Meeting Minutes February 8, 2016

Meeting called to order at 7:20pm on February 8, 2016
Old Business:

• Membership Report
• 14+ members have paid
• Treasurer Report
• $2,789.00 is currently in the bank account
• Past Events
• TARC Launch on January 30, 2016
• The Facebook page was highlighted
• Multiple people contributed photos to the site
• Encouraged people to share what they are doing with rockets on the site
• Snowy and muddy but very successful launch
• NAR Safety Grant
• Mark wrote the safety grant and submitted it to NAR
• NAR accepted the proposed safety grant
• Four safety cones
• Pole pruner to get rockets out of trees
• Couple safety vests
• Club first aid kit for launches
• Club Non-Profit Discussion
• Aaron has recommended we work with the Community Foundation
• Use them as a mechanism to obtain 501.3c non-profit status
• Community Foundation would provide this means and would do the paperwork aspects of the 501.3c record keeping

New Business:

• S4 Grant
• Todd presented the Sense Hat and Raspberry Pi combination to the group as the S4 version 2
• Last summer WVU, ERC, and WV Rocketry successfully sponsored the S4 Camp
• Motion was proposed for the club to spend up to $2,000 on the S4 Summer Camp Project
• Ed seconded the motion
• Discussion:
• There are ideas for an intern to take care of the logistics
• The Raspberry Pi system is less expense than the arduino-based system
• Additional agreement that it is good project
• Want to have 10 teams as part of the camp
• Middle school groups
• High school groups
• A motion was approved by all members present to spend up to $2,000 for the S4 summer camp
• Summer TARC Camp
• Jamie proposed hosting a Summer TARC camp
• Advantage is students do not have miss a day of school
• Supports our objectives for student outreach
• Needs:
• Funding
• Supplies
• Engines
• Barbie proposed the TARC Summer Camp
• Discussion:
• Discussed when to host the camp
• Tentative date: July 25-29, 2016
• SarahEllen motioned to have a TARC Summer Camp on July 25-29 pending funding and supplies
• Jamie seconded the motion
• The motion was approved by all present
• Future Events
• Next TARC Launch is February 13
• Attempt to launch from Mylan
• Will attempt to be HPR but focus is on TARC
• Animal farm is a very good backup site
• Following Launch is February 27
• New Launch Sites
• Holtzers are still looking into the Laurel Fields Soccer Complex (potential for HPR)
• Tennant Farm is generally available pending weather
• Preston County High School in Kingwood (plenty of space for TARC)
• WVU Farm in Reedsville (potential for HPR)
• North Marion High School
• Club Competitions
• Adult TARC Competition
• Cluster Engine Competition
• Staged Engine Competition
• Toilet Paper Competition
• Pink Launch (October – Brest Cancer Awareness Fundraiser)

Meeting adjourned at 8:30pm. Next two launches are February 13 and February 27. Next meeting is March 14.

Download the meeting minutes in PDF format here.

Meeting Minutes - November 16, 2015

Meeting called to order at 7:20pm on November 16, 2015
Old Business:

• Rocket Launch
• Last rocket launch was not well attended
• Received permission extremely late
• Meeting schedule are locked in through April
• Treasurer’s Report
• No change since last month

New Business:

• NAR has suffered its first rocket fatality
• The rocket’s recovery system did not deploy
• The spectator was watching for the rocket and was hit in the head
• 2016 S4 Summer Camp
• Intend to expand the camp to 10 teams
• Focus on two groups: High School and Middle School
• May alter the camp to utilize the Raspberry Pi and Astro Pi due to changes in the S4
• WVU Experimental Rocketry Association wants to partner with the camp to launch the payloads on their rocket
• Want to increase diversity and statewide participation
• Fundraising
• Launch-a-thon – given the same engine, how high your rocket goes (similar to a walk-a-thon)
• Look at either partnering with an existing 501.3c or becoming our own
• Sponsor a 5k Race
• Discuss with local restaurant owners about a donation night
• Raffle off a rocket and other perks
• Soccer Complex
• They are interested
• Would want an insurance rider
• Complex does not plow their road in the winter, gate is locked but would provide us a key, no restrooms
• Available during Winter
• Launch coordinators
• Mylan Park, Ag. Farm, Soccer Complex, and Tennant Farm
• Pill’s and Holtzer’s volunteered to help secure launch sites
• Member’s Report
• Dues are due. Time to pay up.

Meeting adjourned at 8:20pm. Next launch is November 28 from noon-3pm at the Tennant Farm. Next meeting is December 14 at 7pm at the Evansdale Blackbear.

Download the meeting minutes in PDF.

Meeting Minutes - January 11, 2016

Meeting called to order at 7:25pm on January 11, 2016

Old Business:

• Membership Report
• Dues are due. Send Barbie your dues.
• Currently the club has approximately 50 members.
• Facebook page
• Facebook page has been created
• http://www.facebook.com/wvrocketry
• Officers and other members will be administrators in order to post and share pictures and articles.
• The Facebook page will allow the club to have one platform for all images.
• The website will link to the Facebook page for image shares.
• There was a suggestion to post and share upcoming launches and essentially use Facebook to advertise to local groups and act as a RSVP location
• TARC Outreach
• We need to make an effort to go to the kids instead of requiring them to come to us
• Weston with the 4H Camp
• WV State University Agriculture Department
• Charleston/Hurricane
• “Mini-grants” program to help teams with parts and other expenses
• Financial problems do hinder many teams
• Major expenses are engines and travel (if qualified)
• Training Courses
• Many teachers and other support people are intimidated by rocketry
• Training 
• Rocketry Summer Camp
• Currently in work
• Budget
• Without the current donation, the group would be broke
• Fundraisers (Tip cup), Donors Choose, Your Community Foundation, Fairmont

New Business:

• Safety Grant
• Needs: Sanctions, tables to put safety equipment on, anemometer/weather station, safety vests, first aid kit, pole-mounted pruner (45ft)
• Mark volunteered to write the grant
• Your Community Foundation and Fairmont State
• A motion was passed to allow Aaron to go talk to Your Community Foundation
• A motion was passed to allow Todd to talk to Fairmont State
• Mylan Launch Site
• Mylan has approved us launching at their facility until March
• In March the launch site will go under construction for the new aquatics center
• Alternate Launch Sites
• Soccer Complex Launch Site
• There is a need to follow-up with the complex about winter launches
• Potentially a HPR launch site
• WVU Agriculture Farm
• This is a great launch site for low-power
• There is a need for a warm-weather HPR site
• Gabe/Kemp presented their TARC rocket
• Their rocket has many 3D printed parts
• Potential outreach and rocket field-trip to the Greenbank radio observatory
• There are members within the club that have connections to low-cost housing
• If a date is selected at the beginning of the month, then there is the possibility to launch LP at Greenbank and HP at the Vex rocket club (approximately 30 minutes away)

Meeting adjourned at 8:40pm.

Download the meeting minutes in PDF.

Meeting Minutes - October 12, 2015

Meeting called to order at 7:20pm on October 12, 2015
Old Business:

• ERC discussed the October Sky workshop
• WV Sounding Rocket Team came and helped out, described their M powered project
• Many new groups came in this year
• No rockets were lost!
• Each team launched at least twice (even in winds at 9+ mph)
• The new LP rocket box was utilized all weekend and worked flawlessly
• Four teams were at the event (3 additional teams are scheduled to come at later dates)
• Student feedback:
• “It was a good experience”
• Students went back and talked with their science teachers
• The first part of the camp was a good start for beginners
• Maker Faire
• Was a good place to talk with RCBI and others about what you could do bring to industry
• We had a good solution to our problems but it was not necessarily what they were looking for
• All had a good time
• TARC Webinar
• The ERC hosted and it is now published on the TARC website
• Outreach meeting
• Not very well attended

New Business:

• Treasurer’s Report
• Current balance: $2,789
• Motion was taken to spend to spend up to $1,000 to support as many teams as possible (currently 2 teams, at least one more will likely be spent)
• The team has sponsored two TARC teams and will likely sponsor at least one additional team
• All the monies set aside for the October Sky camp were not needed, the leftover money is going towards the team sponsorship
• Outreach meeting reformat
• Meet at 6pm at Blackbear and hold the outreach meeting from 6-7pm as needed
• Announcements for outreach sessions for approximately one week before
• Normal business meeting from 7-8pm
• Meetings would be every second Monday
• Vote was taken. Motion passed.
• Future launches
• Mylan site is still the approved HPR site
• WVU Agriculture Farm is a good alternate site – may be a better winter site than Mylan
• Tennant Farm is also available for winter launches
• Rocket in a tree retriever (“The Sticky Thingie”)
• Motion was made and seconded to spend around $100 for a retriever
• Motion was passed to purchase.
• TARC/Club Winter Launch Dates
• October 31: Ed is RSO. Theme is Pumpkin Palooza
• November 28: Chris T. is RSO. Launch is at the Tennant Farm
• December 19: Jamie F. is RSO. Launch is at Mylan unless otherwise noticed
• January 30: Holtzer are RSOs.
• February 13: Ricky B. and SarahEllen D. are RSOs.
• February 27: Mark S. is RSO.
• March 19: Jamie F. is RSO.
• April 2: Holtzer’s and Pill’s are RSOs.
• April 3: Tennant is RSO. Launch is at the Tennant Farm.
• HPR Launch Waver
• Wanting to get the Mylan site on the waver (reapply)
• Will look into adding an additional launch site
• Soccer Complex outside of town
• Tennant Farm
• Memberships are Due to Barbie P. starting now 
• $5 for students
• $15 for teachers
• $25 for adult members
• Social Media Outreach
• Motion was made to start a Facebook page for outreach and post pictures and videos
• Mark S. volunteered to create and administer the page
• Motion was passed

Meeting adjourned at 8:45pm. Next meeting is November 9 at 7pm at Blackbear in Evansdale.

Download meeting minutes in PDF format.