HISTORY:

We present here the continuing story of DFAC ...

Genesis:

In 2005, rapid growth in the north valley area was changing the landscape. From Carefree to New River, planned developments were spreading in all directions. The dark night sky that many of us moved here to enjoy was being altered by light pollution. The Phoenix area already had several major amateur astronomy organizations: EVAC (East Valley Astronomy Club), PAS (Phoenix Astronomical Society), SAC (Saguaro Astronomy Club), and WVAC (West Valley Astronomy Club). They were doing what they could to address the issue of light pollution and educate the public on matters astronomical, but there was no similar effort in the north valley. Two people, Dan Heim (then PAS Editor and New River resident) and Roger Serrato (then an unaffiliated astronomy enthusiast and Black Canyon City resident) began discussions about the possibility of a new astronomy club for the north valley. They decided on the name "Desert Foothills Astronomy Club" (DFAC) and committed themselves to making it happen.

Heim, who at the time wrote the astronomy column Sky Lights exclusively for the Desert Advocate newspaper, had received many emails from area residents regarding the creation of a local amateur astronomy organization. On March 3rd of 2006, he met with Kevin Imes, Principal of Boulder Creek High School (BCHS) in Anthem, to negotiate a hosting arrangement with DFAC. Imes was suitably impressed and excited at the prospect, and expressed his interest in a collaboration. They agreed to move forward with the project and meet again to discuss details.

Presence:

On the evening of March 3rd, 2006, DFACAZ.org was registered as a domain name, and work on a preliminary website for the purposes of their membership drive was begun. The website was posted in preliminary form a few days later. Bulletins noting the membership drive were posted in local establishments, and sent out via the BCHS newsletter. Heim also used his March 8th Sky Lights column (with the gracious permission of Karen Seemeyer, Desert Advocate Publisher) to solicit members. You can view a copy of that column HERE (204k PDF). We prepared an official "press release" that ran in all the local area newspapers. You can view a copy of that press release HERE (14k PDF). Following two months of advertising in the media, we reached the predetermined "critical mass" of 20 prospective members and set May 12 as the date of our first meeting.

First Meeting:

Our organizational meeting was held on Friday, May 12th, at Heimhenge, the residence of Dan & Sandi Heim in New River. In addition to Dan Heim and Roger Serrato (co-founders), and Kim Wallis-Lindvig (our BCHS Liaison), 10 of the 20 prospective members attended. Click HERE to see a list of the attendees.

People arrived between 6-7 pm as planned. After getting their name tags, and providing contact info, there was plenty of time for socializing. We began the actual meeting at 7:15 with a round of introductions, stories about how we all got started in astronomy, and talk about our current astronomical interests and activities.

Next on the agenda was discussion of the process of starting up a new club, club organization and activities, and meeting location, dates, and times. The preliminary results of that discussion, effectively the "minutes" of that first meeting, are archived HERE (26k PDF).

Evolution:

Feedback from our first meeting allowed several decisions to be made regarding club activities and structure. We set our official Lecture Meetings for the last Wednesday of the month, September through May, with the May meeting reserved for club business, elections, and end-of-year details. On May 24th, we established a DFAC checking account at the Anthem branch of Wells Fargo, which graciously granted us a zero-fee account based on our community service commitment. In order to provide a legal "point of contact" for DFAC, Dan Heim and Roger Serrato assumed the provisional positions of President and Treasurer, respectively. This was also needed to establish DFAC's membership in the Astronomical League, and for obtaining club liability insurance (a requirement for our use of the BCHS facilities).

Newsletter:

Our official club newsletter, Quid Novi, had been evolving since Day 1. On November 1st of 2006, it was posted online in what was then considered its nominal format. The November issue was actually #7, counting previous missives, but it marked the start of our regular monthly series (September through June of each year). You can view the real issue #1 HERE. We decided to go with an electronic newsletter to avoid the need for postal and related costs. For those few members without internet access, a hardcopy was printed and mailed. The newsletter was formatted to make this process quick and easy.

Lecture Series:

We decided early on that we wanted a top-notch lecture series for the benefit of our members. Within the Phoenix metropolitan area there's a vast reservoir of talent, both professional and amateur. It's the job of the President and Vice President to make the necessary contacts and handle the scheduling. Our first season kicked off on September 27th with Dan Heim, co-founder and then President, speaking on the topic of Light Pollution. It was a fitting topic, considering the genesis of DFAC was catalyzed by recognition of the impact of light pollution in the north valley. A video recording of that first meeting has been archived on DVD and is available to members. We hope to make that video available as a download in the future.

Our second lecture, October 25th, 2006, featured Dr. Jeff Hester of ASU. His topic was "From the Big Bang to Big Brains: the Evolution of Structure in the Universe." As our inaugural speaker, Dr. Hester received a special certificate of recognition. You can view a copy of that certificate HERE.

Further records of our lecture series can be accessed via the Quid Novi archives, accessible HERE.

First Public Astronomy Night:

On Monday, October 30th, 2006, DFAC held its first public outreach event. Members Dan Heim, Roger Serrato, Ken Reeves, Jo McCall, and George Kantarges set up an array of fine telescopes for the benefit of the Ladies Guild in Cave Creek, AZ. Instruments deployed ranged from a 5" Takahashi to a 20" open-truss Dob. Objects viewed included the Moon, M13, M31, M57, Double Cluster, Milky Way, and Albireo. The audience was impressed, and DFAC received a $150 donation for our efforts.

First Observing Session:

After two unsuccessful attempts that were cancelled by weather, DFAC held its first members-only observing session on March 10th, 2007. The event coincided, almost to the day, with the one year anniversary of our founding. There was no cake, but there were seven scopes, four members, and three guests. We met at Heimhenge in New River. This location is still great for lunar and planetary observing, though the deep sky view is starting to be compromised by the northward expansion of Phoenix and its outlying communities. We had great views of (gibbous) Venus and Saturn, as well as a few of the brighter Messiers. As always, the conversation and exchange of ideas added another enjoyable dimension. Clear skies and shirt-sleeve temperatures prevailed until about 10 pm, when the wind shifted to north and some high clouds moved in. We had all packed it in by 10:30 pm, but not before discussing the potential for an outing to a truly dark site, perhaps 30-40 miles north of here up on the Rim. Whenever it does happen, it will warrant entry into this log.

The Galactic Gavel:

At our March 28th, 2007 meeting, Bob Holmes, Meteorite Man, our guest lecturer for the evening, presented DFAC with a meteorite from his collection. The 166.3 gram specimen is from the Campo de Cielo fall in Argentina, dated around 3000 BC. After some discussion regarding its disposition, we decided to incorporate it into our "Galactic Gavel." The idea was to create an unique official DFAC gavel that would represent the authority of the President, be passed on to succeeding Presidents, and be used to start and end our meetings. Dan Heim did the mechanical work required to produce the gavel. You can read the story of its construction HERE. It was first used at the May 30th, 2007 business meeting after the formal election of Heim as President of DFAC, and Roger Serrato as Treasurer.

Constitution:

The Constitution of the Desert Foothills Astronomy Club was ratified unanimously by the 12 members in attendance at our May 30th, 2007 business meeting. The document was patterned after that of the Phoenix Astronomical Society, and drafted by Dan Heim. Ratification followed after a short discussion of some wording. This is a simple and flexible document that defines the membership requirements, Officer positions, and protocols. You can read it in its current form HERE.

Summer Social:

It was decided at our May 30th, 2007 business meeting that a DFAC Summer Social would be a great tradition and beneficial to members. The first was held at the Cave Creek home of member Ron Walker, who also happens to have an amazing home theater system. In addition to a classic sci-fi double feature, DFAC members enjoyed food and drink on the house, and a delicious cheese cake desert provided by Dan Heim. There was no stargazing, save for naked eye. But it was an opportunity for members to socialize and enjoy some great flicks. We look forward to continuing this tradition as a mid-summer event every year.

Membership in IDA:

In October of our second year (2007-2008) DFAC became a member society of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). Our first year's membership (at $50/year) was paid for by an anonymous donor. Many thanks ... you know who you are. It is fitting that we be a member of IDA, as the fight against light pollution is one of our primary missions. As our membership continues to grow, and more revenue is at our disposal, we hope to continue this partnership with IDA. DFAC benefits from full access to their resources and expertise, and IDA benefits from our dues in their larger efforts on a global scale. Their official logo is now on our home page, and links directly to the IDA website.

First Official Recognition of DFAC:

In November of our second year (2007-2008) DFAC was invited to attend several events. Our membership in the Astronomical League gets us on several mailing lists, not to mention additional exposure from our volunteer Astronomy Nights, public lectures, and other activities. The event we attended was "Night Under the Stars" at Alamo Lake State Park, northwest of Wickenburg and about 100 miles (as the buzzard flies) from Phoenix. In attendance were Dan & Sandi Heim, their shepherds Astro & Beta, and Roger Serrato, members all. Members from a dozen other AZ clubs also attended, with a total turnout of some 20 scopes and a couple hundred public viewers. Skies were very clear and dark, and we had an excellent view of Comet Holmes, that shortly after its great brightening. Filamentary structures in the coma were easily seen at 200X. In recognition of our participation, we received a nice certificate. You can see it HERE (373k).

New Officers:

At the May 28, 2008 Business Meeting, DFAC took another important step forward. Member Jim Renn was elected VP, and after a slight modification of our Constitution, member Jay Chatzkel was elected to the newly-created position of Media Liaison. This was an important step in our evolution for several reasons, not the least of which was to take some of the work load off President Dan Heim, who continues as Editor of Quid Novi and Webmaster. Also, it's nice to see a few more names on our website's Contact page, since that demonstrates the increased member participation one would expect from a mature and established organization. At some point, with further increases in membership, DFAC will have enough talent to draw from to fill the Editor and Webmaster positions as well. When that happens, it will warrant yet another entry in this historical log.

What Next?