how can i become a member of agwa and what benifits do i get out of it

[TJD]

how can i become a member of agwa and what benifits do i get out of it:help:

[Enchilada]

Really good question! What is the full name of that group, again?

I Google it and got; The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (what ever that actually means), Agwa de Bolivia, or the American Gold Wing Association. :shrug:

I assume you mean the Art Gallery of Western Australia ?

[iceman]

Club Listings (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/clublistings.html)

[scarper]

TJD I am not a member but if you got to the BTOW shop in Malaga off Holder Way, you can join there.

Or you can find more details here (http://btow.com.au/agwa.shtml)

Mart

[Enchilada]

So this is the "Astronomical Group of Western Australia (AGWA)."

Is this related to the Astronomical Society of Western Australia at all?

Iceman, your link of club listings only has the ASWA and GSAA! Or am I missing something here? :shrug:

[Blue Skies]

No, AGWA are the splitters from ASWA (http://aswa.info). Best not to mention both in the same breath! :P

[Enchilada]

Oh dear. I did know that. Oops! :doh:
I have do quite a few nice amateur astronomy friends in the Western Australia, but I don't know which Society they are in now. Of all the Societies in Australia, I always though they had the highest proportion of the loveliest and prettiest lady amateur astronomers. :innocent:
All this time I thought they were not scarred by such problems. Hope one day they all shake hands and celebrate our wonderful southern skies together. :hi:

Suppose I be careful from now on - so thanks for the advice. :thumbsup:

[Blue Skies]

It all happened before I joined ASWA but I do know what happened. Although I'm biased and would love everyone to join ASWA and make it a force to be reckoned with I know ASWA may not be everyone's cup of tea and must allow for different personalities; the mention of an alternative group is usually done as quietly as possible, however.

[RAJAH235]

Why, may I ask?
We have 2 in Wollongong.
Us 'n "them". ;)
We don't have any animosity towards "them", nor "they" to us.
Nice 'n quiet all round.

[marki]

Pretty much the reason why I won't join clubs anymore. Sooner or latter someone drops their lip and leaves the sandpit taking their bat and ball with them. Biggest problem is that it always leaves a sour taste in everyones mouth.

Mark

[MrB]

+1

Maybe all those of us that don't like clubs should start a club... haha :lol:

Founding member of CACA (Club Avoiders Club of Australia)
Please do not apply for membership as refusal may offend.
First order of business at first AGM: Dissociation.

[marki]

Absolutely. I think the first rule passed should ban all members from any contact what so ever to ensure club harmony is maintained :P:D.

Mark

[Glenn Dawes]

Hi guys,

As Groucho Marx once said "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member!".

Seriously, the yearbook has separate entries and contact details for both the AGWA and ASWA. You can also get links to websites from the Quasar Publishing page:

http://www.quasarastronomy.com.au/society.htm

YOu will notice the AGWA have close links to the Binocular Telescope and Optical World (astro shop).

Regards

Glenn

[Shaun]

could we call ourselves AA (Astronomers Anonymous)

[Enchilada]

I've been generally thinking of these now two Western Australian groups over the weekend, and have come to the unusual conclusion that I feel sorry for both of them!

God, I'm really beginning to truly hate the formal institutions known as amateur astronomical societies with absolute disdaining passion! :(

When I look at some members of some Astronomical Society I no longer look at their astronomical parlance nor their particular abilities. I now negatively look at their possible political aspirations, their gruesome potential for partaking or fleecing one's personal finances, and the degradation of displays of unfettered power over the unwilling victims that make up its own membership.

After reading and digesting the now sad spilt within the once proud WA Society - an example of the pinnacle zenith of the virtues of values and sophistication in Australian amateur astronomy, I can only conclude the idealistic form of the nice astronomical society is frankly stuffed!

It seems now is clear that no decent astronomical society in Australia (or beyond its shores) is capable of surviving of some "battle of wills" in what is supposed to be the true "universal" science.

After 35 years of suffering, I just refuse to play this stupid game anymore! :mad2:

In the end, in my own Society of ONE solitary member is now all that I need to sustain me!

Note: Thank the Maker!!, for sites like this one, whom, for all its sometimes odd peculiarities and foibles, at least gives individuals to act and speak on a level playing field!

[Enchilada]

I should have called it the "Enchilada Astronomical Society" or EAS !!

* New membership forms for this exclusive club are now available on Nix, which is currently orbiting Pluto! (Good luck in retrieving it!)

[leinad]

Trev,

There's a weekly meeting coming up this Tues night at Malaga, if you wanted to tag along. I believe there will be a speaker there from Curtin University re: SKA Project

Give Keith at BTOW a call for more info.
That page 'scarper' listed hasnt been updated for a while, though the email addresses listed are still current as far as I know.

[Enchilada]

Open Unbiassed Opinion of the AGWA
I do like the concept of user pays per meeting - quite innovative if you ask me. I.e. "The cost for attending the meetings is $3.00 members and $5.00 visitor.", and that membership is "Email only membership is free!" (Gets rid of the riff-raff and other unwanted people, probably. Example of selective membership - Royal Astronomical Society in England is a good example)
I also like the fact that there is a so-called "AGWA's MSN GROUP", including the fact that; "The MSN Groups service has closed" on October 23 2008.
Also notice the fact that the Astronomical Group of Western Australia (AGWA) is seemingly frightened to mention its name - even in jest.
Trev, really honestly, I suggest you checkout this group before joining and see what they are about first. (Applicable to all astronomical societies world-wide.) If you like it stay, if not, then I'd give it a miss!
Regardless, please tell us what you think.

Note; At least in the linked page they say and invite others by saying; "Visitors and guests are always welcome to join us in these activities just talk to an AGWA member. " Take 'em up on it, please!! :thumbsup:

[Enchilada]

I suggest you should perhaps join the Radical Section of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (RSRASNZ). They have their Annual General Meeting and business at some local establishment or bar during the annual RASNZ Conference since 1982, where the only items are opening the meeting, welcoming everyone, then move and second a motion to close the meeting! We then get all and sundry to get on with the serious business of drinking! :thumbsup:

Better still, the main Chairperson can only be "someone who resides outside the continent of New Zealand.", and better still, no New Zealander can be a member of the Committee!

I even have been the official chairperson on several occasions myself.

THIS IS THE BEST and MOST DEMOCRATIC ASTRONOMICAL INSTITUTION IN THE WORLD! IMO. :D

Should we start an Australian Section, I wonder!

[Baddad]

Hey scarper,:)
Apologies to TJD, this is off the subject.

Mart, I am intrigued by your name. Would it happen to be of Estonian origin or Finnish? :shrug:

Why I ask is that my name is Estonian. Until the day I was born my parents had intended to call me Ants. Pronounced Unts. However, Mart Luther a thousand years ago or so, was the founder of the Lutheran Church.

I happened to be born on the anniversary of his birthday. Consequently my name is Mart. (Thankyou Mart Luther). I can't imagine what teasing I may have been subjected to if it were otherwise.

Cheers Marty

[Enchilada]

I wonder why the WA's have gone silent!
Give some response, please... :shrug:
(or do you have a problem?)

[rogerg]

Response to what, sorry .. I'm missing something?

As far as the argument of being a member of a club or not goes: I figure you never get something for nothing. With clubs you get something, but it comes at the cost, like everything else. What do you get? real life meeting with people of similar interest, sharing and pooling of physical resources such as observing sites and equipment. What are the costs? some bureaucracy and personality conflicts. I choose to be a member of a local club (ASWA) and while there's something in it for me, I'll stay :)

[hilb]

I've been a member of ASWA (http://aswa.info) for seven very happy years and have had no issues with people having mad political aspirations or fleecing innocent members of their money.

Some people like to join clubs and some people don't, it's down to individual taste.

ASWA (http://aswa.info) has four regular section meetings a month, so there is something there for all comers, lunar, deep-sky, workshops, armchair astronomy and talks from amateurs and professionals, plus an observatory under construction, an extensive loan library of books and equipment, a very busy newsgroup, regular overnight trips to seriously dark skies and two camps a year.

It's a great club with great people, and we also make visitors and guests very welcome.

ASWA (http://aswa.info)has been around since 1950, so it's certainly a club that has been satisfying its members for a long time.

Cheers,
HilB...:)

[scarper]

Sorry Marty my name is in fact Martin I just prefer Mart or Marty.

[Glenhuon]

Never had much interaction with AGWA, so can't comment, but having been in the company of ASWA members in the past at camps found them to be a pretty alright bunch. Ask not what you can get from your astro club, but what you can bring to it. Even if its only a smiling face and a happy disposition. :)

Bill

[Enchilada]

... in the end and that folks is all we can expect !!
Good to positively hear the existence of another great bunch of amateur astronomers. :hi:
May your WA Society thrive for years! :thumbsup:

[Enchilada]

Who could ask for anything more...

Thanks. I agree with you 110% Bill.

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

(Just do hope the management support such vision!)

[Blue Skies]

Too right, Bill. I learnt that one a long time ago, only it was more along the lines of "What you get out of a club is what you put into it." Works pretty well most of the time - if you don't get off your backside and join in, well, you're missing out!

[TJD]

Even if its only a smiling face and a happy disposition. :)


Bill[/quote]
if only they would except that not money:P

[Enchilada]

Yeah, and someone to properly "Give Way" too... :lol:

[Blue Skies]

Hmm, missed that comment, must have been in another thread? I've debated about putting my own mug on there, as others have done, but don't want to scare anyone else off. Besides, don't you like a bit of mystery? Anyway Rogerg and Hilb know me, so I can't be that scary.

[MrB]

LOL, nah, you're not scary.
That dish is scary tho, always seems to be aimed right at my head!

[Blue Skies]

No, it was being turned around to point at Mars and the Mars Express spacecraft when I took that.

[TJD]

realy:eyepop:

[TJD]

just sent off form to goin aswa thanks i wish i could send off a smily face in stead of a $53 cheque but such is life coming to observing night on the 25th :) cant wait to me joining a club is to give me more experience and boost my knowledge i love to learn mainly through others mistakes not my own:P

[seanliddelow]

Why did AGWA and ASWA break up. Something to do with political aspirations?:help:

[Jules76]

Yes please somebody share the gossip. Should be interesting. :)

I'm sure this thread couldn't get any weirder. Could it? :eyepop:

[hulloleeds]

That's interesting. I always saw these situations as casual things. To get to the point where you're mixing enough to dislike people's personality - that is above what I actually thought could occur in something such as this.

[seanliddelow]

Did they break up over a stars colour or something?:lol:

[Blue Skies]

I think you should all stop trying to dig up the past and let sleeping dogs lie. Enough damage was done that it will still take many more years to heal and make WA the powerhouse of astronomy it should be, blessed as we are with a sympathetic climate and our important position on a global scale. There will always be differences of opinion, its part of our human nature. I wasn't involved with ASWA when the split happened, I was down with the now defunct Murdoch Astro Society, but I heard enough to know that I wouldn't get the story straight, and that would only make things worse. There are two sides to every story, and both sides think they were in the right. Best to drop it. If you hang around long enough, Sean, you may eventually hear why, but best not to make things any worse right now.

[seanliddelow]

Yeah your right:thumbsup:

[seanliddelow]

Weather looks good for new moon weekend:eyepop:

[TJD]

i forgot all about this thread :lol: i cant believe you found it sean

[seanliddelow]

Just search ASWA:thumbsup:

[NugBug]

I Know this thread is pretty old - but interested to know if aGwa is still going the WebSite seems "old" and no response to emails I send. Quite interested as not keen on driving to Como for aSwa meetings and a Perth Northern Suburbs based club appeals.
Anyone Know?

[Visionoz]

<Deleted>

[TJD]

my blief is that agwa still run meetings and are still quiet an active club:thumbsup: