Meeting Memories

As I neared the Boston-Somerville area I was busy recounting the many years and the many AAVSO personalities, both past and present, who had encouraged and influenced my love of variable star observing since the age of 15. Now, thirty years later, I’d be setting foot in AAVSO Headquarters myself — a dream come true! From the moment I arrived at the hotel, I felt warmly welcomed and truly at home amongst the wonderful Headquarters staff who were taking care of registering the meeting attendees as we trickled in from around the country and around the world. The accomodations were excellent, the meeting schedule - interesting, varied, and was, as I found out, quite manageable, timewise. There was never a dull moment ... time seemed to pass so quickly.

It was an unforgettable honor and pleasure for me to meet so many dedicated people — all bound by one or more common desires to observe variable stars, process, manage, and study the incoming data, and/or be involved in public outreach programs.

The evening of the Open House at AAVSO Headquarters, I remember looking around me and thinking, as our shuttle bus bounced us through the winding streets that linked the hotel in Somerville to 25 Birch Street in nearby Cambridge, "there are probably several hundred years of experience observing variable stars here on this very bus!”. It was a truly humbling sensation, never to be forgotten! The Open House itself was everything and more than I expected! Amongst the friendliness and good conversation that abounded, there was a fantastic energy at 25 Birch Street that seemingly came right through the walls, and from the workstations, and the rows upon rows of books and other periodicals filling the library area. 90 years is a long time for any group to have existed—alot of history there—that was an amazing sensation to be treated to! The whole place was literally speaking volumes!

The evening of the banquet was also particularly wonderful! I could feel the vitality and presence of the AAVSO in no uncertain terms. It gave me a terrific feeling to witness the way in which the AAVSO leadership. recognized, with such taste, the contributions of so many of its’ members, myself included! I really felt appreciated! This simple, quiet man from Montreal was humbled by the sight and sound of it all. The eloquently prepared and presented tribute to the late great Danie Overbeek was particularly moving for me, Danie having been the AAVSO figure who first drew my attention to the many unusual variables in the general direction of the galactic center, inspiring me to observe them. I know he would have been most pleased by my discovery, late in the summer of 2001, of a major outburst of the little known symbiotic star AS 270, right in SGR!

From watching the antics of quasars serveral billion light years away to the smiles, handshakes, and warm hugs I discovered in Somerville, MA., the AAVSO has touched my life in so many wonderful ways, and I was memorably reminded of them all at the 90th Annual Meeting this past autumn. Thank you so much to all the Headquarters Staff for conceiving and managing such a fine long weekend, and to all the meeting attendees who have inspired and impressed me with their passion for observing and studying variable stars.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank our Director, Dr. Janet Mattei, for encouraging me and beleiving in me through so many years, and Dr. Dorrit Hoffleit for according me the absolute pleasure to meet her and converse with her in Somerville. WOW!

— Steve O'Connor (OCN)

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