MSRAL Conferences
The Mid-States Regional Conferences have been in operation since the early 1950's with only a couple of meetings canceled through the years. The goal is to have societies/clubs in each state, rotate hosting the yearly conference held anytime from May to July. With 11 Astronomical League Regions, MSRAL is one of the top three most active, larger and consistent regions in the League.
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Each year the MSRAL solicits from the membership recommendations of people to be considered for the recipient of the, "Amateur of the Year Award." It is given to a person who has supported the region as a whole, or to a member from a MSRAL club who contributed to their club in some notable way.
Amateur of the Year recipients are listed by their club on the "CLUB" page on the menu.
Mid-States National Leaders
Presidents & Vice Presidents
Russell Maag, A.L. President 1957-1958
Saint Louis Astronomical Society
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Gene Tandy, A.L. President 1966-1968
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
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Carroll Iorg, A.L. President 2010-2014, 2020 to 2025
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
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Other Positions
Jackie Beucher, Executive Secretary,Secretary and Treasurer
Mike Morcin, Astronomy Day Coordinator
Denise Moser, Astronomical League Historian
Mike Stoakes, League Store
Judith Riley, League Store
Peggy Walker, STEAM & Accessible Outreach, Jr. Activities Coordinator 2017 to present
Observing Program Coordinators
Kathy Machin, (ASKC) Dark Nebula Observing Program & Southern Sky Telescopic Observing Program
Dan Crowson, (ASEM) Foundations of Imaging Program
Brad Young, (ACT) Alternative Constellations Observing Program, Solar Eclipse Observing Program and Earth Orbiting Satellites Observing Program
Steve Boerner, (M.A.L.) Astronomy Before the Telescope Program, Spectroscopy Observing Program and Radio Astronomy Observing Program
Scott Kranz, (ASKC) Master Imaging Program, Comet Observing Program, Meteor Observing Program, Sun Spotter Observing Program and Messier Observing Program
Robert Tongi, (CAAS) Carbon Star Observing Program, Variable Star (telescopic and binocular) Observing Programs and proposed and wrote Lunar Evolution Observing Program,
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Youth Award Winners
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NYAA 2006: Mary Masterman, Oklahoma City, OK,
"Investigating Stars and Nebulae Through the Construction of an Astronomical Spectrograph"
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NYAA 2012: Justin Tieman, Blue Springs, MO,
"Alien Worlds: Space Rocks"
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Horkheimer Smith Award 2018: Abigail Bollenbach
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Horkheimer/O'Meara Journalism Award 2020: Seth Fenderson 3rd Place
National Awards
1970 Russell Maag, Astronomical League Award
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1987 Tom Martinez, Bob Wright Service Award for Reflector Editor
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1997 Kathy Machin, Bob Wright Service Award for Supervision of the Messier Club
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1998 Jackie Wade Beucher, Bob Wright Service Award for Special Project in support of the president - multiple winners
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2003 Carroll Iorg, Bob Wright Service Award
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2005 Kent Marts, Bob Wright Service Award
Master Observers
#3 Jim Ketchum ASKC 8/6/2001
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#10 Larry Robinson ASKC 12/23/2001
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#12 Scott Kranz ASKC 12/23/2001
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#17 K.C. Lobrecht ACT 12/27/2002 first female master observer
#19 Kathy Machin ASKC 4/5/2003
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#22 Michael Myer ASKC 6/30/2003
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#24 Edwin Jones ASNWAR 12/11/2003
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#29 Gary Buckmaster ACT 6/1/2004
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#31 Brad Young ACT 9/25/2004
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#32 Rodney Rynearson SLAS 9/6/2004
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#33 Tim Kristi ASKC 10/1/2004
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#44 Walt Robinson ASKC 6/28/2005
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#47 Richard Harshaw ASKC 1/17/2007
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#60 Ron Abbott ASKC 1/17/2007
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#61 Vic Winter ASKC 1/30/2007
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#63 Dale Flippo SAS 4/5/2007
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#65 Jerry Loethen SLAS 6/2/2007
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#83 Robert Togni CAAS 7/22/2008
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#103 Doug Kniffen CMAA 5/8/2010
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#110 Rod Gallagher ACT 12/29/2010
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#129 Michael Stewart ASKC 5/12/2012
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#139 Grant Martin ASEM 5/14/2013
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#142 Chris Lamer KAO 8/23/2013
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#149 Steve Boerner ASEM 3/19/2014
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#152 Melinda Hopper ASKC 4/8/2014
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#174 Bill Sanders CAAS 9/20/2015
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#200 Fred Gassert KAO 7/23/2017
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#206 Jim Kvasnicka PAC 3/1/2018
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#207 Bob Kacvinsky PAC 3/1/2018
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#222 Alfred Schovanez III ASEM 4/1/2019
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#240 James Twellman ASEM 8/2/2020
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#260 Jerelyn Ramirez KAO 5/5/2023
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#262 John Strebeck SLAS 8/5/2023
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#270 Bill Bond OAS 7/16/2024
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