The Time for the New WG Chairman and Organizing Committee

The mandate of the WG Organizing Committee elected in 2000 came to an end with the 25th General Assembly in Sydney this June. Three of its members - namely Dietrich Baade, Atsuo Okazaki, and Jon Bjorkman = left the committee. I would like to thank them very much for their active work. However, this does not mean an end of their activities in the Be star community. They are all involved in the SOC of the next B/Be star meeting to be held in 2005.

Juan Fabregat, Douglas R. Gies, and Huib Henrichs became the new members of the Committee. According to the IAU rules, they were elected already this April and took over their posts after the General Assembly.

It follows that the new chairman could be elected only by the voting members of the new Committee at the beginning of September. I am pleased to inform you that Stan Owocki has been elected the new WG chairman for the period 2003-2006. I am sure that we all can be happy with this result and that Stan guarantees a successful future of our WG. He combines excellent knowledge in the field with experience and quiet wisdom of the senior scientist. I would like to congratulate Stan on the chairman position and wish him as well as the whole new Organizing Committee very successful and fruitful three-year term heading our Working Group.

Stanislav Stefl
WG ex-chairman