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(meteorobs) Re: Shower Rates

At 01:51 AM 2/19/97 -0500, Lew wrote:
>I think Jim raises the very valid point that data-collection and public
education are BOTH worthy goals for meteor organizations. 

Lew,
I agree with you 100% that data collection and public eduacation are both
worthy goals for the established meteor organizations.

>However, it really isn't a part of IMO's charter to further public
education >(beyond the training of a dedicated elite of amateur meteor
observers).

But I'm not sure if I would agree 100% with you here... ;)

There is some truth to the above, but could that not have been because they
were too busy defending their own existence from some of the 'established'
meteor groups of the past? From my recent contacts with the officials of
IMO, they seem to support public education programs 100% too....

>So this latter purpose (which in the long run is just as important to
meteor >science as our observations are), must fall to someone else. The
only >organization which is currently standing up and INDICATING a
willingness to >educate the public about meteorics is the A.M.S. Some may
argue that they have >largely failed to do this in recent years (and in fact
I'd agree with you). But >then, as Jim Richardson says, the best way to
solve that problem is by joining >in and taking charge!

But here I must disagree with you 100%.... ;)

Since you mentioned 'currently' above I will not mention the glory of past
decades, but instead call to memory the 1990's. From 1990 to 1995 the ONLY
group in appearance anywhere in North America was the Meteors Section of
A.L.P.O. In 1995 a second group, NAMN, was formed and was based entirely on
the Internet. Currently, these two groups enjoy a close working relationship
and have an extensive program designed to 'educate the public.' At least, I
hoped that was what the dozens of emails answered each month, along with the
NAMN and ALPO Guides, newsletters, web sites, phone calls, newspaper
articles, journal articles, mass mailings, annual reports, etc., etc. were
doing. In fact, you yourself, as the NAMN Mailing List Administrator
provided a means of education for the public by providing this very mail
list. So to say that the AMS is the ONLY group willing to stand up to
educate the public is...well...incorrect.

Mark Davis
NAMN Coordinator
ALPO Asst. Coordinator