OK, here's my 1.5 cents' worth: I feel that outreach is a great idea in that it helps to open people's minds to the immediacy of astronomy -- that is, they can look through a telescope and see amazing things themselves, with their own eyes. That is a powerful realization, when astronomy jumps from the realm of the abstract, televised picture into light streaming into their own eyes. It may help people understand a great deal more than that particular view. I see this as a valuable service. But it's different from growing the club. The purpose of the first is helping enlighten people; the purpose of the second idea, growing the club, is recruitment. Frankly, I don't care if people are recruited. If they care enough about astronomy, they may search out a club. If not, and we have simply shown them a larger universe, a bigger idea, that's OK too. -- Joe ________________________________ From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Saturday, January 7, 2012 10:48 AM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] club growth was club growth Hey Ron: Kay Hargis was kind enough to forward your last issue of "Star Diagonal", and I read your article with interest. I would just add that astronomy is a very time-demanding hobby, and the hours when it must be practiced aren't the most conducive to working people, especially in the current ecconomic/job environment. I can't even make my own club's regular meetings, due to the fact that I have to get up at 4:30 AM Monday through Thursday mornings, so weeknight meetings are impossible unless held on Thursday nights. Plug in some weekend OT (my regular fate, sigh), and even star parties and weekend gatherings become unattendable. Do that for a couple of weeks straight and even when I do get time for club event, I'm so far behind on home activities that I have to spend the time getting caught-up there. Groceries, a running car, a mowed lawn and clean laundry are GOOD things. ;-) Many people today have to hold down more than one job, and many jobs have rotating shifts and odd hours. Students (well, the serious ones, at least) don't have the time for regular meetings, either, especially if they are working their way through school. Their social activities center around coffee shops, texting, and other on-line activities at the oddest of hours. That pretty much leaves us with the "greying" crowd, those nearing the end of long-established careers, those in upper management with much less structured lives and flexible schedules, and the retired. So, I would qualify the reply a couple of people have made that this hobby must draw on a small subset of humanity for membership: Yes and no. I think a lot of people are keenly interested, but the time committment needed for regular club attendance just doesn't mesh with the way society is structured today, in regards to the things I mentioned above. Personally, public outreach has never been my primary motivation in this hobby, though I do my fair share when life allows and enjoy it when I do. I'm just at home alone at the eyepiece or with a small group of friends. Large group activities involving the public and strangers usually don't attract me as much as smaller events with close friends. Kind of a signal-to-noise ratio thing going on there, IMO. Anyway, my 3 cents. Good luck growing the Ogden club! On 1/5/12, RON VANDERHULE <deepsky100@msn.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php