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Archive: Cape Astronomical Association

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History of the Cape Astronomical Association.
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The Cape Astronomical Association (C.A.A.) is the oldest Astronomical Society in Southern Africa. The founding meeting was held on the 8th November 1912. This society existed for approximately ten years. The Johannesburg Astronomical Association was founded in 1918. On 23rd August 1922 the two societies amalgamated to form the Astronomical Society of South Africa (A.S.S.A.). The two parent associations respectively became the Cape Centre and the Johannesburg Centre of A.S.S.A.

 
Meetings:The Minutes of the Annual General Meetings were published as “Circulars”. They are listed under Publications.
Constitution:The printed version of the published original Constitution is missing. There is a handwritten draft Constitution available written by Skjellerup.
Amendments to the Constitution of the C.A.A. was published in Circular no. 8, pp 10 – 16:  caa_circular_8
Publications:The C.A.A. published a series of documents named “Circulars”. Some of them are based on lectures presented to the Society. Some of the Circulars are the proceedings of the Annual General Meetings.

Circular no 1:
“An Evening in a Private Observatory”: Rev Andrew Graham; 10 April 1918;  caa_circular_1

Circular no 2:
“Report of Annual Meeting”: 12 June 1918;  caa_circular_2

Circular no 3:
“Saturn”: A.W. Long; 14 August 1918;  caa_circular_3

Circular no 4:
“Report of Annual Meeting”: 11 June 1919;  caa_circular_4

Circular no 5:
“The Equatorial Sundial erected at the Castle, Cape Town” by  J Lunt;  caa_circular_5

Circular no 6:
“Report of Annual Meeting”: 9 June 1920;  caa_circular_6

Circular no 7:
“Seventeenth Century Astronomy at the Cape”: T Mackenzie; 14 April 1920;  caa_circular_7

Circular no 8:
“Report of Annual Meeting”: 8 June 1921;  caa_circular_8
Correspondence:
Housed at the Archive of the S.A.A.O. is a book containing the correspondence of the C.A.A. as well as A.S.S.A. Following below are the correspondence for C.A.A. The rest of the correspondence can be found at the A.S.S.A. main page.
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Source: S.A.A.O. Archive; Royal Observatory Cape of Good Hope; S – Societies; 1907 – 1928. Image
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List of documents:
Date of letter in brackets.
Letter = L>

C.A.A.

001:           L> P Gordon Mills (Secretary Prelim Committee) – inviting SS Hough to be Hon. President of the Society. (1912/10/28)
002:           L> Hough to P Gordon Mills – accepting Presidency (1912/10/30)
003:           L> Mills to Hough – informing him of date of meeting – 8th Nov 1912. (1912/10/30)
004:           L> Skjellerup to Hough – confirming his election (1912/11/23)
005:           Rules of Cape Astronomical Association (attached to 004)
006:           L> Hough to Skjellerup – reply to 004, express gratitude (1912/11/26)
007:           L> Halm to Skjellerup – list of predicted occultations (no list attached) (1912/12/2)
008:           Lantern slides (no info)
009:           L> Halm to Long – unknown dispute in Society (1919/11/27)
010:           1st page ASSA constitution (date stamp 1921/7/6)
011:           L> A. Pilling (?) to Long – comments on constitution (1922/1/21)
012:           Notice of Special Meeting 12 July 1922 – vote on proposal to amalgamate with Johannesburg Astronomical Association and form ASSA.
013:            1st page ASSA constitution & Bye Laws (date stamp 1922/8/4)
014:             L> Schonegevel to Hough – inviting Hough to be Active President of ASSA. (1922/7/19)