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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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updated by Peggy Walker 8/7/25

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