Our 2012 NCGR-SAA Calendar

 

 

 

Our 2012 NCGR-SAA Calendar

Guests, Member Shares, Chart Interpretation–and Other Surprises!

Your Leadership Team (LT) has been busy since early autumn brainstorming and formulating our  2012 calendar. Coming into Year 2 of our resurrection, we felt a need to add the spice of variety to our programming. In part, this will help us determine the right mix of programs to continue into the future.

Another major consideration: The LT has put enormous energy into getting the new NCGR-SAA off the ground. Quite frankly, we’re exhausted and need to coast a little. Half our offerings last year were special guests, and while we think that’s a good mix, the scheduling happened to work out that most guest speakers joined us the second half of the year. Guest appearances take a lot more work in arrangements and promotion. The first three months of 2011 were spent getting NCGR-SAA reorganized and submitting the paperwork to recharter. We had no breathers. For the LT, it was like running a marathon. Knowing you wouldn’t want us to burn out on this important job, we’ve decided to pace ourselves in 2012. Here are the reasons behind some of the changes you’ll see on the schedule. Please download a copy on the link in the first paragraph of this item. Keep it on your fridge, in your planner–or wherever your special place for ongoing notice is located!

Meeting Dues Structure.  The dues at the door are a small contribution to the resources it takes to hold regular meetings, items such as snacks, postage, and various internet services needed to keep you and the public informed about what we do. To encourage membership in NCGR, we have restructured the dues to $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. If you’re a non-member, please consider joining NCGR (see item below) to get our discounts. We receive $18 per person each year for NCGR members. Because members are already contributing toward our operating expenses, they are offered these discounts.

Special Guest Pre-Registration Discounts. We’ll continue to offer pre-paid, pre-registration discounts in 2011. However, we are making a significant change in the deadline. The purpose of pre-registration and pre-payment are to thank you for helping us plan. Extremes of turnout, whether large or small, impact our arrangements. We have been allowing you to pre-register as late as the day before the event. Registrations that come in that late do not allow us to make planning adjustments. Therefore, the new policy for 2012 is pre-registration by one week prior to the event.

Change to 4th Sunday.  Most of our meetings in 2012 will be held on the 4th rather than our currently customary 3rd Sunday. Exceptions are May, November and December when we revert to the 3rd because the 4th Sunday falls on holiday weekends.

This change has been made for better accommodation of speakers who speak at San Francisco Astrological Society (SFAS) on the 4th Thursday. An out-of-town guest speaker can then present in SF and Sacramento on the same weekend. This expands our access to excellent speakers.

Chart Interpretation Meetings. Mastery of chart reading skills is where the rubber hits the road, transferring theory to practice in astrology. The LT felt the addition of this type of meeting in 2012 will serve many purposes:

• Sharpen our skills on what’s important in a chart reading
• Increase our chart synthesis skills
• Increase confidence in our interpretations
• Enjoy the support of others at all ends of the learning spectrum on chart reading in an environment of non-judgment and encouragement
• Get live practice or be the live recipient of pooled astrological knowledge

Here’s how it works: Each month, we’ll read two charts–a mundane chart and a personal one. Examples of mundane are any event or personality in the news, charts of cities or countries, etc. Personal chart readings will be limited to people on the NCGR-SAA mailing list. We will limit it to one reading a year per person unless there are unused slots. E-mail Joyce if you would like to propose a mundane topic or have your chart read in the group during any of these meetings in 2012: Feb. 26, May 20, June 24, Oct. 28, Nov. 18, and Dec. 16. Please indicate if you have a date preference. Get your names in early to participate!

Other notes: If there are no mundane suggestions in a given month, we may do two personal chart interpretations. We may also substitute a special guest for one or more of these Chart Interpretation meetings, if the opportunity presents itself.

Got a Guest in Mind? Next year’s guests booked to date are Don Cerow from Santa Cruz on The Age of Aquarius and two San Diego astrologers: April Elliott Kent, speaking on Shadowlands: Eclipse Cycles and the Birth Chart and Deborah Smith Parker, presenting on Pluto and the Chart of the USA. If you would like to recommend other speakers, please contact Joyce Mason or Linda Byrd.

Other Surprises. NCGR-SAA skipped right through its toddler stage. We’re growing up! To fit our next stage of evolution, we have some other positive changes in the offing that we will be ready to announce by December. Don’t miss the holiday season meeting or newsletter for more details.