Joe Shuster
April, 2012
Joe Shuster is a relative 'newcomer', but his impact to the club has been quite dramatic as well.
I think Joe's first and only officer position was the club president. Joe is known for his passion for efficiency, so I guess getting involved from the top was the best way to do it! Leading from in front, Joe established our Yahoo! group usage, and worked hard to integrate various club activities and communication.
But Joe's claim to fame was the conceptualization, formation, execution and institutionalization of the Astronomy Under the City Lights program. To date we have hosted about 7,000 patrons, to view of the moon and planets. The AUTCL program also received and honorable mention in Astronomy Magazines 'Out of this World' outreach award in 2010.
As if this wasn't enough, Joe has gone on to set up our 'Star Reader' program, with astro-photo bookmark incentives, and kicked us off on a 'Loan Star' library telescope loaner program. Perhaps it's good that Joe has moved on to darker skies in Missouri, so the club can get a little rest!
The Lake County Astronomical Society, hereby grants to Joe Shuster a 'lifetime membership' in the Lake County Astronomical Society, in recognition for his magnitude of contributions to LCAS, to her members and to the public of Lake County, Illinois.
The members and officers of the Lake County Astronomical Society are providing Joe with a 'Stellar Designation'.
Joe, henceforth, for your brothers and sisters of LCAS, your Stellar Designation is...
"Joe 'Thuban' Shuster"
Thuban was once our pole star, providing direction to the builders of the pyramids and sailors of that century. As time passed, Thuban moved on and is no longer our pole star. Joe, you were once our guide to a new kind of public outreach, but you have now moved on as well, still present, but in a new (and much darker) area of the sky.
Thuban is also an unusual star, not a main sequence star... does this surprise anyone who knows Joe? Thuban is a white giant, a bit past middle age, now fusing helium, not hydrogen for fuel. Thuban's future direction is a bit uncertain... it may become a red orange giant, or it may become a blue giant. Like Joe, it's future is unwritten at this time.
It is also said that Thuban was once a much brighter star... but, let's not carry this analogy with Joe too far...
Congratulations Joe!
