here we go again!!! -- country clubs under threat???

I donlt see a problem with AI giving classes. It will force other clubs t go out there and advertise and hence increase their profile, that can only be a good thing!

AI are VERY good at selling themselves, it is an art we should all perfect. The simple fact is that we are being out advertised. There is nothing forcing people to join AI! If we publicise ourselves as well as they do there is no reason we will not get the members instead of AI!

Having said that I really dislike the Monopolizing attitude of AI. They must be scared shitless of us to work so hard at hidding our existance from their members!!!

Bart B.

Gentlemen, this is a golden opportunity!

All that is needed is for someone from the local club to join the course... I leave it as an exercise for the reader to fill in the blanks...

D

LMAO .... good point ... where is my nearest class

BB

sure as hell (based on personal experience) they won't be bothered about seeking cooperation with existing clubs elsewhere or promoting clubs in localities unless it's an apparent business op.

What is the existing structure of AI on a national basis. i.e. Do they have clubs established at a local level in towns around Ireland, or is it the case that there is an overall Dublin-based club which organises and publicises once-off 'fast-food' Astronomy events around the country like the Mars watches?

I was at one of Emmet's lectures at AI Astro Expo. In fact, I was at all the lectures, and not once was the Astronomy Ireland shop mentioned, and not once did they mention the fact you should buy Celestron scopes. :lol: And believe me, this is something I was watching out for and would have taken exception to - as I was paying to attend these lectures, I would not have tolerated any A&S advertising.

In fairness to Emmet, he is a very professional lecturer.

So, if AI run these courses on a National basis, how can it harm the existing standing of the IFAS clubs? - It will raise interest and knowledge of Astronomy in these communities, and when these people go looking for a *local* club to join, surely they will find the IFAS club to be more convenient, active, and relevant to them, rather than the 'national' AI club.

Unless, of course, AI is competing for members on a local basis by establishing local clubs that offer everything the IFAS clubs offer. This is the part I'm not sure of. The blurred line between A&S and AI often leads me to think that recruiting AI members = recruiting A&S customers.

AI is looking for tutors in these local communities. Surely someone with a 'tutor' level knowledge of Astronomy will already be involved in the local IFAS club? Unless that local club is doing a really bad publicity job!

John.

WHAT, in all that is good, can someone paying (about?) €75 not achieve in a good book, for a quarter of the price, by the other Mr. Moore (Sir Patrick... just in case!)???Not that T.A.S. has anything to be scared of!! :twisted: Seanie.

Seanie,

People like going to classes. Just look at the vast number and variety of adult night time classes in community colleges all around the country. It's a social event for most attendees, a place to meet like-minded people, maybe go for a drink afterwards.

Gordon

On that note last Sept. I contacted my local IT(WIT) wrt running night classes on beginning in astronomy. I got a reply about "how I would see the class running" to which I replied, but have heard nothing since. Any one local to Waterford want to run a class???

Conor

Not that T.A.S. has anything to be scared of!!

Wanna bet! I rang somebody in TAS on 27 August, possibly yourself, enquiring about viewing sessions for Mars, and there was nothing organised! I was amazed. Here was something that had captured the public imagination, that A I had organised nationwide viewing sessions at, and that my local club was doing nothing about. Ah lads.

I don't want to pick on TAS (sorry Seanie :oops: ), but why is it that Astro Expo, with its Aliens and Sceptics, gets a bigger attendance than Whirlpool or Cosmos? The truth of the matter is that we belong to an umbrella organisation with greater international standing than it has national standing.

This is a wake up call people. David does a lot of things better than we do. I firmly believe that the one thing we definitely do better than him, Astronomy Ireland, and Astronomy & Space is share the beauty of the night sky with people and excite people about what we are showing them. It's not enough to just keep doing that ocassionally.

Edited voluntarily by myself on 20 January 2004 22:35 GMT