September 24, 2008

To:  Members and Prospective Members of the Madison Association of Watch and Clock 
Collectors

We had 23 attendees at the June 4 meeting.  The program was a presentation on the 
making of coil springs.  Jerry Kieffer explained how he has been able to make small 
springs from piano and similar-sized wires.  He used a mandrel on a lathe.  He also 
described his process for softening the metal prior to making the spring. We thank Jerry 
for his excellent description of the process. 

We had to cancel our August picnic due to lack of a host site.

Our October meeting will be Wednesday October 1 at 7 pm at the Fitchburg Community 
Center.  Our program will be a presentation by Carl Zimm on some ideas on how to 
recognize a reproduction clock by looking at the case or movement.  Members are invited 
to bring a clock that fooled them, either a clock they thought was an original, but turned 
out to be a reproduction. or thought was a fake, but turned out to be a real.  Carl will 
bring an example of each.

Other new business to be discussed will include a discussion of the National’s proposal to 
standardize Chapter Charters.  This was a hot topic for discussion at the National and 
Regionals.  The proposed updated charter is on the NAWCC website at: 
http://www.nawcc.org/headquarters/members/Chapter_Charter_Proposal.pdf.  
There have also been articles in the Bulletin and Mart.

There have also been recommendations that all chapters have liability insurance.  
President Baker will be checking into prices.  

Mike Dempsey has offered to come to Madison and discuss his skeleton clock project.  
Several Chapter 47 members have made skeleton clocks and gave a presentation at 
Chapter 47 earlier this month.  Information is to be available on the NAWCC website 
soon.  We should consider whether there is interest among the members to have him 
come and make a presentation.

We should appoint a nominating committee for elections in December.  As suggested at 
the last meeting, members should be thinking about volunteering to be an officer.

Old business to be discussed is the idea of setting up a timekeeping display at the new 
DeForest Library.

At the June meeting we discussed upcoming events, including the National, the chapter 
picnic, and the Midwest Regional.  There will be a Joint Mart at Antioch IL on Sunday, 
October 12.

The treasurer reported that we had $793.17 in the treasury.

The Midwest Regional was discussed.  David Grace is involved in the exhibit, which this 
year will focus on bracket clocks.  There will be a lecture on bracket clocks as well.  Jerry 
Kieffer will be giving a presentation as well.

The possibility of the Chapter setting up a display at the DeForest Library was also 
discussed.  We agreed to consider the possibility at a future meeting.

Leroy Baker announced the Midwest regional had three watch display cases for sale, with 
an opening price of $50 each.  Contract Leroy if interested.

We had had a number of items on display.  They included an Ingraham Oriental with a 
tiger maple case.  The Oriental model is somewhat unusual, but especially rare when done 
in tiger maple. 

Other items on display included:

*	Ingraham Angora Cabinet Clock (part of the series that includes Tontine, 
        Warwick, Bazar, Carmen, Divan and Episode)
*	A 1939 Hobbies magazine that included an article on clock collecting.  The article 
        described various pillar and scroll clocks.  


Sincerely,
Dale Beske
Chapter 171 Secretary
http://www.geocities.com/nawcc171/