This area of our website is dedicated to our ALCors or Astronomical League Correspondents. These members of each of the local astronomical societies act as a conduit between the local astronomical society and the Astronomical League. Information from the Astronomical League business office is mailed to the ALCor at least twice a year. The ALCor updates the League on the names and addresses of the current membership so they can receive their Reflector newsletters. If you do not get your Reflector, the first person you should contact is your ALCor. The ALCor also advises the League on changes in the officers of the local Astronomical Society.


The most important function of the ALCor is to provide the local astronomical society with information about League activities. These include the observing awards, regional conventions, national conventions, and other League information that he or she receives. This is the best way for the local astronomical society membership to get League information, even though most of it is repeated in the Reflector.

The ALCor also gather the opinions of the local membership and transmits them to the League officers. This is a very important, though often overlooked, function of the ALCor. The direction the League takes is very often based on the opinions of its membership and the availability of volunteers to execute the various League functions. What we hear from the local society members has a great effect on what we do in the future.
We sincerely appreciate the help of the ALCors. It is not easy to keep the lines of communication open, but the ALCors do a great job!


To Our ALCors:

When sending us updates, please include phone numbers and e-mail addresses, if available. We have also been adding members phone numbers and e-mail addresses to our database. Please note that we never give these out for advertising of any kind: we never have and we never will.

We ask for entire replacements of the rosters electronically. We can accept electronic updates via e-mail to our National Office at aloffice@earthlink.net . You may also send us a 3.5" diskette.

Please help us keep your roster updated. Send changes (addresses, name changes, dropped or deceased members, new officers, phone numbers and e-mail addresses) on a regular basis. We also enter phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your regular membership in our database, to facilitate our contacting your membership, especially your officers. When you send phone numbers, please be sure to include area codes. Your assistance is greatly appreciated by both your society members and the Astronomical League. Thank you for volunteering to assist amateur astronomy in this way.

We would also like to emphasize the schedule for the Reflector. To ensure that the Reflector is mailed on time, we must have your updates in the first week of January, April, July, and October. If you miss these dates, your new members will not get their first Reflector for an additional three months, and we are sure you do not want that!

When reporting members, be sure to report only one member for each copy of the Reflector that is to be mailed. This means that if you have a family membership where, for example, one copy of your newsletter is mailed to the entire household, then you should report that household to us as a single member. Associate members, such as spouses or children, should not be reported to us separately, unless they also have separate individual memberships. We also would like to point out that when you pay your dues to the Astronomical League, you must pay dues for your entire society. You cannot offer AL membership as an option to your individual members.

You do not need to pay for new members added once your renewal dues are paid, unless you are reporting a huge number of new members. The Astronomical League Treasurer will bill you for your entire membership only once a year, at the beginning of May.

Thank you for all your hard work. We are sure your members appreciate it, even if they do not always say so. Please contact the Executive Secretary if you need further information.