The general meeting is a "sit-down" type of meeting. We may have a speaker from NASA, various space industries, nearby schools, etc., on a topic of astronomical interest. Or one of the members may speak on a club or individual project. The general meeting is sometimes pre-empted by a special activity.
The Annual Auction is a fund-raiser at which astronomy-related things are sold to the highest bidder. Everybody may bring material to be sold, or items may be donated for sale. Though called the Bay-Area Auction, it consists of a swap meet during the afternoon, and an auction after that. SJAA asks a 10% commission on all sales.
Astronomy Day includes a demonstration at which the public is encouraged to learn about the existence of Astronomy clubs and our activities. These may be held in a large shopping center to maximize the exposure.
During the summer there is a picnic held at Fremont Peak, in association with the Fremont Peak Observatory Association and other Bay Area Astronomy groups.
One or two meetings a year are designated "Slide and Equipment Night". "Slide" features slides and other photos, purchased or taken by the members, which are shown for all to enjoy. These always include comparisons of various films, techniques, and results obtained with various telescopes. Included, too, are photographic reports of conferences, etc.
"Equipment" features the various telescopes that have been built by the members or purchased from commercial builders. Each instrument is briefly described by its owner, pointing out the particular design features or modifications that have been made to enhance its usefulness.
Also displayed are accessories such as eyepieces, cameras, charts, books, and the myriad gadgets and attachments built by this very talented group of people.
The February meeting is designated the "Annual Meeting", at which the Board of Directors is elected by the membership. The Board is made up of nine persons, four elected in even-numbered years, and five in odd years, to two-year terms.
The Board meets monthly, and at the meeting following the election, the officers are elected from among the Board, to serve one-year terms.
Star Parties are generally held on the Saturday nearest the new moon, or sometimes on both weekends surrounding the new moon. SJAA utilizes several sites around the area. Please note that these are for the most part "no host" events; there will usually be no organized events or officials waiting around to check you in. Just show up, with or without your own telescope, and have fun. If you want to talk to someone to get advice, learn more about SJAA or just chat then just walk up to the nearest scope and say "Hi". If the person you happened to pick is really seriously busy (very rare :-) he'll hand you off to the next guy.
Another type of Public Star Party is held for a particular group, such as a grade-school advanced-opportunity program, or for a college astronomy class. These may be in town at the school or at a city park. The bright objects are shown and explained to the attendees, and, of course, there are lots of questions about telescopes and astronomy.
Please don't think you need to be an expert - this is a good opportunity for beginning astronomers, too.