Dale, I, in return, see your point. The kids who sign up (and pay) for the summer astronomy camps don't really "earn" their telescopes. They already know they're getting them, but I always save the best for last. On the last two days of the 4 day (20 hour) camp, they get to finish the assembly of their telescopes, take them outside, learn to use them, and then bring them to a star party with their families. These kids are so proud of being the "star" of the show when they can show their parents and siblings Saturn or Venus or Jupiter or M31. I normally retrofit a Telrad to the Orion XT4.5 or XT6 telescopes and give them a copy of Brent's Bright Objects finder book. I have been very fortunate to be the recipient of Air Force generosity. They have heavily subsidized or paid for the cost of the telescopes. This source of funding is now gone, but the Davis School District has had such a favorable response from the parents of these kids, that I have been asked to do one last astronomy camp next summer, even though I officially retire June 1st, for which they will cover the entire cost. In other words, I can truly say, "Back by popular demand!" One last thought: Giving each kid a nice planisphere and/or a subscription to Sky and Telescope or Astronomy Magazine goes a long way towards insuring that the telescopes will actually be used! Thanks, Dale, for your generosity in sharing your love of the stars with others. Wayne Sumner -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Dale Wilson Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2013 1:29 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Opinions please Wayne, You misunderstand what I mean. It isnt teaching a kid that makes it a job. Its the "making them earn" the scope via instruction is what does it. Honestly, when we give scopes away, there should be slas volunteers who would offer help in setting it up the first time. I am really commenting on how we as people take something so simple and wonderful and make a complicated mess out of it. Im on your side Wayne. I love helping newbies get going. Like you, it gives me a great sense of contribution to teach what astronomy can offer. Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".