I had hoped to start with a dramatic opening. Something to the effect that 25 years ago a small group of farsighted Canadian astronomers met at UVIC .......... However, on checking my records, I see that in fact the founding meeting was held from 1971 May 13-15 in Victoria so I will have to wait another two years (Queen's University, Kingston) before I can use that opening line. Instead let me confine myself to some thoughts and observations about the meeting itself. I will leave the scientific aspects to my fellow editor at St. Mary's.
Coming from a small college environment, it was interesting, but a little scary, to see that we all seem to have pretty much the same problems. First of all, administrators continue to admister unto themselves and go happily on while all around are losing theirs, funding-wise. As the funding base shrinks there is a continuing need to communicate in order not to keep re-inventing the wheel. Whether it is information about the strategy used by or against administrators or information about new and ongoing programs, I hope that all will continue to use CASSIOPEIA as a vehicle for just such communication. Canada's ongoing participation in the Gemini project is, I think, a good example of what can be done if we continue to keep the information flowing.
Anyway, on to the meeting itself. It started on a high note as Peter Martin, the Beals Awardee, gave an excellent demonstration that talks by award winners need not be of the "stand and deliver" variety. There was plenty of change in pace and at one stage just as I was nodding off I had to stand up and make like a vibrating H2 molecule. Fortunately the number density of those present was such that I rapidly managed to collisionally de-excite myself back to my seat well before my 14 day lifetime was up. Peter also introduced us to the Martin Effect:- The paper next to the one being read is more interesting. You can see that his talk was very effective as I have made use of the Effect by including a notice about Society Dues immediately next to this editorial.
Those of us involved with the trip to the Stratford Festival on Wednesday night thought that we were part of the comic opera as two vehicles drove round in what appeared to be ever decreasing circles trying to make contact to exchange a passenger. Fortunately they managed to communicate before disappearing into the black hole. Thereafter things proceeded smoothly through a pleasant and enjoyable evening of Gilbert & Sullivan.
The Society's Annual General Meeting, which was sparsely attended with only about 50% of Conference attendees being present raised a number of important points which should be aired before the minutes are published in the AE issue.
First of all, congratulations to Scott Tremaine, who was recently elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Don Morton's State of the Union address left everyone a little shell-shocked as he announced that HIA would finally be moving and/or slashing deprtments. Molecular Spectroscopy and Solar & Terrestrial Activity will be removed from HIA and all astronomy activities will be moved to BC over the next 3 years. As part of this move a decision still has to be made on whether to move JCMT HQ to Penticton or Victoria. Don looks forward to hearing your input before this decision is made (morton@hia.nrc.ca).
One other aspect of budget cuts became evident. There has been a big drop in both CFHT and HST applications. The consensus was that this was a consequence of there being less money to hire data reduction personnel.
In a farther effort to cut costs for the Society I will be looking at ways of distributing CASSIOPEIA electronically in some form or other. The first step will probably be to set up a home page at the University of Calgary. This will provide copies of CASSIOPEIA for browsing. At this stage I am balking at actually sending the whole issue out via e-mail as I am not sure how much of it will be read. I would welcome your input on this as well.
The BoG has asked the Education Committee to compile a database of present and former graduate students and to try to track them after they have graduated. The BoG hope that this information will be valuable in future when dealing with budgetary considerations and funding applications. The Education Committee (which means me, since I am the incoming chairman) will be in touch with contacts at each institution in the fall to follow up on this. As a farther aid in communicating what is going on across the country, and related to this, I will be willing to publish abstracts of theses in future editions of CASSIOPEIA. Thanks to Dave Turner for getting the ball rolling in this issue. You can send ASCII or TeX files to jpenfold@mtroyal.ab.ca.
Lloyd Higgs made another plea for donations to the CASCA FSU Fund. See the two items elsewhere in this issue. The other large contribution made to the meeting by Lloyd was, of course, his Presidential Address. It was a light-hearted, brief (according to Lloyd), non-technical discussion of Canada's radio astronomy heritage. A heritage of which we can be justly proud. Lloyd, trying, with the aid of Tom Landecker, to present himself in stereo, because the banquet was held in two adjoining rooms was so inspiring that Anne Underhill was heard to remark that it made her, "almost want to give up stars!" On the serious side, though, Lloyd did take the opportunity to encourage us to have really long term thinking and goals for the future of astronomy in Canada.
Once again Jaymie Matthews managed to insinuate himself into the proceedings. First of all by making a presentation on behalf of UWO grad students, past and present, to the Conference organizers (both scientific and otherwise). This was in fact a fitting end to the Banquet. The following morning we saw another example of Jaymie's versatlity, or possibly it was a consequence of the liquid refreshment he consumed during and after the Banquet. He was back as Tom Bolton to talk about Bumps and Wiggles in OB Land. Finally, on the Saturday morning, during the Education Session, he had us wondering how fast one had to approach a red light to turn it back to green.
I have probably gone on for long enough, so without further ado, on to more serious matters.
Up to Cassiopeia index.
Up to CASCA Home Page