The first planetarium in the western hemisphere opened in 1930 as a gift to the City of Chicago by Sears and Roebuck executive Max Adler. The entire facility has recently undergone an extensive renovation and expansion and we were fortunate to have our 2000 conference at this historic facility.

The conference started out with the “touch of class” that would be its hallmark throughout. The opening Wednesday evening reception was held in Galileo’s Restaurant which can be nicely converted from a user-friendly cafeteria for the public to an elegant setting for catered banquets and parties. Almost all of the conference meals were held here, the Chicago skyline a constant background feature. Concurrent papers, workshops, shows and another year for vendor Q&A was a hallmark of the conference.

Thursday brought beautiful weather, which was unusually warm for Chicago and the time of year. The first full day of activities on Thursday began with a unique welcome from Adler president Paul Knappenberger, assisted by several of Adler’s staff. His presentation traced the history of the planetarium as an educational tool from Orrery to Star-Rider. The rest of the morning was given over to presentations about what’s new from a number of vendors.

Breaks were held amidst the vendor booths and displays in the History of Astronomy Gallery. This was an optimal place to have the breaks for it allowed easy access to the rest of the astronomy displays for those who wanted to wander and explore. Breaks were always long enough for members to view other exhibits or chat with vendors without feeling rushed for time or concerned that one might miss the next session.

Following an elegant lunch in Galileo’s Restaurant, it was time for the first of the four featured speakers. Dr. Evalyn Gates, Director of the Astronomy Department at Adler and a research cosmologist with the University of Chicago, brought us up to date on the search for all that unseen dark matter that really needs to exist if current theories about the origin and evolution of the universe are correct. The afternoon sessions were given over to papers by delegates and several innovative workshops. We even got a chance to critique a web site being developed by NASA’s Office of Space Science.

There was also a “Name that Star” quiz. The description said, “So you want to be a millionaire? Then this game is not for you. But, if you answer all these questions correctly, you’ll show us you can win a nice prize for the heap of astro-factoids inside of your head! Note there are no lifelines here, and we presume these are your final answers.”

It was fun to ride the special trolleys to Adler on Thursday and Friday mornings. Thursday night was free time, an opportunity to experience Chicago on our own or to participate in prearranged excursions to the Cernan Earth & Space Center at Triton College, the historic Dearborn Observatory on the campus of Northwestern University at nearby Evanston, or to the Doane Observatory adjacent to Adler Planetarium. The Dearborn trip proved to be something of an adventure. Due to a mix up, no one from the University showed up to meet our group. However, the observatory was actually open and we were at least able to see the beautifully restored and famed Clark refractor, used to discover the companion of Sirius.

Friday again broke with clear skies and warm temperatures. Friday would be multiple paper, poster, and workshop sessions. Among the workshops were Hands-on Cosmology and A Computer Animator’s Guide to the Galaxy, as well as a NASA website quiz to challenge the delegates. Throughout the day, there were also opportunities to sit in on Adler shows in both the Sky and Star Rider theaters. We could also compare the 1913 Atwood Sphere to a modern day STARLAB in “A Challenge in Observational Astronomy” The idea was to note the differences in the Atwood sky to a STARLAB sky. “Do the quiz—win a prize at the end of the conference.”

Following the noon luncheon, the annual astronomy update lecture was presented by Dr. Jim Kaler of the University of Illinois. Dr. Kaler always presents a well-informed and comprehensive review of the latest scientific findings from the past year. Everyone seems to enjoy the spectacular slides and images he includes with his lecture, as well as his great sense of humor which always comes out while he speaks. He is not only educational but most delightful to listen to.

Galileo’s Restaurant was a perfect setting for the banquet. The glass ceiling allowed those
of us who work under the stars the chance to come together and celebrate under the stars as well. There is no better view of the Chicago skyline than from the shores of Lake Michigan. When the meal was finished we moved to the Star Rider Theater for traditional banquet events and the Spitz lecture. James Manning was featured as the Armand Spitz Lecturer with “Seeing the Elephant: Planetariums at the Millennium.”

Saturday did not start out with clear skies, but the clouds lifted and turned into another beautiful day. The closing luncheon on Saturday was held at the Congress Plaza and featured a presentation by David Levy. David chose to speak on “From Generation to Generation: Astronomical Mentors I Have Known.”

A post conference trip took some of us to Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin for a tour of that famous facility.

It was off to Richmond, Kentucky June 26-30 for a joint conference with the Southeastern Planetarium Association (SEPA) hosted by Jack Fletcher. Not only was this conference different for GLPA delegates because of holding it in June, but it was longer, beginning on Tuesday evening and going until midday on Saturday.

I believe many of us found it quit exhilarating to be sharing with so many colleagues and being presented with so many choices of papers, workshops, and presentations. I counted 29 papers, 19 vendor presentations, 14 poster papers, 10 workshops, 1 concert and 2 speakers! Certainly many sessions were concurrent, but there was more than enough to pick from at every session.

The hotel was the very nice Best Western Holiday Plaza. For those interested, a pre-conference event was held at the University of Louisville’s new Rauch Planetarium which had recently opened with a Spitz Electric Sky system. Other “pre-conference people” attended a special “Explorers of Mauna Kea” workshop during the day on Tuesday, presented by the good folks from Hawaii’s Bishop Museum. I loved their shirts! The Tuesday evening opening reception was followed by a live space concert in the planetarium by a group called Spacecraft. What a way to start a conference!

Concurrent paper sessions were the order of the day throughout Wednesday. This was the day we first learned from GLPA Charter Member and former President Don Tuttle about his wonderful astronomy quilts. The quilts have astronomy themes and Don says they’re great at catching students’ attention. Just goes to show you that planetarians never really retire! With our brains stuffed to the point of exploding, it was time to relax and stuff our stomachs. A trip to the nearby Mule Barn for a southern style barbeque was just what we needed to end such a busy day.

It was back to concurrent paper sessions on Thursday. This time we were treated after lunch to GLPA’s own Jim Kaler with his annual Astronomy Update. I’m sure SEPA delegates were as impressed with Jim’s presentation as we always are. After another very intense day we boarded buses for an evening dinner and tour at Shaker Village, another interesting and relaxing end to the day.

After separate morning business meetings for the two organizations, Friday was workshops, STARLAB sessions, poster papers, and vendor presentations, oh my! We ended another busy day with a wonderful banquet dinner and the words of Spitz Lecturer John Stokes as he inspired us with “The Lost Tools of Learning and the Planetarium.”

Relaxation was the order of the day on Saturday during the breakfast buffet as delegates attended state meetings and participated in the GLPA traditional story telling. With door prizes and closing remarks from our host and the GLPA and SEPA presidents, we were on our way home, inspired and ready to tackle our privileged task of teaching the world about the universe once again.

For the 38th GLPA conference, we were off to Wisconsin for only the second time in 35 years. The Park Plaza Valley Inn and the Barlow Planetarium were our headquarters.

After the Wednesday night opening reception, delegates retired to the planetarium dome where Karen Klamczynski welcomed everyone. Demonstrations and a couple shows, including the Barlow Planetarium’s Halloween show, kept us entertained until it was time for the hospitality room.

Thursday morning was spent at the hotel with vendor presentations and of course the much looked-forward-to Astronomy Update by none other than Dr. Jim Kaler. After lunch it was off to the planetarium for a show, paper, and poster sessions along with some additional vendor sessions that required a dome. Delegates also got the chance to tour the Weis Earth Science Museum before everyone was set loose for dinner on their own.

As on Thursday, the Friday morning breakfast was among the vendors to allow everyone to see what was new for this year. Everyone spent the morning at the hotel for two paper sessions before we headed back to UW-Fox for lunch. Once again an “Ask the Vendor” panel session was included to allow delegates and vendors some mutual feedback. Another look at poster papers and some more vendor demonstrations in the dome and everyone headed back to the hotel to freshen up for the annual Spitz Banquet. The highlight of the evening was of course our own Dr. Dale Smith as he inspired us all in his Spitz lecture about the sacred space of our domes.

Our final day on Saturday was spent at the hotel with a full breakfast and state meetings to start with. Then Nagin Cox from NASA - JPL told us everything we ever wanted to know about “The Galileo Mission to Jupiter.” The end of a wonderful conference is always marked by door prizes, and this was no different as we had a little fun after lunch before we headed our separate ways. For those interested, there was also a post conference trip, “The Magical Fox Cities Tour” featuring limestone cliffs overlooking Lake Winnebago, Indian burial grounds, Harry Houdini, and more!

Our Cleveland conference began immediately with a thought-provoking talk by Br. Guy Consolmagno of the Vatican Observatory as he spoke about “God Under the Dome.” His main message was that there is no inherent conflict, and much commonality, between science and religion. He indicated, “How better to get to know the Creator than by studying the things that have been created?” The talk was followed by a dessert reception as delegates renewed their acquaintances after yet another year.

Thursday was on to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the new Shafran Planetarium. We were split into two groups and rotated through paper sessions, vendor demonstrations and eventually lunch. The morning also included a workshop, “Constellations by Touch” by David Hurd. This system continued after lunch with an additional option of a “Portable Planetarium Share-a-Thon” where people could share portable dome techniques. Ending with tours of the museum and observatory, we were all together for dinner and a fascinating talk by Dr. Paul Hodge from the Department of Astronomy at the University of Washington. Dr. Hodge spoke about his book “Higher than Everest, An Adventurer’s Guide to the Solar System.” The next order of business was an optional bus ride to Shaker Heights High School Planetarium with Gene Zajac hosting, to round out the evening.

Spouses and other guests had the option Thursday of a special trip to the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame while conference delegates were at the museum.

We were down to business again on Friday at the hotel. Delegates could take advantage of papers, posters, visiting vendors, and a “Transit of Venus 2004” workshop by Chuck Bueter. A relaxing lunch was followed by Dr. Jim Kaler’s Astronomy Update, an annual favorite. The afternoon included more great papers plus once again an “Ask the Vendors” panel session. One of the neatest parts of the afternoon was the Shaker Space Station Simulation Bus, a converted school bus set up as a working space station by Joe Marencik & Gene Zajac. The idea is to allow students to get a feel for what it might be like to do scientific experiments aboard a space station. The annual Spitz Banquet ended a wonderfully informative day with Rob Landis delivering the Spitz lecture. Rob gave us some historical perspective with “Footsteps to Wings to Spacefaring.”

Saturday found us at the hotel for breakfast and state meetings. After the annual GLPA business meeting we had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Lawrence Krauss from the Department of Physics at Case Western Reserve University. Dark matter was the theme as he spoke about “Einstein’s Biggest Blunder.” Once again our visit to Cleveland was really “CRAP.”

A busy conference awaited us for our 40th annual get together in Detroit with a large number of scheduled papers, workshops, and vendor demonstrations.

We were immediately whisked away to the Cranbrook Institute of Science for Wednesday evening’s events. In addition to the hors d’oeuvres reception there were numerous vendor demos in the dome and opportunities to explore the museum and observatory. A great start to the conference!

Busses were the name of the game at this conference as Thursday morning we were transported to the new Detroit Science Center for a morning of touring, vendor demos, and a peek at their new show “Blown Away.” Then it was back to the buses! Not wanting to waste any time, we were provided with “in-flight meals” (box lunches) on our voyage to Ann Arbor. Once there we scattered to see the Exhibit Museum of Natural History with its very busy planetarium, the historic Detroit Observatory, and the Argus Planetarium at Pioneer High School that has the distinction of being the first school planetarium in the United States. By 6 p.m. we once again gathered as a group for dinner at the University of Michigan Palmer Commons. It was time to refuel and hear Dr. Fred Adams, a UM astrophysicist, and his talk, “Into the Dark: The Long Term Fate of our Dying Universe.” Then back to the busses and our “flight” to the hotel. Whew!

We caught our breath Friday morning at the Somerset Inn. A number of great workshops were available as well as papers and posters to see and hear. This also was a good time to visit the vendor area and see what was new. We relaxed during a pizza lunch buffet as we anticipated Dr. Jim Kaler’s Astronomy Update after lunch. Wonderful as usual! The rest of the afternoon was leisurely as we had some vendor time and time for the portable planetarium sessions. Then, to the busses one more time! After additional presentations in the planetarium at the Detroit Science Center it was time for the annual GLPA banquet with our own April Whit as this year’s Spitz Lecturer. “There’s No Place Like Dome” was her inspiration to us.

Saturday at the hotel was set aside for state meetings, the annual GLPA business meeting, story time, door prizes, and farewell for another year. It was time to go home, rest, and digest all the good stuff!

Once again we met at the Chaffee Planetarium in Grand Rapids on a major anniversary of GLPA. This time the 40th anniversary and 41st annual conference. Delegates were fortunate that three founding “fathers” of the organization were in attendance to offer some historical perspective.

As everyone gathered Wednesday night for the traditional opening reception, we were able to immediately take in a couple Chaffee shows, explore the museum, or even hear the Wurlitzer organ. Then it was under the dome for vendor demonstrations to see what’s new this year.

All events for this conference took place at the Public Museum. With the Day’s Inn right next door, it made for a very relaxed several days. On Thursday we continued with vendor showcases throughout the morning and then relaxed with a pizza lunch buffet followed by the conference keynote speaker, Dr. Anne Kinney from NASA. Dr. Kinney fascinated us with “From Blue Planets to Black Holes.”

The afternoon brought a very unique panel discussion with the theme “Building a More Space Aware Society.” The panel was moderated by Von Del Chamberlain (a GLPA founder) and included Dr. Kinney, Dr. Dennis Sunal (a GLPA founder), John Stoke (Space Telescope Science Institute) and planetarian Sheldon Schaffer. The day ended with a variety of options for delegates. Options included dinner on your own followed by either attending a public presentation of Dr. Kinney’s earlier talk, exploring the museum’s galleries, attending a constellation shootout in the dome, carpooling to a nearby IMAX theater to see “Magnificent Desolation,” driving out to visit the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association’s Veen Observatory, or checking out “The Wall” laser show.

Friday morning brought us up-to-date with astronomy once again as Dr. Jim Kaler told us everything we ever wanted to know about what was going on. It was then time to get down to business with concurrent workshops and paper sessions for the rest of the day. The annual evening Spitz banquet was held in the museum’s Galleria, right under the whale skeleton. (I assume they check those wires holding it up once in a while!) Because of the acoustics of the Galleria, we went up to the Meijer Theater after dinner to hear our own Dave Debruyn (a founding member) deliver this year’s Spitz Lecture. Dave reminded us of how we inspire many people with our work, maybe without realizing it all the time.

On Saturday, after breakfast and state meetings, we had one more paper session before the GLPA business meeting. After lunch, and before the door prizes and our farewells, we were treated to a special 40th anniversary retrospective hosted by Gary Tomlinson. We heard from the three founding members in attendance. Von Del Chamberlain talked to us about “The Power of the Planetarium Theater.” Dennis Sunal instructed us on “An Early History of the School Projection Planetarium and the Great Lakes Planetarium Association.” Dave Debruyn joined in at the end as our founders received a warm round of applause.

In 2006 we were back to Merrillville to see what Greg and Barb had been up to. We slept at the Lee’s Inn, but the rest of the time we remained at Pierce Middle School.

Wednesday evening’s dessert reception was followed by being divided into two groups so that we could rotate through several presentations without over filling the planetarium. At the end of the evening we ended up in the “Arena,” a large lecture-type room that could accommodate all the delegates. Dr. Clem Pryke from the University of Chicago Kavli Institute of Cosmological Physics started us out with “The History of the Universe and the Return of Einstein’s Biggest Blunder.”

It was right down to business Thursday morning with the first paper session in the Arena followed by our split group rotation again to accommodate the size of the planetarium. After a break for lunch it was back to the rotation with vendor presentations, followed by a paper session and then workshops in various rooms. We were fortunate that this was a school break and we had the use of the building without interfering with regular classes. Thursday night allowed delegates several options. You could pick from a trip to the Challenger Learning Center; a tour of Valparaiso University, including a small planetarium and observatory; see a performance of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra; or stick around and watch several shows in the planetarium.

Friday was dominated by many wonderful papers, with the highlight for many being our own Jim Kaler detailing the latest in his annual Astronomy Update. This year the annual Spitz Banquet was held not at Pierce School, and not at the Lee’s Inn, but at Gamba Ristorante, a new dining establishment in Merrillville. This year Gene Zajac delivered the Spitz Lecture and reminded us how important it is for us to be “Making a Difference.”

After breakfast at the hotel it was time on Saturday to head back for state meetings and the annual GLPA business meeting. One more lunch in the Pierce cafeteria. This time it is Chinese chicken salad, mandarin oranges, a fortune cookie and sherbet. Neat, huh? Now that we were relaxed we could enjoy the last speaker of the conference, Scott G. Lever. Scott is the MER Tactical Uplink Lead Engineer at JPL and he showed us some really great images while telling about the ins and outs of working with the Mars rovers. His talk was titled, “Roaming Mars: A Personal Perspective.”

This was the Triple Conjunction Conference where GLPA, SEPA and MAPS were in a rare conjunction in Wheeling, West Virginia. It also meant a lot of delegates!

This was also a longer conference, the opening reception being on a Tuesday. Notable Tuesday evening was Jon Bell’s “Astropardy” contest. Astropardy is based on the popular Jeopardy game show. However, in Astropardy all of the questions are astronomy related. This supposedly was a regional contest, with bragging rights going to the winning region. I haven’t heard anyone brag though. Does anyone know which region won? If you do let me know!

After opening remarks Wednesday morning we went right into concurrent paper sessions. Lunch was in Oglebay’s Glessner Auditorium where after lunch we heard Dr. Charles Wood, Executive Director of the Center for Educational Technologies at Wheeling Jesuit University. Dr. Wood’s talk was “Exploring a New World: Titan as Revealed by Cassini’s Radar.” All delegates were split into groups A and B and the rest of the afternoon was for planetarium vendor sessions, portable dome workshops, or some time on your own. Dinner was also on your own, but you had to get back to Glessner Auditorium for the keynote speaker – David Levy “A Nightwatchman’s Journey: My Life and Hard Times as a Comet Hunter.”

More concurrent paper sessions Thursday morning and then it was off to the busses and the Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Science Center, Buhl Digital Dome and host James Hughes. We were again split into our two groups to take turns exploring the science center and visiting the planetarium. As evening approached it was back to the busses to run over to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History to have dinner and explore. There in the Carnegie Lecture Hall after dinner we were once more honored to hear the Astronomy Update presented by Dr. Jim Kaler, GLPA’s beloved resident astronomer.

Friday morning it was back down to business with concurrent workshops and paper sessions. Following lunch in the Glessner Auditorium we were again in our A and B groups for planetarium vendor sessions or on your own to explore the beauty of Oglebay Park. Evening brought the banquet. This year’s Armand N. Spitz Lecture, Margaret Noble Address, and SEPA Banquet Lecture was given by Dr. James Sweitzer from Science Communications Consultants. It was titled “A Journey to the Stars.”

Saturday was set aside for regional business meetings before we all went our separate ways. If you wanted to hang around a little longer you could participate in a couple post conference activities. Jon Bell had a “Constellation Shootout” in the Benedum Planetarium, which was then followed by a couple encore planetarium productions.

We’re back to the city of suds! Upon arrival we were immediately whisked by bus to a great opening reception at the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. After eating our fill we spent the evening in the planetarium being amazed by vendor demonstrations.

Thursday morning we were at the Country Springs Hotel for the official welcome, vendor presentations, and the first paper session. Then it was off to Wauwatosa West High School and the Gary E. Sampson Planetarium for more vendor presentations. Lunch at the high school was followed by workshop sessions. Then, on to the Retzer Nature Center and the Charles Horwitz Planetarium. After dinner there were additional vendor presentations in the planetarium.

Friday was at the hotel in Waukesha. Morning paper sessions ended with Dr. Jim Kaler’s 20th and his announced last Astronomy Update lecture just prior to lunch. The afternoon continued with paper sessions along with workshops. The evening banquet featured Dan Francetic as the Spitz lecturer. His talk was titled “The Planetarium of My Remembrance—A Personal Account.” Space-related costumes were optional for the banquet and of course some chose to dress in costume. One of the best was the Saturday’s speaker, Michelle Thaller, dressed as a Klingon!

After one last paper session on Saturday we heard Dr. Michelle Thaller, Manager of the Spitzer Space Telescope Education and Public Outreach Program, talk about “Infrared Astronomy: Things That Go Bump in the Night.” Michelle had an infrared camera with her for some fun and demonstrations. It also just so happens that Dr. Thaller graduated from Waukesha South High School, so this was also a sort of homecoming for her. There was an afternoon post-conference session that some attended at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Manfred Olsen Planetarium hosted by Dr. Jean Creighton. Jean did a presentation titled “Greek Myths in Stars.” Her husband, Dr. Jolien Creighton, also from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Physics Department, talked about “Listening for Black Holes.” Delegates also had the opportunity to tour the supercomputer facilities at the UW-M Physics Department.

The Bay City conference was certainly one of convenience. The Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center is situated right across the street from the Delta College Planetarium. Everything was either at the hotel or the planetarium, so delegates had a relaxed time this year with access to their rooms always available.

The Wednesday evening reception was in the large, curved lobby of the planetarium. While delegates where eating and socializing, they could walk into the adjacent Space Explorer’s Hall and take in the demonstrations of “Dr. Slime,” one of the resident “mad scientists” at Delta College. It was then into the planetarium for what is becoming the traditional Wednesday night vendor showcase. Something new this year were “quick stretch and break” times. These were short 15 minute breaks to avoid sitting too long during vendor presentations. Delegates were told that Conference Planning Chair Gary Tomlinson said that these short breaks wouldn’t work, that delegates would not get back that fast. So, everyone was asked to prove Gary wrong . . . and it worked!

After the traditional Thursday morning welcome it was back to all the great vendor demos. Everyone was hungry after seeing what’s new all morning and headed off to the hotel for lunch. Lunch was followed by Dr. Axel Mellinger from the Department of Physics at Central Michigan University. Dr. Mellinger talked about “A 648 Mpixel Panorama Image of the Entire Sky.” The afternoon was workshop time and there were many to pick from. Excellent workshops have become a hallmark of GLPA conferences. You can’t help but be impressed by the amount of education stressed in this organization. Nowhere else will you see a workshop dedicated to hands on astronomy demonstrations, something all kids seem to really get and appreciate. Also, the friendliness of every member just really makes everyone feel at home.

After dinner it was back to the planetarium for papers, vendors, and a show or two from the planetarium staff. Unique here was a paper presented by Jacob Larsen, a local high school student. Jacob had been mentored for several years by the Delta College Planetarium staff and had created a scale model solar system with signs, stretching between Bay City and Midland, Michigan, much like what Sheldon Schaffer has done in Peoria. Jacob’s paper was about his latest project, a national scale model solar system stretching from Florida to Bay City. Jacob personally visited each planetarium and science center that were hosting his planet “signs” across the country!

Friday was a full day of excellent paper presentations. The most important part of GLPA is the sharing of ideas and techniques by members. We took a break just before lunch to hear our own Dr. Ronald Kaitchuck from the Ball State University Planetarium, as he presented his first Astronomy Update which he titled, “Astronomy for the Planetarian, 2009.” After all these years, Dr. Jim Kaler would be a hard act to follow, but Ron did it in style! Of course the annual evening Spitz banquet provided an opportunity to relax together and enjoy awards and the Spitz Lecture. This year Ken Miller inspired us with “Lessons Learned in the Dark.”

Still more papers were to be presented Saturday morning. It’s great how many members participate by presenting to their peers. It was impressive how everything was kept on track during this conference—the talks and the planetarium shows weren’t stretched out, as happens so often. When the papers concluded and everyone had a break, delegates heard from Dr. Christian Marois a Research Associate at the NRC Canada Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics in Canada. Dr. Marois’ talk was “Taking Pictures (and Movies!) of Exoplanets Orbiting Other Stars.” His research team was one of the first to actually photograph exoplanets. Delegates ended the day with the annual business meeting, door prizes, and a little more socializing. Those who were interested could head off to Longway Planetarium in Flint for an optional tour of that near-by facility.

After the Wednesday night opening reception in Jordan Hall we went right into the “Digital Visualization Theater” (DVT, otherwise known as the planetarium) for the first vendor showcase of the conference. That was followed by the DVT staff presenting their own showcase of material so we could all see some of the unique things they were up to at Notre Dame. In today’s economy, where planetariums are closing down, it was good to see a brand new facility, especially one crossing disciplines. The fact that Notre Dame’s planetarium (DVT) is being utilized by many different departments besides science should be an eye-opening note for many who are looking for ways to stay open.

On Thursday after breakfast and the usual welcome, it was on to paper session 1. The morning finished up with a second vendor showcase and then a break for lunch. There were quite a number of workshops offered at this conference so the afternoon was filled with two full sessions of workshops. Francine Jackson joined GLPA a number of years ago on the advice of Steve Mitch, who had told her that GLPA was the most education based of the planetarium associations. He was right and the workshop sessions are a good example. There were more hands-on materials available again this year, such as Dayle Brown’s Treasure Island and Karrie Berglund’s lesson plan on how we know what we know.

As we came to together to relax and have dinner, we were awed by hearing about “Dark Energy” presented by Dr. Peter M. Garnavich from the Department of Physics at the University of Notre Dame. And then . . . with new vendors arriving on the scene each year wanting everybody to see what they are offering, we were back in the DVT for dessert . . . uhh, I mean two more sessions of vendor demos before the “relaxation” began in the hospitality suite. Speaking of new vendors, one of the most unique at this conference was one selling 3D astronomy-themed postcards. What a beautiful and inexpensive addition to any museum or planetarium store.

The order of the day on Friday was paper and poster sessions. This is the “meat” of the conference where GLPA members share with each other. We did take a break at lunch to hear our own Dr. Ron Kaitchuck present his second Astronomy Update, so that all of us under the dome can be up-to-date with what’s going on. Friday, of course, ends with the annual Spitz banquet. This year Chuck Bueter had the honor of presenting the Spitz lecture, “Enthusiasm Flowing in the GLPA Watershed.”

On Saturday we continued the learning and sharing with additional paper presentations followed by the GLPA business meeting. We got to relax once more at the end, as we socialized, received door prizes, and said our farewells for yet another year.

This year's experience started Wednesday evening with a wonderful reception in the planetarium's curved lobby. Once again, old friendships were renewed and new ones begun. All too soon it was down to business being wowed by the latest from vendors. Two vendor sessions that evening got everyone warmed up for the next couple of days. One of the other highlights of the evening was the ice cream sundae bar in the planetarium lobby during the break.

After a welcome and introductions Thursday morning at the Staerkel Planetarium, we were immediately treated to the new GLPA-sponsored show, "Cosmic Colors." This was the show's premiere and I think we were all impressed! Then it was time for the return of an old friend. Our own Dr. Jim Kaler was back talking about "Cosmic Mysteries." After his presentation, GLPA's favorite astronomer said farewell to a long standing ovation. This had been a great start to a great conference.

After a break, it was on to Paper Session 1 where "full dome" information figured prominently. We relaxed with a box lunch before our hosts attempted to capture us, still fresh at the beginning of the conference, in our annual group photo taken in the Dodds Athletic Center. More vendor showcases highlighted new technology before we headed back to the hotel for workshop sessions. There was a great variety of workshops this year, from production software to dark energy to the transit of Venus. After a dinner buffet, we saw the last of the vendor's showcases. Now, we were ready to relax in the hospitality suite!

Friday was paper session day at the hotel. After a breakfast buffet, we got right to it. There were many great papers with ideas, techniques, and information important to all of us. We then relaxed at lunch anticipating this year's astronomy update by Dr. Ron Kaitchuck. Once our heads were filled with what's new in astronomy, it was off to more great papers and a couple special interest group sessions.

Everyone had some time to freshen up before the annual banquet and this years's inspiring Spitz Lecturer, Lee Ann Hennig, a true professional planetarian. In addition, Dave DeRemer was the recipient of the GLPA Service Award and new Fellows were Mike Narlock, Mark Webb, and Lois Wolf.

Saturday morning's breakfast and state meetings were followed by one more paper session. This is the "meat" of our conferences and it's wonderful seeing so many people sharing with their colleagues. Most of us remained after a refreshing break for the association's annual business meeting. After an officer election, door prizes, and the transferring of the flag to next year's conference host, all too soon we were saying good-bye for another year. A few of us did hang around for a couple interesting post-conference trips. One trip, sponsored by Seiler Instruments/Zeiss, was off to Peoria to check out the latest Zeiss projection technology, while others went to the University of Illinois to visit the historic UI Observatory and the National Center for Supercomputing.

Our headquarters for this conference was the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott, with trips to the Carnegie Science Center and North Hills High School thrown in.

As usual, the conference started off Wednesday night with a wonderful reception of heavy hors d’oeuvres, this time among the vendors supporting GLPA. But we were on the move right away the next morning as everyone was handed a “grab & go” breakfast as we boarded buses to the Carnegie Science Center. Vendor demos this year were in the Science Center’s Buhl Planetarium where there was more room for vendor equipment than there would be at North Hills High School.

After we experienced everything new and wonderful the vendors had to offer, we were on the move again, this time after a quick box lunch. We set course for the conference’s home planetarium at North Hills High School. When we arrived at the school, we immediately saw a custom designed GLPA flag waving proudly atop the flag pole in front of the school. North Hills High School Planetarium is a 24-foot facility featuring a Spitz A-4 built in 1969 and upgraded in 1999. With automation and a flurry of projectors, it is a wonderfully well equipped teaching planetarium.

First off was the popular astronomy update lecture, again given by Dr. Ron Kaitchuck, followed by the group photo. It was then on to some serious business with papers and workshops. Another highlight of the day was our dinner speaker Dr. Christian Schunn, who directs a number of research projects in science, mathematics and engineering education at the University of Pittsburgh.

All day Friday was at the conference hotel. After a nice breakfast buffet it was workshops, papers and special interest group meetings. With a break for lunch we heard Dr. Stephane Coutu from Pennsylvania State University describe research he is involved with.

More papers and posters followed that afternoon until it was time to get ready for our annual banquet. Dan Goins was this year’s Spitz Lecturer. Stop him sometime and ask him what he used an animal insemination tube for in his planetarium.

Saturday was devoted to GLPA business at the conference hotel. The GLPA business meeting was followed by lunch where we heard from Diane Turnshek from Carnegie Mellon University. Diane is not only an astronomer and a science fiction author, but somewhere in her past she operated the original Zeiss projector at the Carnegie Science Center.

As always, we had a little fun at the end with door prizes and storytelling. Then it was off to the various corners of GLPA land for another year.

This is the conference that almost wasn’t. A couple weeks before the conference was scheduled to begin, the conference hotel was shut down. If not for the hard work of the conference hosts, the GLPA Executive Committee and especially the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, there would not have been a conference. In addition, host Sheldon Schafer’s wife was hospitalized! But . . . it came together, and she’s okay too.

This was also a unique conference in that we shared some activities and events with the Illinois Association of Museums at the Peoria Civic Center. The opening reception, the vendor hall, breakfasts, a lunch, two speakers and workshops brought both groups together.

Wednesday evening at the new Peoria Riverfront Museum was complete with hors d’oeuvres, movies in the Giant Screen Theater, a vendor demo session and karaoke under the stars in the planetarium at the end of the day’s events.

On Thursday after a breakfast buffet at the Civic Center, it was off to the museum and down to business with vendor demos. The morning ended with the group photo and then lunch at the Civic Center. We stayed put for the afternoon taking advantage of the spacious facilities for paper sessions and time with vendors. A regular highlight of every GLPA conference is the Astronomy Update Lecture, and Dr. Ron Kaitchuck didn’t let us down. An invited talk by Michael Wysession concerning the Next Generation Science Standards was also of high importance to many.

This was one conference where we all worked off the food as we walked back and forth between the Civic Center and the Museum. On Thursday night we had dinner on our own in Peoria. Dinner on your own at a GLPA conference isn’t as common as it used to be as the schedule of papers, posters, workshops and vendors take more and more time every year. Many welcomed the chance to explore places to eat downtown. Then, it was a walk back to the museum for some evening vendor demos in the dome before socializing at the hospitality suite.

Friday morning was anticipated by many because after breakfast we were privileged to hear a talk by astronaut Scott Altman. After his inspiring presentation it was on to posters and the first session of workshops before lunch. In the afternoon there was a full schedule of concurrent papers. A fresh air walk to the museum was a welcome break as we headed for the dome later in the afternoon for one more paper session and some vendor demos thrown in for good measure. Then it was time to get ready for the banquet at the Marriott Hotel with a great Spitz Lecture by long time member Art Klinger.

Saturday morning came with another workshop session at the museum. GLPA is well known for its emphasis on education and hands-on workshops. It’s nice to see that tradition continuing. The morning was finished up with the all important business meeting, including officer elections. Business meetings are the one time each year GLPA members can interact with each other and the Executive Committee in person, to participate in charting the future course of the association.

The Marriott Hotel was our last stop on Saturday for lunch, door prizes and the closing ceremony.

Located on the campus of Ball State University, the brand new Charles W. Brown Planetarium opened the week before the GLPA conference. GLPA delegates were the first official audience to occupy the seats of the brand new facility. As Assistant Director Dayna Thompson said, it even had that “new planetarium smell.”

The Wednesday night opening reception was followed by the now familiar vendor demos in the dome. Something new this year was full length shows in the planetarium during the hospitality suite time each evening. This allowed vendors to play entire shows for those who might want to see them.

Vendor demos continued right away on Thursday morning followed by the first paper session. Thursday was a nice fall day, so the group photo was shot outside the new facility. Then it was off to our other headquarters for the conference, the Student Center Building. This would be the location of our meals, many sessions, and the vendor hall.

Long time member Don Hall (aka Captain Science), retired from Strasenburgh Planetarium in Rochester, New York, donated many of his famous astronomy-themed ties to be auctioned off. Don was nice enough to allow all proceeds from the sale of his ties to be donated to GLPA. The ties were on display in the Student Center throughout the conference.

Our first order of business when we arrived was lunch, followed by a talk by Dr. Caty Pilachowski from Indiana University. Dr. Pilachowski’s talk about the next generation of huge telescopes was absolutely fascinating. The rest of the afternoon was workshop time. For those not attending some of the workshops, there were even tours of the Ball State campus and a couple unique buildings.

After a buffet dinner we heard from Dr. Tim Slater from the University of Wyoming. He told us about research in the cognitive learning science so that those who teach astronomical concepts have a better idea how to approach students to help them to understand these concepts. After the talk it was back to the planetarium for more vendor demos and then full length shows along with the hospitality suite.

Friday morning started with paper and poster sessions followed by Dr. Ron Kaitchuck’s Astronomy Update Lecture before lunch. All of Friday afternoon was dedicated to paper sessions. It’s amazing the amount of participation by GLPA members and their willingness to share with their colleagues.

The Alumni Center was the location for the annual banquet and a Spitz Lecture by last year’s conference host, Sheldon Schafer.

Our location on Saturday remained at the Alumni Center where we got in one last paper session before the annual GLPA business meeting. Before the closing of the conference there was some extended story telling with everyone sharing their common experiences.

It’s been 50 years since the official formation of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association and we’re back to Grand Rapids where the organization came into being. This year we were honored to have many of the surviving charter members joining us including the principal founder and first president Von Del Chamberlain.

Wednesday evening marked the opening gala as GLPA members explored the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Purrfessor Science (Gary Tomlinson) made an appearance and baffled everyone! Then it was off to the dome for vendor demos to start things off. As last year, the evening ended with full length shows given by vendors during the same hours as the hospitality suite.

Thursday morning continued with vendor demos as delegates experienced everything new for planetariums. After a buffet lunch everyone was fascinated by Dr. Thomas Strikwerda talking about his involvement with the New Horizons spacecraft to Pluto and the many amazing discoveries it is making.

With a record number of papers to be presented this year, the rest of Thursday afternoon was dedicated to the “meat” of our conferences – paper sessions. With a brief break for a group photo and a walk into downtown for dinner, it was then back for evening paper and vendor sessions. By the end of the evening everyone was ready for relaxing and socializing in the hospitality suite or watching a show or two.

Friday morning saw an especially engaging talk by Dr. Julia Plummer. Dr. Plummer has specifically studied education in the planetarium and how elementary students learn through a combination of planetarium field trips and classroom lessons. The rest of the morning was filled with paper sessions. After lunch was the popular Astronomy Update Lecture by Dr. Ron Kaitchuck followed by an afternoon of workshop sessions. With everyone’s heads filled with new ideas to try out at their facility, we headed for our annual banquet and the Spitz Lecture by Susan Reynolds Button.

By Saturday morning the anticipation of hearing from GLPA founder Von Del Chamberlain was on everyone’s mind. After one last paper session, the all important business meeting and a walk to lunch, it was time. Von Del spoke eloquently about the importance of GLPA and how for 50 years it has benefitted hundreds of planetarians and millions of planetarium visitors.