Post by bsimon615 on Aug 25, 2024 11:28:09 GMT -6
The upcoming Deep South Star Gaze for 2024 is rapidly approaching. This fall will be the 42nd edition of our event first held back in 1983 at Percy Quin State Park. The Deep South has been held at 4 different venues over the years and this will be our 7th year at the White Horse Christian Retreat Center.
As most of you know, the dates this year are Tuesday October 29th to Sunday November 3rd. This will be the 6th time over the past 42 years where our dates included Halloween. This was unavoidable due to the fact that we chose our dates based upon selecting dates where the Moon does not interfere with dark sky star gazing. Believe me, I tried to see if other dates would work and they don't as we would have had to push back to a late September start or we would have collided with Thanksgiving and neither of those time frames would be acceptable.
This all brings up another point - my wife and I have a long planned trip to Africa including South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. We leave on October 13th and return home on October 27th. I will have just a 36 hour turnover between getting home and leaving for the Deep South. Due to that you will note that early reduced registration for the Deep South ends with an October 7th post mark. After that the "late" registration fee increases significantly. Why is this? I will not be able to process and log in registrations while in Africa and also not able to communicate head count to Carol at White Horse during that time frame. I can give her a registration idea before we leave for Africa and that is pretty much it. I will also have a lot to do when I get back home on the 27th and I would prefer not to have to process any registrations and checks when I get back home - hence the incentive to register early. Please, please, please do that. Do not wait. My ability to answer questions will be limited at best and maybe non-existent while I am in Africa.
Space in the better bunk house fills fast and it helps to register early.
More details in subsequent posts on the Deep South Star Gaze forum. (see dssg.boards.net) Registration forms attached as both a word.doc and a PDF.
Barry Simon, Director
Deep South Star Gaze
As most of you know, the dates this year are Tuesday October 29th to Sunday November 3rd. This will be the 6th time over the past 42 years where our dates included Halloween. This was unavoidable due to the fact that we chose our dates based upon selecting dates where the Moon does not interfere with dark sky star gazing. Believe me, I tried to see if other dates would work and they don't as we would have had to push back to a late September start or we would have collided with Thanksgiving and neither of those time frames would be acceptable.
This all brings up another point - my wife and I have a long planned trip to Africa including South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. We leave on October 13th and return home on October 27th. I will have just a 36 hour turnover between getting home and leaving for the Deep South. Due to that you will note that early reduced registration for the Deep South ends with an October 7th post mark. After that the "late" registration fee increases significantly. Why is this? I will not be able to process and log in registrations while in Africa and also not able to communicate head count to Carol at White Horse during that time frame. I can give her a registration idea before we leave for Africa and that is pretty much it. I will also have a lot to do when I get back home on the 27th and I would prefer not to have to process any registrations and checks when I get back home - hence the incentive to register early. Please, please, please do that. Do not wait. My ability to answer questions will be limited at best and maybe non-existent while I am in Africa.
Space in the better bunk house fills fast and it helps to register early.
More details in subsequent posts on the Deep South Star Gaze forum. (see dssg.boards.net) Registration forms attached as both a word.doc and a PDF.
Barry Simon, Director
Deep South Star Gaze
