Dear members of the IAU Working Group on Ap & Related Stars,
Those of you who are members of IAU Division G (Stars and Stellar Physics), to which our WG belongs, should have received from the IAU an invitation to participate in the election of its Division Steering Committee (DSC). This DSC will in the next couple of years prepare a proposal on the future structure of the Division, including its constituting Commissions and Working Groups. The Presidents of the 7 Commissions of the Division are de facto members of the DSC; by default, the Working Groups are not represented on the DSC. However, there are 6 members to be elected out of a list of 34 candidates. I am one of them, and at least one other prominent member of the Ap & Related Stars community is also candidate. Among the remaining candidates, some are likely to be more supportive of our scientific interests than others.
This election is very important to ensure that our scientific interests are well represented within the IAU framework. With this note, I would like to encourage all of you who are members of Division G to take part in it, and to cast your vote keeping in mind the important role that the elected members will have to play for the future of the science that you are caring for. I would also encourage you to raise awareness among your colleagues who share your interest in Ap & Related Stars but who may not be on the distribution list of the ApN.
Gautier Mathys
Chairman, IAU WG on Ap & Related Stars