OFFICERS:

 

PRESIDENT:        DAVE GRAU, 

V. PRESIDENT:     AL TAKATSCH, al_taka2@yahoo.com

SECRETARY:        JOHN REILLY, 

TREASURER:        STAN CRAIG,  no e-mail

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: EARL KNIGHT, 

 

DIRECTORS:

 

JERRY KINCAID (07)      

BRETT LOUIS (07)        no e-mail

DAN SPATH (07)          

GEORGE TRESANSKY (07)   

JACK KENNAN         

GEORGE PAINTER (08)

 

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:

 

Hi Everyone,

 

It’s hard to believe another month has gone by and in that month we have set the stage for some exciting changes in HAM.  One is, thanks to our VP Al Takatsch, an upcoming HAM web site with lots of great information.  We plan to include an online Forum, as well, where members can discuss clock and watch making/repair, and just about any other topic of interest.  In addition, we’ll include a classifieds section for selling, trading, or giving to a good home any of your stuff (watches, clocks, tools, lawn mowers, etc.).

Also, as most of you know, we will continue our business and tech talk meetings on the second Monday evening every other month, but on the off months (starting in February) have a workshop on the second Monday of the month instead of no meeting.  We will continue to have a workshop on the fourth Monday of each month.  There are no meetings in December.

 

Here are the responses from the questions I sent out to current members.  Disappointingly, only four people responded to the survey.  One was from someone out of state who can no longer attend our meetings.

 

1. What do you like about HAM?   What keeps you joining the club?

 

First and foremost it’s the friendships and knowledge that I gain from interacting with the other members.  Over the many years that I have been a member, I have gained a significant amount of knowledge about watch and clock repair.  It’s one thing to read about a technique in a book and then try it on your own.  It’s entirely different and significantly better when you are shown how to accomplish the technique from someone else who has already mastered it.  I particularly enjoy and savor the help and guidance provided by the professional watchmakers who tirelessly attend the meetings and workshop in order to spread their expertise among all others.

 

Learning about horology both watch and clock repair techniques.

Appreciation of teachers who enjoy sharing their knowledge.

Member willingness to change and accept new ideas for the good of the club.

Friendships formed because of HAM.

 

I like having the three bench guys there to work with. Also, we can tap into the experience of others.

 

 

2. What would you like to see HAM start doing (or stop doing), to improve the quality/your enjoyment of the meetings and what HAM has to offer you?

 

There’s nothing in particular that I would like to see HAM stop doing.  If I were still living locally and could attend the meetings and workshops, I would be hopeful that there would be ever increasing technical lectures and hands on workshops.  Tours of horological related interest would also be beneficial.

 

Continue regimented training for watch and clocks as was formed at the last meeting. Without it, I could see my interest declining.  Driving distances for the Hagerstown and Jefferson are quite long to attend meetings. Closer meetings would be nice.

 

There are some things I'd like to learn but I'm not sure can be taught in the HAM workshop environment. One of them is repivoting watch (not clock) wheels. The other is using a wax chuck to turn bezeled jewels down to fit. If this can be done in the HAM environment, then I'm all for it. These can be learned in one of the AWCC workshops but that means travel to Ohio usually and other difficulties.

Seems to me a suggestion was made about a year ago for members to give tips on how they handle certain problems encountered in clock and watch repair.  For example, I could tell people how I put a fusee chain back on a watch.

 

3. What would you be willing to do to make HAM even better?

 

I would like to put together a web page for the club.

 

As a beginner I'm not sure what I could offer other than help set up equipment and stowing it at the end of the session.

 

Thank you to all that responded to the survey.  We can discuss some of the responses at the next business meeting.

 

Hope to see you all at the workshop on Monday, February 12.

 

Regards,

David

 

 

Secretary’s Notes:

 

Ham Meeting January 8, 2007

 

The meeting opened at 8:05 PM at St. John’s church.  In attendance were: Al Takatsch, Bill Miller, George Painter, George Tresansky, Dan Spath, Jerry Kincaid, Don Buck, William McClean, Stan Craig, John Reilly, Dave Grau, Earl Knight, John Kuntz and Brett Louis.

 

The meeting began with the usual introductions, followed by the Treasurer’s report and the Secretary’s report both of which were accepted.

 

Dave opened the meeting by stating that he will get out a survey of the members soon and the list of horological site with links to other sites of interest to watch and clock makers.

 

George Painter will begin writing the ad for the Holological Times which will probably be a letter for the affiliate chapter section of HT rather than an actual ad.  Letters to the affiliate chapter are free versus paying for an ad and probably get seen by as many readers as an ad.  The letter will tell readers something about our chapter and its endeavors in an effort to get AWCI members in Maryland to come to our chapter meetings.  We may ask AWCI for a list of AWCI members that live in Maryland so we can contact them ourselves.  Don Buck said NAWCC is reluctant to give out such information on its members, but he would see what he could do.

 

Stan Craig wants to remind members that their dues of $25.00 are due of the first of the year.  He will send out love letters to stragglers.  The Chapter needs your support; please send in your dues early.  He noted that we have approximately 35 members of which only about 15 attend regularly.

 

The motion to change the HAM Constitution Section 4 Article 3 to read 7 members are necessary to constitute a quorum to conduct business rather than 11 passed unanomously.

 

Considerable discussion was devoted to the meetings, workshops and the structure of same.  It was decided that if we can arrange it with St. John’s Church or with someone else that we will have regular meetings every other month and workshops every 4^th Monday of every month as now, plus we would add a workshop on the 2^nd Monday of each month that we don’t have a meeting.  So the schedule would look like this: January: meeting on the 2nd Monday and workshop on the 4^th Monday; February: workshops on both the 2nd and 4^th Mondays; March: meeting 2^nd Monday, workshop 4^th Monday; April workshops 2^nd and 4^th Monday etc.  In December we will have only the Board of Directors meeting and no regular meeting or workshop - just as it is now.

 

For our workshop theme, we will use the Bulova School of Watchmaking book as our guide.  We will have a talk after the regular meetings from one of the chapters of the book and follow this up with a hands-on workshop that manualizes the verboseness of the lecture.  What? 

 

We will still be able to do other work of interest to individuals and John Kuntz and George Tresansky have volunteered to direct work and answer questions on clocks. 

 

Since we will have more workshops, we decided that some workshops would be ideal opportunities to bring in speakers.  A committee consisting of Bob Rothen, Dave Grau, Don Buck and Jerry Kincaid was formed to look into acquiring speakers.

 

Several alternate locations for meeting sites were discussed, including; Columbia Community College, a local retirement community, the National Guard Armory, hotels in the area and possibly classrooms at St. John’s church.

 

Jerry Kincaid said the national AWCI meeting with Maryland as host would be in 2010.  Our full commitment to this project will be taken up at a future meeting.  At least it is four years (3.5 years now) out rather than three as stated in the December newsletter.

 

William McLean reminded members that the drawing for his rare gold Dudley Masonic pocket watch will take place in March and that raffle tickets are still available at $10 apiece or 3 for $25.00. Send checks to R.W. Barnes Masonic Temple Assoc., Inc. P.O. Box 793 Funkstown, MD 21734-0793

 

Earl Knight won the drawing (the outcome is under review since he handles the tickets) and the meeting was closed at approximately 9:20 PM.

 

After the meeting Stan Craig gave a lecture using overheads from Unit 9 of the Bulova book as a guide.  This unit is an introduction to the names of watch parts and instructions on disassembly. New members interested in watch repair were urged to read Unit 9 and learn the names of the parts.

 

We had the workshop on January 22.  Stan brought several Swiss pocket watches that the club bought at a discount.  About 6 members went through the break down and reassembly procedures with Stan directing the process.  All of the members were able to get the watches up and running by the end of the workshop.  Stan will keep these watches and bring them to future workshops as we work our way through the Bulova training manual in keeping with our theme for this year.  At the next workshop we will take the watches apart again and learn correct oiling techniques. If you have a Swiss style pocket watch that you would like to oil, bring it and work along with the others.

 

George Painter brought drafts of the ad for NAWCC and the letter for AWCI to the workshop for all to review.  They were approved with some changes so this can now go forward.  I’m sure George will update us as to their status at the next meeting.

 

Vice president, Al Takatsch, is working on the design of a new HAM website.  You can contact him with suggestions at al_taka@yahoo.com.  You can monitor its progress by going to https://horological.tripod.com/

 

John Kuntz has a few items for sale: A K&D bushing tool with a full set of cutters and anvils.  Originally $375.00, selling now for $187.00 and a KWM pivot gauge, originally $125 now $63.00. You can e-mail him at jlkuntz@aol.com or call 301-490-0244 or just wait until you see him at the meeting.

 

See you at the next workshop on February 12.  Regards, John Reilly