The 2009 annual general meeting (AGM) was held on 14th of February at Wordsmith's Cafe at the University of Queensland at St Lucia.
The venue offered a good setting and fine food for the Association's annual lunch and meeting. A feature of the AAQ's AGMs is concise business, which was followed by

• the election of the new management committee for 2009, the Council
• an unexpected special ceremony
  
• the awarding of the Kitty Kent Award
  
• and a stirring speech by the newly elected President.

Three members of Council retired as required by the Constitution's rule on maximum concurrent years of service, and the current President Peter Anderson did not stand again for Council. The makeup of the new Council is here.

The 2008 President Peter Anderson conducts the business of the 2009 AGM

A former president, founding member and esteemed fellow of the Association Arthur Page attended and donated a signed copy of his book - Between Victor and Vanquished - which was about his war time experiences.

Arthur Page presents the 2008 President Peter Anderson with a signed copy of Between Victor and Vanquished

The retiring Council and Visual Observing Director Graeme Jenkinson received the Association's Kitty Kent Award for outstanding service to the AAQ in 2008.

Gobsmacked Graeme received the 2008 Kitty Kent Award for outstanding service to the AAQ

John Salini concluded the official part of the day with a stirring speech about how individual members continue to make the Association strong and vital through their contributions. The Association welcomes anyone interested in astronomy. That interest could simply be learning more about astronomy from their armchair, or achieving the heights of providing input to notable amateur research programs. He encouraged all to make a contribution, no matter how small.

Peter Anderson hands over the President's Red Torch to the incoming President John Salini