Conference Descriptions: 1990-1999
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NO.
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LOCATION
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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SECRETARY/TREASURER
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26
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Indianapolis, Indiana
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1990
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Dan Goins
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David Parker
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Spitz Lecturer: Jeanne Bishop
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Attendance: 124
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| October 10 - 13, 1990 | 1990 Group Photo |
| The adults who teach children came home to the Children’s Museum for this conference orchestrated by Sharon Parker. Larry Cat took us to the “meeoon” in the planetarium and the Digistar’s graphics took us into a black hole. However we escaped to attend the only Saturday night Spitz Banquet, at which Sharon continued the three-year tradition of the host wearing a weird costume and at which Jeanne Bishop shared her wisdom of participatory teaching. This was also the only conference in which the Executive Committee meetings almost lasted longer than the conference. |
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NO.
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LOCATION
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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SECRETARY/TREASURER
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27
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Youngstown, Ohio
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1991
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Dale Smith
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David Parker
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Spitz Lecturer: Paul Knappenburger
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Attendance: 124
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| Dates: October 16 - 19, 1991 | 1991 Group Photo |
| A saros cycle after the last time, GLPA returned to Youngstown with Warren Young and Ted Pedas taking another turn at hosting. We heard shuttle astronaut Ron Parise, a YSU alum, describe his work in orbit. We were also treated to a live school program by the inimitable Ken Perkins. It was just before Halloween and we reverberated to Rick Pirko’s sound and light show. This writer’s car was not towed away despite threats by the host, who also arranged delivery of a kiwi pizza. Will Warren and Ted host again in 2010? |
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NO.
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LOCATION
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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SECRETARY/TREASURER
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28
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St. Louis, Missouri
(with GPPA)
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1992
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Dale Smith
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David Parker
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Spitz Lecturer: Charles F. Hagar
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Attendance: 137
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| Dates: October 21 - 24, 1992 | 1992 Group Photo |
| GLPA crossed the border into GPPA-land for a joint conference. Overwhelmed by our size and organization, GPPA bore with us. We heard about the exploration of other worlds: the Magellan mission to Venus described by Ray Arvidson and a trek to Tunguska described by Roy Gallant. The Digistar took us on hunt for a stolen star, we enjoyed a dinner cruise on a Mississippi riverboat, and we were treated to a tour of the Seiler Instruments building. Host John Wharton also arranged a sunrise through the Arch. |
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NO.
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LOCATION
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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SECRETARY/TREASURER
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29
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Dayton, Ohio
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1993
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Dale Smith
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David Parker
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Spitz Lecturer: Jon Marshall
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Attendance: 128
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| Dates: October 20 - 23, 1993 | 1993 Group Photo |
| Back to Ohio, dinosaurs, and another Digistar and Holiday Inn. Our own Jon Marshall inspired us with the wisdom of a lifetime at the Spitz Banquet, but only after a prologue roasting the leaders who invited him. Host Art Goss unfurled many creative uses of a Digistar in his program commemorating his museum’s centennial. What he didn’t tell us then was that a month later he would be married in the planetarium to the accompaniment of a show recounting his and Danae’s lives. The ranks of GLPA Fellows swelled after a mystery line-up at the banquet. |
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NO.
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LOCATION
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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SECRETARY/TREASURER
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30
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Wheeling, West Virginia
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1994
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Dave Batch
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David Parker
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Spitz Lecturer: Darrel Hoff
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Attendance: 108
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| Dates: October 26 - 29, 1994 | 1994 Group Photo |
| The eastward migration of the meeting site continued as we convened a few miles across the border into MAPS country. Steve Mitch hosted us at the rustic Oglebay Park and we enjoyed the autumn foliage, relaxed setting, and model trains. We heard about recovering meteorites in Antarctica and the triumphs of the rejuvenated Hubble. CRAP honored Wes Orloff for his creation of the Mobile Observatory. April Whitt and Dale Smith shared their excellent adventures of trips to the South and North Poles, proving that GLPA will go to the ends of the Earth. |
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NO.
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LOCATION
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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SECRETARY/TREASURER
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31
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Grand Rapids, Michigan
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1995
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Dave Batch
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David Parker
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Spitz Lecturer: Robert C. Elliott
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Attendance: 150
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| Dates: October 25 - 28, 1995 | 1995 Group Photo |
| GLPA returned to it birthplace for the first time since 1973 for its 30th anniversary conference. Grand Rapids was also the home of Gerald R. Ford, the only President of the United States not elected to that office. This time however, the Chaffee Planetarium had moved with its parent museum to a new $35 million facility that opened in November of 1994, so the dust had barely enough time to settle. The new Chaffee Planetarium has a 50 foot Digistar 2 planetarium with over 35 slide projectors and a SPICE automation system. The GLPA banquet was held under the famous whale skeleton. After the banquet we moved to the Museum’s Meijer Theater (due to the very bad audio under the whale) to hear Bob Elliott, GLPA charter member and Past-President, deliver the Spitz Lecture. Bob was the mentor for co-host Mark Perkins. Jim Kaler presented his 7th Update Lecture. Dr. Heidi Hammel, the team leader for the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 using the Hubble Space Telescope, and Dr. Tom Jones, NASA astronaut, delivered keynote addresses. Last but not least, the infamous Don Hall (who Gary Tomlinson, dressed in western gear, tried to introduce as Tom T. Hall) presented “Hall’s Laws.” Besides the five invited talks, there were 31 contributed papers and five workshops including Wayne James’ famous “Paper Plate Astronomy.” Another GLPA charter member, Jim Marron, part-time staff member of Chaffee Planetarium for many years, helped host one of the hospitality suites. Although we dinned at several different locations, including the Amway Grand Plaza (the old Pantlind Hotel, the conference hotel of the 1st GLPA conference), they were all within walking distance—no busses required. Even the current conference hotel, the Day’s Inn, was right across the street from the museum. It was in the Amway Grand Plaza that Dave DeBruyn delivered a 30-year retrospective of GLPA. In addition to all the above, optional events included touring the museum and its behind the scenes work areas, a 1928 Wurlitzer organ concert, rides on the carousel, and a field trip to the James C. Veen Observatory. A unique vendor was the museum’s own Jean Johnson, who after her retirement from the museum designed and made neckties. She had quite a variety of astronomical ties for sale. Another unique feature of this conference was the garage sale of used planetarium equipment and effects both from the Chaffee Planetarium and other planetariums, plus a raffle of 70 16mm-space and physics films. |
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NO.
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LOCATION
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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SECRETARY/TREASURER
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32
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Minneapolis, Minnesota
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1996
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April Whitt
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David Parker
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Spitz Lecturer: John Hare
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Attendance: 118
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| Dates: October 23 - 26, 1996 | 1996 Group Photo |
| The Regency Plaza Hotel, in the heart of downtown Minneapolis served as conference headquarters. Concurrent paper sessions included Steve Tidey describing his astronomy speech at a Star Trek fan convention, Sheldon Schafer’s planetarium programming for Boy Scout badge requirements, Chuck Greenwood’s new computerized reservation system, and Dave DeRemer’s presentation about the completed Solar System Adventure Tour developed for GLPA members. International flavor came via Roy Gallant’s adventures tracking an ice-age meteorite fall in Outer Mongolia, Jeanne Bishop’s descriptions of the development of Chinese constellations and her teaching as part of the STARLAB experience in Italy, and Alan Pareis’ report on the progress of GLPA’s project to provide a set of slides to each of the planetariums in the Russian Federation. Rod Nerdahl gave us a preview of sky sights for 1997. Art Klinger reminded us all that “If You Don’t Toot Your Own Horn, Someone Will Use It As A Spittoon.” Workshops included internet web sites for teaching astronomy, STARLAB multi-disciplinary lessons, scriptwriting, and creating constellations. Dennis Brinkman shared his Como Planetarium in the St. Paul Public Schools. Larry Mascotti of Rochester Public School Planetarium demonstrated software and CD-ROMS for implementing NASA’s Astronomy Village curriculum. Dr. Steven Robinson of the University of Minnesota described an interactive response system—called “Discourse”—that connects a classroom of student-operated keyboards to a personal computer on the teacher’s desk, giving the teacher immediate feedback of students’ understanding of astronomy. Thursday night tours visited the University of Minnesota’s O’Brien Observatory (an infrared research facility), Halloween programs at the host planetarium, or the Mall of America’s new $25 million aquarium. Dr. James Kaler delivered his eighth Astronomy Update, detailing the new images of Pluto and the deep field galaxies in Ursa Major—the Hubble Deep Field image. Dr. Alan Hale, co-discoverer of Comet Hale-Bopp, thrilled listeners with “tantalizing details and glorious images.” Deborah Byrd, co-founder of Earth and Sky, described her popular radio series and how to get people hooked on astronomy. John Hare’s Spitz lecture (“Three Decades, Two Hands, One Mind, and Lots of Options”) gave us the ins and outs of planetarium life over three decades. The conference booklet included this list: “113 GLPA registrants, 26 papers, 24 door prizes, 14 GLPA Patron Members, 7 vendor demonstrations, 6 speakers, 5 tours, 4 workshops, 2 starshows and 1 GREAT Great Lakes Planetarium Association. |
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NO.
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LOCATION
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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SECRETARY/TREASURER
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33
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Cleveland, Ohio
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1997
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April Whitt
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David Parker
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Spitz Lecturer: Richard H. Emmons
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Attendance: 142 + 44 vendors
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| Dates: October 22 - 25, 1997 | 1997 Group Photo |
| The Clarion Hotel & Conference Center in Eastlake was our base as we traveled back to Cleveland for a fourth time and the 33rd conference! This year the conference hosts proudly proclaimed in the conference schedule, “148 registrants, 40 papers, 26 poster papers, hundreds of door prizes and favors, 13 patron members, 15 vendor demonstrations, 6 speakers, 3 tours, 5 STARLABS with 8 participants, dinner with dinosaurs, what a party!” Indeed it was. The conference schedule that was handed out in three-ring notebooks included astronomy “cartoons” by Jay Ryan throughout its pages. In addition, everyone received a numbered and signed color photo of Jay’s astronomy artwork! The first official GLPA conference to be held in Cleveland was in 1967 and featured the first Armand Spitz Memorial Lecture, given by Grace Spitz. Dan Francetic of the Euclid Schools Planetarium and Joe DeRocher of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Planetarium led the host committee of local planetarians in organizing a very full agenda, which opened on Wednesday evening with a dessert reception at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. After enjoying the reception, the group gathered to hear Dr. Geoffrey Landis of NASA’s Lewis Research Center in Cleveland describe the Mars Pathfinder mission, on which he had been working since 1992. The Pathfinder spacecraft had just landed successfully on Mars in July 1997, so Dr. Landis’ presentation brought us up to date with very new descriptions and visuals. Thursday’s very full day began at the hotel with President April Whitt’s official welcome, followed by Dr. Jim Kaler’s popular annual Astronomy Update, which, as usual, was packed with developments in astronomy over the previous year. Then we took a short ride on school busses to Euclid High School where Planetarium Director Dan Francetic welcomed us and explained the day’s logistics. Since the planetarium could only seat about half the delegates, we split into two groups. Group 1 saw the Vendor Showcase given in the planetarium by Spitz, Inc., Hopkins Engineering, Ash Enterprises, East Coast Controls, and Bowen Productions. Meanwhile, Group 2 moved to the basement indoor track area where four(!) STARLABs were set up with concurrent presentations given by Dayle Brown, Doris Forror, Wayne James, and Susan Reynolds. After lunch our speaker was Dr. George B. Collins II of Case Western Reserve University’s Astronomy Department who took us through an enlightening description of how our perception and understanding of the universe must be based on the geometry of space-time, rather than Euclidean geometry. He closed his talk with a warning to beware the dragons of ignorance, superstition, and fear which “lie in wait for those who think incorrectly of the universe in which they live.” Following Dr. Collin’s talk, the two groups reassembled in the opposite locations, with Group 1 moving to the STARLABs area, where concurrent sessions were given by Jeanne Bishop, Chuck Bueter, Georgia Neff, and April Whitt. After a refreshments break came two concurrent paper sessions followed by a second split-group vendor showcase presented by Audio Visual Imagineering and Jensan Educational Products. Thursday evening was open for dinner on your own and a choice of three optional tours to schools in the Cleveland area: 1. Garfield Heights High School’s Distance Learning Lab, where Bob Sledz teaches an astronomy course not only to his students at GHHS, but also to two other high schools via two-way live video and audio systems. April Whitt also described some of her experiences with distant learning. 2. Mentor High School Planetarium, where Rod Thompson described and demonstrated his planetarium programs and curriculum for high school and elementary classes. 3. Shaker Heights High School Planetarium, where Gene Zajac and Kelly Jons also explained how they use their planetarium and its special-effects capabilities in presentations for high school and elementary groups. At the hotel Friday morning we had an extensive offering of concurrent paper sessions. After lunch Dr. Ralph Harvey of the Geology Department at Case Western Reserve University told us about his expeditions to Antarctica to collect meteorites, many of which are now believed to have come from Mars. He described his research and techniques which he uses on the meteorites with particular interest in looking for evidence of organic or biological processes in them, especially since NASA had landed the first rover on Mars to begin direct exploration and analysis of Mars and its materials. Following Dr. Harvey’s talk, a vendor showcase was held in the large meeting room with nine vendors giving presentations. Then we had a break before boarding busses to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where we had some time to explore the museum’s new geology exhibit and other galleries. The banquet was held under the dinosaurs. The Armand Spitz lecturer was proudly and appropriately introduced by Jeanne Bishop, because she was introducing her father, Dr. Richard Emmons. He gave us a very personal and moving description of his lifetime career of more than 65 years in astronomy with telescopes and planetariums. Having started his career in the late 1930s, he was a real pioneer in promoting astronomy to the public as he organized viewing events with telescopes and later in planetariums with star projectors he had built himself. Sprinkled throughout his talk were descriptions of letters and contacts with famous individuals, including Albert Einstein. After state meetings at breakfast on Saturday morning, we had another paper session, then the GLPA business meeting. Our after-lunch speaker was the well-known astronaut, Dr. Harrison Schmitt, who was the only geologist to explore the moon on Apollo 17, which landed there in December 1972. Schmitt and his fellow astronaut, Gene Cernan, spent some 75 hours on the lunar surface including 22 hours outside their lander, using their Lunar Rover to travel a total of about 35 kilometers, and brought back over 250 pounds of lunar samples. The conference closed with the awarding of a very large number of door prizes, and we looked forward to next year’s conference in Nashville, Indiana. |
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NO.
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LOCATION
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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SECRETARY/TREASURER
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34
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Martinsville, Indiana
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1998
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Dan Francetic
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Bob Bonadurer
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Spitz Lecturer: Bob Ernst
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Attendance: 83 + 10 vendors
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| Dates: October 21 - 24, 1998 | 1998 Group Photo |
| Host Dan Goins said of the 1998 conference planning, “One of the most memorable parts was getting it together. As a small planetarium and without a staff, that was a handful. Gary Tomlinson’s Conference Planning book really helped. The most stressful aspect was the fact that the conference would be held ‘off site’ without a planetarium. The location of Nashville, Indiana, was a perfect place for this, however. The Seasons Conference Center had everything in one place—no busing.” Assisting Dan, Gregg Williams and “friends” handled delegate registration and Art Klinger managed vendor registration. All the paper and workshop sessions took place at the Seasons Lodge. Papers included Mark Reed’s “A Snapshot from a K-12 Planetarium Survey,” David Leake’s “A Campus Solar System,” April Whitt’s “Space Station Fernbank,” Ron Kaitchuck’s, “LPD4 Slide Masking Revisited,” Keith Turner’s Supermassive-Supergiant Light Tables,” and James C. Wallace II’s “Stonehenge: A Druid’s guide to Construction.” Five STARLAB workshops were give at the Seasons: “Creating Ancient Observing Sites in the Planetarium” by Gene Zajac, “Movers, Shakers, and Risk Takers” (a lesson on plate tectonics) by Barbara Nisson, “Mythology with a New Twist” (increasing involvement by students in the story-telling process by Susan Reynolds Button, “Sky Lore and Celestial Navigation in the South Seas” by Jeanne Bishop, and “Rock Cycles: Adding Earth Science to the STARLAB” by Wayne James. David DeRemer and David Hurd together offered two make-and-take workshops in which participants constructed a moving clouds projector and a bolide meteor projector. Dan thought that the good variety of workshops and inflatable offerings was particularly important for a conference not held at a planetarium. He noted of the inflatables, “They really came through for me and I believe showed they have a place in all future conferences. I can’t thank them enough.” Two off-site trips were offered on a sign-up basis. Bowen Productions and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis teamed up for two workshop sessions in Indianapolis at the Bowen Productions digital video and audio suites (with pizza lunch by Evans and Sutherland). Combined sponsorship by Eric Melenbrink of Ash Enterprises, the Sudekum Planetarium, and Columbus East High School made possible an open house and reception with a program at the refurbished Knoblitt Planetarium in Columbus, Indiana, about 20 miles from Nashville. Dr. Jim Kaler gave his inimitable information-packed and always-enjoyed “Astronomical Update,” a summary of the previous year’s astronomical events. Rob Landis presented a provocative historical talk on the Soviet Race to the Moon, and Ken Edgett discussed the Mars Global Surveyor program. We also enjoyed an excellent evening lecture on the “Stuff of the Universe” by Stuart Mufsen from the Indiana University Astronomy Department. Dan felt restrained by a clause (he describes as the “Goins clause” due to his part in its passage) in conference planning, which says that the banquet must be held on Friday evening. In Indianapolis the year before, the banquet was held on Saturday evening, a change from always having it on Friday night. Dan notes that adding to his host limitations, “The Executive Committee kept adding requests to the 25th anniversary conference.” Dan thought the negative response to the innovation of banquet night change the previous year might make the innovation of a cookout too stressful, but the one he orchestrated came off very well. The comments were overwhelmingly successful. Before the banquet we enjoyed a first-time-ever square dance. A group of self-declared GLPA singers with Jim Kaler and Dori Anderson on guitar met before the banquet to practice songs that Jeanne Bishop and Dori had composed, with words applicable to the planetarium community set to known tunes. These were presented as entertainment after the banquet meal. Another positive conference singing event was a presentation by the Martinsville High School show choir directed by Tim James. The weather, noted Dan, could not have been more perfect. “There were blue skies, leaves in full color, and nights clear and dark. These were super October days.” Dan’s Indiana Astronomical Society friends brought over telescopes on one night. Dan remembers, “The 20-inch Dobsonian was a hit. The conference center turned off all the lights around the building, including the parking lot lights. This gave me one of my favorite conference moments. Jupiter was well-placed for viewing and in the 20-inch ’scope it was superb. Dr. Jim Kaler was looking through the eyepiece. He said, ’Look at that! The curlicues are outstanding!’ Now, to have a very well-respected and world-famous astronomer call the festoons ‘curlicues’ was just great. It showed Dr. Kaler’s human side, which we all know he has. It also demonstrates the effect that a super astronomical view can have on a person, even of Dr. Kaler’s stature. I will never forget that night. The two of us have talked about that night in Nashville a number of times since.” Dan Goins says that he received many thank-you notes from attendees, some asking him to “do it again!” Dan said that even though he was the host, it was one of his favorite conferences. He appreciated his mother-in-law and Greg Williams’ mother helping with registration and the helpfulness shown by many others. Surely the finest feeling a conference host can have is expressed by Dan’s comment, “I will forever be grateful to GLPA for giving me the opportunity to host a conference.” And we all remain thankful for Dan’s creativity, enthusiasm and hard work in hosting the 1998 GLPA Conference. |
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NO.
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LOCATION
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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SECRETARY/TREASURER
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35
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Kalamazoo, Michigan
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1999
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Dan Francetic
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Bob Bonadurer
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Spitz Lecturer: James Kaler
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Attendance: 127
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| Dates: October 20 - 23, 1999 | 1999 Group Photo |
| GLPA’s first trip to Kalamazoo landed us at the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center with the Kalamazoo Valley Museum containing the Universe Theater & Planetarium nearby. This is the year that Dr. James Kaler not only provided us with his wonderful annual astronomy update lecture, but also gave the Spitz lecture at the Friday night banquet, a talk he titled, “Three Astronomies.” Memorable at this conference was a small version of the conference schedule that could be easily carried in a purse or pocket. In addition, a unique “Ask the Vendors” session allowed GLPA members to “ask a panel of vendors questions about equipment and systems, and to provide a think tank for new ideas.” Concurrent paper and workshop sessions were the order of the day for much of this gathering. So much good stuff! It was hard to pick what to attend. Of note was Alan Pareis’ report on the successful project to supply slides to Russian Planetariums and the great STARLAB workshops presented by Susan Button, Jeanne Bishop, Gene Zajac, Barbara Nissin, and Cheri Adams. Eric Schreur did a bang-up job of bringing in wonderful speakers. Dr Bernhard Beck-Winchatz from DePaul University with his “NASA Office of Space Science Update,” Dr. John Percy from the University of Toronto with “Partnerships in Astronomy Education,” and Dr. C. Robert O’Dell from Rice University with “Exploration of the Orion Nebula with the HST.” Even though it was a packed schedule, Thursday evening brought us a chance to relax with dinner on our own or take an optional trip to Upton Middle School in St. Joseph, Michigan where John Hare had an evening session on “Setting Planets on a Spitz Projector.” |