Message from the President

Season's Greetings!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all VSO'ers Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. It's hard to believe that we are starting 1999 already. Once again you have pushed variable star observing to new levels. Congratulations and thank you to all our observers who made this year's accomplishment possible. Many fought off the ending effects of El Niño and the beginning effects of La Niña to make many thousands of observations.

I would also like to thank the Staff, the Committee Chairpersons, the Officers, and the Council, who give above and beyond to support the observers and maintain the database. With this mutual support, the whole is clearly bigger than the sum of its parts.

A special thanks must also go out to Ted Wales, our retiring Treasurer. Ted has served the organization for over 19 years, during which time he has kept the operation afloat with creative solutions and good judgment. He has given tirelessly of himself, and it is ironic, now that the organization is sound, that he is going off to greener pastures. Thanks, Ted, for the memories and the devotion that you have given to AAVSO.

Where do we go from here? A small working group of Rebecca Pellock, Mario Motta, Janet Mattei and myself are working on revamping and revitalizing our meetings. Do you have an idea about meetings? What would it take to get you to a meeting? Most of the 60_80 members who attend meetings are the same from meeting to meeting. It's certainly nice to see old friends, but it would be nice to make some new friends. Why not consider coming to the next meeting if it is in your area? Have you attended a meeting and found that you wanted other things? Or is it just a matter of time and priorities? Please take the time to fill out and send back the questionnaire included in this mailing, which was prepared by our Past President, Al Holm.

I am looking forward to 1999 with renewed enthusiasm. Personally, I hope to spend more time observing than I did last year, and hope you do the same.