Highlights of the 100th Annual Meeting

Wow! We are still catching our breath from last week's fantastic meeting, but I just wanted to share with you a few photos illustrating some of the highlights...

It all started on Wednesday morning with the History Session organized by Tom Williams. There were many interesting talks including the one shown here, entitled, “BAA VSS 1890-2011” given by John Toone of the British Astronomical Association.

That same night there was a special dinner held to honor and thank Council members and staff, both present and former. Many group photos were taken, cake was consumed, and the participants had a chance to admire some of the historical photos and AAVSO memoirs that decorated the room.

 

Thursday was devoted to the building dedication ceremony. If you haven't already read Alan MacRobert's wonderful account for the Sky & Telescope website, please do so! The weather couldn't have been better for the ribbon cutting.

Once the group moved inside, the Dorrit Hoffleit Conference Center, Rosebrugh Residence, Feibelman Suite, and Tom and Anna Faye Williams Archive Room were also celebrated. There were speeches, food, and music!

Later that afternoon and into the evening, the more adventuresome among us took a duck tour trip around Boston and enjoyed a fine seafood dinner afterward.

On Friday morning we returned to the hotel for the first part of the Scientific Paper Session, as well as a book signing event. Tom Williams and Mike Saladyga did an outstanding job with the AAVSO history book they wrote together, "Advancing Variable Star Astronomy" and sales were swift.

There were more good talks on Friday and Saturday and a poster session as well on Saturday.

As usual, the entire event was topped off by a banquet on Saturday night.

 

All in all, it was a very fitting celebration for the AAVSO's 100th birthday and what made it special was that so many of you were able to take part, either in person or via the internet live broadcasts. Thank you for making the effort! I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did and that we will see you again soon. Keep up the kind of enthusiasm you showed at this meeting, and I think that the next 100 years will be even better than the last hundred!