot results during this meeting.

Scientific Paper Session: Members and friends are invited to present papers on variable stars and related topics. Papers will be presented on Friday and Saturday afternoons, November 2nd and 3rd. Timeslots will range from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on amount of time requested and the number of papers submitted. Those planning to present papers at this meeting should complete and return the enclosed abstract form no later than October 19th, 2007. Authors with internet access are encouraged to complete the online abstract form. We also encourage authors to submit poster papers. Each poster paper author will have the opportunity to briefly introduce his/her poster during the Friday paper session.

Annual Banquet, Award Presentation, and Banquet Speaker: The Annual Banquet will be held at AAVSO Headquarters on the evening of Saturday, November 3rd. The evening will start with hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar followed by a buffet/carving station dinner. After dinner we will have an awards presentation and our after-banquet talk titled, "Science 4.0: How the Internet is Transforming Science from Feudalism to Democracy." Banquet speaker, Jordan Raddick is an Education and Public Outreach (EPO) Specialist in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University. He maintains websites for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the National Virtual Observatory.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Sleeping rooms have been reserved for AAVSO meeting attendees (at special group rates) at the Hawthorn Suites. This hotel is very conveniently located less than 2 miles from AAVSO Headquarters. Some of the features of this property include: kitchenettes in each guest room, in-room internet access, underground parking, daily hot breakfast buffet, and adjacent convenience store. Check-in time is 3:00pm. Check-out time is noon.

Please note that the room reservation deadlines are quickly approaching and rooms go very quickly in New England during the fall, so please make your reservations as soon as possible.

Hawthorn Suites, 1 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA 02474
The following rates have been obtained for meeting attendees:
$109.00 (US funds) per night, single or double occupancy ( room tax not included)

Please make reservations by calling the Hawthorn Suites at 1-781-643-7258 before October 17th, 2007. Please be sure to mention that you will be participating in the AAVSO meeting when making your room reservations.

(NOTE: There has been a rate reduction since the meeting announcement went to press.)
We have an additional small block of rooms reserved at the Best Western Tria located just around the corner from AAVSO HQ (walking distance) at 220 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02138. This hotel is a bit more "lush" than the Hawthorne Suites. The AAVSO group rate is $139 plus taxes. Reservations can be made by calling 617.491.8000 and mentioning the AAVSO room block. Breakfast is not included in the room rate but may be purchased for an additional $6 per day.

LOOKING FOR A ROOMMATE? Anyone interested in sharing a room during the meeting should complete the roommate section of the registration form. We will collect this information and then forward the list, including contact information, to everyone in need of a roommate. We cannot guarantee that there will be a match for everyone, but this could be a useful way to help cut meeting costs.

REGISTRATION

Please return the registration form along with payment in US funds no later than October 19th, 2007. After this date the early registration rate will no longer be available and some functions may be sold out. Please send your form and payment to: AAVSO, 49 Bay State Rd., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Those with internet access are encouraged to complete the online registration form. (www. aavso.org)

TRANSPORTATION

A map with driving directions will be posted on the AAVSO web site and distributed with on-site registration packets.

A list of local restaurants and local busses/shuttles for sightseeing will be a part of your on-site registration packet.

Van transportation will be provided between the Hawthorn Suites and AAVSO Headquarters for all meeting events. Specific times will be listed in the final schedule which will be posted on the AAVSO web site closer to the meeting and will also be included in your on-site registration packet.

Rental Car: Below is a list of the eight rental car agencies that operate out of Logan Airport and their toll-free phone numbers. Alamo 800 327-9633, Avis 800 831-2847, Budget 800 527-0700, Dollar 800 800-4000, Enterprise 800 325-8007, Hertz 800 654-3131, National 800 227-7368, Thrifty 800 367-2277

The Airporter Shuttle Service: Call toll-free at least 24hrs in advance (877) 899-6161. The charge is $44 for one passenger one-way. Each additional one-way passenger is only an additional $8. In order to help cut costs, those who indicate interest and provide specific arrival times on the registration form will be put in contact with other attendees with similar arrival times for possible shared rides.