Hi
We have had a fall in the number of attendees at the Monday evening talks, we have been averaging about 13 members, although last Monday there were 17 attendees, quite a crowd. We spend a lot of time contacting speakers to see if they will do a talk for us and it is disappointing when the usual 4 committee members and only 9 members turn up. Speakers take hours of research into the topic they are speaking on, writing the talk into PowerPoint, and then traveling to the hall to deliver it, if not on Zoom.
With 13 attendees we still have to pay £20.00 for the hall hire plus the speaker’s fee and travelling expenses out of 13 x £3.00 admission fee = £39.00, so more attendees the less money we lose.
At the last committee meeting it was decided that we need to consult you, the members, as our sole function is to ensure that you have 2 speakers a month and that we represent KLADAS on outreach events at schools, Scout, Girl Guide, WI, talks for the Council etc. but, the main function is to provide you with the society that does what you want it to. To enable us to do this we need your thoughts on what you wish the committee to provide you with e.g. do you still want 2 talks a month or would you be happier with just one, would this make more members attend meetings? Are there any other activities you think that you would like for us to arrange?
The society is currently run by 3 committee members, myself as Chairman, Neil Wilson as Treasurer and Membership Secretary and Robert Rowley as Society Secretary the other committee members have moved away, resigned due to ill health so if any of you wanted to join us on the committee, please let me know.
Please give this email some consideration and please let me have your thoughts by 30th June. We have 2 more talks in July before we shut down for the summer break. The new 2025 to 2026 Season will commence with the AGM on 29th September and a talk by Dr Matt Bothwell from the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge University.
Again, we will appreciate your comments as soon as possible.
Kind regards
Alan Gosling FRAS
Chairman
King’s Lynn & District Astronomy Society
Phone: 01553 – 774394
Mobile:07767 – 246710
