Does Your Local Astronomy Club Charge for Private “Star Parties”?

[mtoma...@comcast.net]

To those of you in this forum who are active members of your local astronomy club:

1. Is your club ever asked to facilitate* an evening stargazing event for a private audience?  Such as at a corporate event, organized conference or gazillionaire’s IPO party?  (NOT a non-profit host, such as a school or public facility.)
   
2. If your club agrees to fulfill such a request, does your club charge a fee?  If so, what is the fee structure?  (Flat fee per event?  Fee per astronomer?  Additional fees for extra services?)
   
3. Alternatively, does your club communicate such a request to club members, and those members negotiate their own services and fees, without your club’s further involvement?
   
4. Or, does your club consider such a request as an opportunity to expose a new audience to our hobby, which you deem to be a public service for which no fee is charged, even to a private audience?
   

Thanks in advance for any experiences or advice you are willing to share with me.

*Facilitate might include four or more club members setting up their telescopes/binoculars and letting event participants looking through those telescopes/binoculars.  Maybe a brief presentation before the stargazing begins.  Maybe pointing out constellations, asterisms, planets and named stars with a laser pointer.

[Tan usa1]

FPOA does host private events. Not sure about the fee structure. you can contact the board of directors

(Fremont Peak observatory Association)

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[Jeff Shapiro]

FPOA does sometimes host private (special) events, typically for school, scout, or church groups, although we will consider any request.  We *never* charge a fee for any event, public or private.  The only fee ever charged is the annual dues to become a member or renew membership.

By the way, we also host an annual Star-B-Que (afternoon BBQ followed by nighttime observing) for the Bay Area astonomy community.  This year it will be on October 11.  Everyone on TAC is welcome and encouraged to attend!

Jeff Shapiro

FPOA Board of Directors

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[Mark Wagner]

Many years ago when I was actively involved with the SJAA, I recall a corporate entity requesting the organization provide telescopes for an event being held at the Tech Museum in downtown San Jose.  A private event for their business.  There was IIRC a fee they would pay each individual SJAA participant.  It was to be on the roof of the multi-story building, we'd have to transport equipment through the building to the roof, and the date coincided with full moon.

Zero interest.  But potentially lucrative.

SJAA via their long-time member the late Jim Van Nuland, who ran the school star party program provided many many many hundreds events, free of charge.  As a 501(c)3 the club's purpose was/is as an educational non-profit.  It fulfilled that purpose spectacularly.  No charge.

[Rich Gregor]

I can confirm that the SJAA has recently turned down several private events ("not within the mission of the Association"), but sometimes does offer for members to participate as private individuals

Rich

[Richard Ozer]

Yes and Yes

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