NSAAC Business Meeting March 06, 2026
President Kathi Freeman called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM.
The meeting was held at the new Boxford Community Center at 10 Elm Street in Boxford, as well as via Zoom. There were 30 participants (27 in-person and 3 on Zoom). A quorum of members was present, and the Business Meeting was official.
Guests and new club members were asked to introduce themselves:
- Chip, who joined after last month’s meeting
Officer Reports:
President – Kathi Freeman:
Kathi called for approval of the February Business Meeting Minutes, which were approved by acclamation.
Kathi made a call for ideas, suggestions, or recommendations for speakers. Next open slot is August.
Kathi noted there was a request from some members for a “Swap Meet” in lieu of a speaker. It was noted this could be a good addition to a Gear Night. Members in attendance were supportive of the idea.
Vice President – Justin Murray:
Justin noted that the last scope from the Telescope Sales Committee has been sold - thank you Julian!
Treasurer – Ron Sampson:
Ron was unable to attend.
Secretary – Tolga Yazicioglu:
Tolga reported no updates.
Membership Director – John Gall:
John was unable to attend, but provided a report: there are currently 157 Members. Of the 157, 13 are Honorary Members and 144 are Regular members. Of the 144 Regular members, 66 have yet to renew.
At Large Board Members – Cyndi Hopping:
Cyndi was unable to attend.
Collins Observatory at Salem State – Dennis Gudzevich:
Dennis provided an update on the Collins Observatory, which has a Meade LX200 12” ACF. The observatory is typically open on clear Mondays 7pm-10pm when school is in session.
Back on 12/1 the main gear on the winch for the observatory broke (again!). Dennis reported that the Observatory is still closed, and will remain closed until the repairs can be made. Trying to work through a solution; the school has no budget for repairs.
Star Parties – Brewster LaMacchia:
Brewster noted that spring calendar for Star Parties has been posted on the website! Please sign up to volunteer if you can.
Scope Clinic – Bryan Stone & Ron Sampson:
If you have anything on your telescope that you need help with, or if you need help with your telescope, Bryan & Ron can assess your scope, making recommendations, and performing some minor repairs.
Justin gave a brief overview of the Scope Clinic.
Old Business:
Lifetime Honorary Memberships
Last month A Motion was made, seconded, and Approved to provide honorary memberships for anyone who has been an NSAAC member for 30+ years (not required to be continuous). Let Kathi know if you qualify and would like to take advantage of the offer.
Active Committees
Let Kathi know if you’d like to join any of the current Club Committees:
- Telescope Sales Committee
- Young Astronomer’s Program
- Marketing & Social Media Club
New Business:
March Board of Directors Meeting
Next Board Meeting is Monday 03/16 at 8PM via Zoom. Reach out to Kathi if you’d like to attend.
2026 NSAAC Election
VP Justin Murray led the club through the elections. The Slate of Candidates, was as follows:
Running Unopposed:
President - Kathi Freeman
Vice President - Justin Murray
Treasurer - Ron Sampson
Secretary - Tolga Yazicioglu
Membership Director - John Gall
Three (3) Member at Large candidates, for the two (2) Member at Large positions:
Rob Braczyk, Matt Bowler, Robert Vincent
Paper Ballots and Zoom Chat Votes were used to elect the Two (2) Members at Large. Results were as follows:
Member at Large 1: Rob Braczy (16 Votes)
Member at Large 2: Robert Vincent (15 Votes)
Matt Bowler (8 Votes)
A Voice Vote was conducted to unanimously elect the Unopposed Candidates:
President - Kathi Freeman
Vice President - Justin Murray
Treasurer - Ron Sampson
Secretary - Tolga Yazicioglu
Membership Director - John Gall
Congratulations to the 2026 NSAAC Board!
A proposal was made by a Club Member to expand the number of Members at Large to three (3). It was noted that the number of Members at Large is dictated by the Bylaws, but a vote for next month was recommended. Kathi will send a note out to the club ahead of next month’s meeting.
Business Meeting was Adjourned by President Kathi Freeman at 7:53PM
Following the Business Meeting, we were joined by Supriya Chakrabarti from UMASS Lowell, who spoke on developing and maturating technologies for imaging exoplanets in reflected visible light and a new nanosatellite format ready for routine classroom use.
Respectfully Submitted,
Tolga Yazicioglu, Secretary