Sunday, November 23, 2008

November 23, 2008 Minutes

November 2008 Minutes

Turnout was low for the November meeting, absentees we heard from were plagued by everything from flu to uncooperative automobiles. Members who showed up got a good look at Roger Moore's "Jolly Roger" biplane and the new paint job on Curt Smith's Cozy. Jim Hann was on hand with his father. Karsten treated us to hamburgers from Kilroy's, and after eating was kept busy answering questions about his 701 fuselage.

The meeting opened with the Pledge, Karsten Kessler presiding.

New business. Steve Morse proposed that the chapter purchase a video camera asked so we can record speakers and events. Motion was made and seconded to spend $300 on a camera. The motion passed with no votes against.

Next on the list is the proposed change of the meeting date. Currently the most popular option is the third Saturday of the month at 9:00 am. Because the meeting time is noted in the by-laws this will require two votes. Since this is a change with broad impact we discussed the importance of notifying the entire membership. While not everybody is in the Yahoo group Karsten noted that newsletter reaches everyone. Therefore we plan to include a ballot in the next newsletter. The ballot should offer alternates, the Yahoo poll suggests that the most popular options are Saturday mid-morning, followed by Saturday early morning, followed by leaving the time as is. A ballot may be mailed or delivered by hand, the deadline is the January 2009 meeting, which will be held at the regular time.

Karsten delivered the treasures report, reporting saving and checking balances. Next we talked about sponsoring kids to attend the Oshkosh air academy. First we'll need to identify some candidates, Scout Aviation Explorer post sponsored by Missouri Pilots Association might have some, as may local model airplane clubs. A list of scouts working on the aviation merit badge is yet another possibility. George reminded Young Eagles pilots that for every YE you fly you get a point that can be applied to a scholarship to send kids to Oshkosh. In the past we've given points to Alton and have never used them ourselves. Ron says this scholarship amounts to about $100. Karsten says the total cost is about $600 depending on age. We briefly discussed transportation to the academy, though we may leave that up to the parents. Gale guesses that getting them there less an issue than picking the kid. To select a candidate we will need some sort of application and require an essay, likely something similar to a scholarship application.

Ron Burnett has extra for Dierberg's and Shop & Save coupons, and reminded us about the Schnuck cards.

We are planning for around 60 at the Christmas party, the cost will be $15 per person. Gary will be handling attendance.

Motion was made to adjourn, then seconded. Afterwards I gave a brief presentation on my new airplane project, the Double Eagle.

Dave Deweese, Secretary

Sunday, October 26, 2008

October 26, 2008 Minutes

The October 2008 meeting began with the pledge, Karsten Kessler presiding.
No visitor recognition this time, there were too many in attendance for the anniversary event.
Gary Kasten passed out envelopes containing the new six digit door lock codes to members in attendance. He notes that, when you enter your code, you should make sure you hear a beep with each number. The current code will work for another week or so. Be aware that the door locks automatically but you need to confirm that it has closed completely. The gas tank for our heater is refilled to the tune of approximately one thousand dollars.

Ron Burnett announced that he had a few food coupons available.

Karsten has new resolve for the water issue, having cleaned the toilet bowls. He also reminded us of the Christmas party and suggests sending formal invitations.

Steve Morse suggested that, following the rushed manner in which the office was moved up to the mezzanine, we should spend some time in November doing a good, organized job of moving everything back into place, maybe after the meeting in November.

November will also be a good chance to get the ARC decorated for Christmas, we’ll need volunteers for both.

For new business the idea of moving the regular meeting date was suggested, perhaps to the second Sunday of the month. In the interest of keeping the meeting short to make way for our speakers the motion was made and seconded to vote on this in November, the motion passed.

Next motion was to close the meeting, this passed and we went on to eat lunch prepared by Laurie of Kilroys. Special thanks to Dave McGougan for organizing this event, and to our speakers:
Bob Spooner, the first president of EAA32.
Gary Liming, our chapter historian.
Don Doherty, who spoke about his dad and an airplane he built, the SkyCoupe, the frame of which was on display for the meeting.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

September 28, 2008 Minutes

Attendance was limited for the September meeting, likely due, in part, to members taking advantage of what could be the last summer-like Sunday for many months. Several planes were present on the ramp including Dave McGougan's Ridge Runner, sporting a new cowling, Paul Smith's Decathalon, Fred Immen's Cherokee 140 waiting out the ramp construction, and Willie's not-quite-wingless wonder, if you count the vertical stabilizor as a wing. David grilled pork steaks, of which yours truly helped himself to two.

Meeting began at 2:00 pm with the Pledge, secretary Dave Deweese presiding and taking notes. President Karsten Kessler had a business obligation and was due at an out-of-town destination at 7:00 a.m., though he sent a report Saturday from the ARC reporting fine weather for mowing. Vice President Steve Morse was at Rough River Start Park attending the Annual Canard Gathering.

No guests or new members were on hand to be recognized during the official meeting, but we got to honor a new pilot: Bill Doherty, who just soloed. Prior to the meeting we had a rather important visitor, none other than Bob Spooner, first president of the original Chapter 32. With Bud Cole on hand we had two original members.

Steve Morse's fiberglass workshop is coming up October 11. Please note that all are welcome, members and non-members alike, though 9/28 was the deadline for signing up to build a part. Further details are in the newsletter.

Demoliton has taken place on the ramp at KSET, starting around two weeks prior to the September meeting. If the estimated construction time of six weeks holds true completion should take place in late October.

We discussed the need for volunteers to maintain the ARC. Jobs include exterior painting and scheduled mowing. Gale Derosier suggested designating one weekend a month for such projects.

The Christmas Party will be here before we know it and volunteers are needed for this as well. The speaker has been arranged and Lori will take care of food. People are needed for decorating and Karsten suggested sending out invitations to the membership.

Dave McGougan addressed the group regarding our 50th anniversary event, to coincide with the October 26 meeting. There was brief debate on the actual year the chapter was established: Gale thought it might have been as early as 1955 or '56, in which case EAA32 is a hair over 50. Dave invited Bob Spooner to attend, perhaps he'll recall the precise date. We'd like to have a static display of chapter projects, so if you have plane, completed or not, plan to bring it in. In addition to airplane projects please dig out any old photos you may have. We are planning to order food for the event and spouses, family, significant others, and friends are welcome. Please contact Dave McGougan with suggestions or questions.

On the topic of photographs we briefly discussed pictures taken at chapter events. Because we exist in an increasingly litigious society it is safest to limit pictures to aircraft and adults: keep in mind that photographs published on our website may be copied and show up elsewhere. While on this subject a reminder that all materials included in and donated to our library should be G-Rated.

Gary Kasten gave the Treasurer's report, detailing our checking and savings balances. Gary will also take over administration of the front door combination lock. If you have a particular six-digit code you'd like to use please contact Gary, otherwise you'll receive a randomly generated combination. The current code will stay in place until Gary is able to instruct the membership in use of the new lock. Bill Jagust has found the east door unlocked on several occasions so Gary will have the locks configured to automatically lock as soon as the door closes. Since it's only a short stroll back around to the front to let yourself back in this is a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Leo Lang plans a trip to Sam's for supplies and asked for requests if anybody knew of additional needs.

Bud Cole still has a large back-lit drafting table, a blueprint copier/printer, and some rolls of fiberglass available to anyone who wants to go and pick them up. He advises that the first two items are heavy: moving will require a pickup truck and at least two strong backs.

Paul Smith announced that he is selling his fifth share in the Decathalon. If anyone's interested they should contact him at 636-225-4361.

Meeting adjourned and we got to work bringing the library down from the mezzanine. Books, magazines, pictures, bookshelves, etcetera are now back downstairs. Thanks to all who helped, especially those who muscled heavy items down the ladder.

Dave McGougan is nearly ready to fly the Ridge Runner, and just prior to the end of the meeting he invited an open inspection of his plane and asked for any suggestions. After the library move several took up the challenge.

Secretary, Dave Deweese

Monday, August 18, 2008

August 17, 2008 Minutes

The meeting began at approximately 2:00 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance, Vice President Steve Morse presiding. Our thanks to Doug Killebrew for some expertly grilled pork steaks, and to all of those who brought side dishes.

In old business, Rich Emery voiced a need for some kind of maintenance committee to organize regular work sessions for the upkeep of our building. There were a lot of people involved while the ARC was being built, but they are scarce now, and besides grounds upkeep, things need to be done. The bathrooms are dirty and there is general cleanliness issues that must be addressed. There will be more on this subject at later meetings.

Thanks go to the Dohertys for installing the new door lock. Contact a chapter officer to get the current code to enter the building. Gary Kasten will be arranging for individual six-digit codes to be assigned to each member in good standing. If you want to specify your own code (if it's still available), come to the next meeting. If you do not renew your membership in a given year, that specific number will be disabled and you will no longer have access to the ARC.

We tabled the water issue until the September meeting when President Karsten returns. To date, two bids have been entertained for two different systems of handling potable water in the ARC. As of this writing, the intention is to detail those methods in next month's newsletter so all interest parties can vote intelligently at next month's meeting. In addition, some new bids will be sought.

In new business, John Teipen gave his report from this year's KidVenture in Oshkosh. This is the second year he has presented his material, and said it went very well. (A future newsletter article may be forthcoming.) John presented an award to mr. bill for his outstanding dedication to teaching and service to the EAA. He also thanked all the volunteers from our Chapter.

Laura talked about the open house (August 23 & 24), detailing the schedule, parking, pilot briefings, and other general logistics. Since there will no longer be a Fair and Airshow held at Spirit, the St. Charles County bigwigs have designated Smartt Field as the new venue for such an event.

Dave McGougan gave a short talk on the upcoming 50th anniversary of Chapter 32. He asked for volunteers to speak about their experiences, share old photos, etc. The 50th anniversary celebration will take place on October 26th, immediately following a BRIEF chapter meeting.

The composite seminar that was postponed due to the flood will be held on Saturday, October 11, at 9:00 am. Plan for a good time, including a bbq lunch. Please contact Steve Morse for details. If you expect to participate in the workshop, you must sign up. A signup sheet will be at the September meeting.

The 2008 Chapter 32 Christmas party will be held on Saturday, December 6. We voted to get catering from Kilroy's as in previous years. Times will be announced at a later date, as will the guest speaker Ron Burnett announced that he had some food coupons.

Gary Kasten gave the treasurer's report, and announced that a couple of people had donated money to the chapter in Dave Lucas' name. As a final thought, Gary is looking to hand over the treasurer's duties to somebody else as of the first of the year. If you are interested, please contact him.

New members were recognized and given new member packets.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:20 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Jim Bower for Dave Deweese.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

June 22, 2008 Minutes

June's meeting began with the pledge, secretary Dave Deweese presiding. This month's meeting was sparsely attended as we were not sure if the rising waters of the Mississippi would allow access to the ARC. Fortunately Doug Killibrew was in attendance so we had a fine lunch of bratwursts and hot dogs. Robert Dooley made it, the water is at 31 feet near his home, the lower level is sitting in 5 feet. Laurie of Kilroy's is also innundated and commutes back and forth from work to home on a jet ski.

In Oshkosh news the chapter photo will moved from Saturday to Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Note that our own John Teipen has been heavily involved in KidVenture so be sure to stop by. Per Laura they can always use volunteers. Gale reminded us of the Memorial Wall ceremony for Jerry Geiger.

Dave Lucas and Al Lowe were mentioned as candidates for memorials. This is $350 per person, the deadline is March.

Laura will have a sign-up sheet for August's Young Eagles event. Be sure to sign up so you can get a parking pass. This event will span two days, will start at 8:30, and keep in mind this will be August and most likely rather hot.

Vince Meyer brought in an article from the Journal regarding the flood by reporter Steve Poken. Steve Miles was interviewed. Rich Emery and Steve, using a laser level and using the water in the ditch as a baseline, estimated that the flood would have to rise to 31.5 feet to reach the ARC.

As usual our July meeting will be held at Oshkosh. We voted to move the August meeting up a week to 8/17, the week before the airport open house.


Dave Deweese, Secretary

Sunday, May 25, 2008

May 25, 2008 Minutes

The May 2008 meeting began with the Pledge, Stevepresiding. He started out by mentioning the recentpassing of Al Lowe, then recognized visitors and newmembers. Lon Lowe, one of Al’s sons, was in attendance. As a bitof trivia it was Lon who designed our logo back whenhe was in high school. He explained the Al’s Culver andother items will be up for sale, details will follow.

David Davis is a new member who had joined up earlierbut has not been to many meetings as he has beenbusy working on his Sport Pilot certificate. He announced that he had accomplished this feat in April atMuni after about 32 hours of instruction.

With large doors open some avian guests elected tojoin the meeting, providing several interruptions andleaving before we officially adjourned.

On to outstanding business. We have bought a newYoung Eagles laptop and printer for approximately $650,helped out by an anonymous donation of $150 towardsthe purchase of Dell hardware.

Gary Kasten attended an official airport meetingconcerning KSET’s August 23 and 24 open house anddebriefed us on the proceedings. He reiterated that the airport will run this event so we need only concernourselves with Young Eagles. As this will span two days we plan to limit registrations to the first 100 attendees per day. If enough pilots show up we willplay it by ear, perhaps flying another 20 or 30. The airport has assigned us a space near Skylink. Since this is some distance from the ARC we’ll set up our tents. Skylink has power available so we can plug in ourlaptop, fans, etc. The area near our building is designated space for vendors, of which there will be 15 to 20,including such organizations as the Shriners. This is shaping up to be quite an event, flyers will be available shortly so please be prepared to take a few and postthem at work. Parking for YE volunteers will be at the ARC, but will becontrolled by others. The local Sheriffs will be on hand, and most likely the CAP will perform traffic and crowd control as at some other events. More details will follow, however parking passes will be provided for our pilots and volunteers. We’ll still be responsible for our own ramp safety. We discussed the possibility of possibly doing educational displays and/or registration at the ARC. An additional concern is confirmation from Herman at Skylink that he’ll be available both days in case our pilots need to refuel, since the CAF may not be an option: much of the ramp will be closed for vendors anddisplays. Steve Miles, Bill Jagust, and Laura Million are on the airport advisory board and will attend further aiport meetings to look out for our interests.

In our immediate future is the International YE Day on June 14. (The CAF will be available for gas at this event.) Once again we discussed how we might helpout our pilots with the ever-increasing cost of fuel. Since they are all volunteers we cannot, as a chapter, pay for gas. At the Alton event the airport pays for fuel, so Gary will pass this on to the advisory board who will ask if the county would be willing to help out. Steve will contact EAA national regarding the do’s and dont’s of paying for fuel as well as for creating ways ofhelping with this expense.

Chris spoke concerning the new lock, which Bill Doherty has in his posession. He’s holding off on installation until we can decide on the best means of generating and distributing pass codes. The last 4 digits of an individual’s EAA number was proposed,but since this is fairly easy to find we decided it wasnot a secure solution. Steve will work with the Executive Committee to set up the lock and codes.

Gary again addressed the group, this time on financialmatters. We received a check in the amount of $1.46 from the IRS, and have another registered letter waitingin the Portage Des Sioux post office. Gary is checkinginto the status of the last payment we sent to the IRS as it did not appear to have posted as of the meetingand he has not been able to get in touch with the man who helped us with that issue.

At our last YE event a CPA left his card, Gary got in touch with him, and hehelped to file our most recent form 990 along with taxesowed. Incidentally the money owed is a consequenceof the IRS’s interpretation of how we earned some ofour funds. Since the food coupons do not deal directlywith aviation, unlike hangar rent or the B-17 event, thegovernment feels we owe taxes on such earnings. Thisdespite the fact that the dollars are spent on aviation-related expenditures. Leo suggested that it might beworth contacting Schnuck’s since they promote their fund raiser as tax deductible. Gary is going to seek asecond opinion from another CPA, and Steve Miles may have a contact there. Tax preparation is not themain business for our current preparer. The importantpoint is that we have filed our form and submittedpayment and are current with the IRS. After the tax discussion Gary announced our checking and savings account balances.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

April 27, 2008 Minutes

The April meeting began with the Pledge, Vice President Steve Morse presiding in Karsten's absence. Thanks to Doug Killibrew for the barbecued pork steaks.

With no new members or visitors to introduce we got down to business with an update from Laura on the previous day's Young Eagles event, the first of the season. She arrived at 8:00 a.m. to find 38 U.S. Navy Sea Cadets and family waiting. They had spoken to someone in the chapter besides Bill Jagust or Laura so it was a surprise to find visitors present so early. Pilots and ground crew got right to work, but it looked like an uphill battle. Fortunately reinforcements arrived from a somewhat slower YE event held the same day. With the help of two more pilots we ended up flying 107 Young Eagles in four and a half hours. The Navy Cadets presented a donation of $150 in a brief ceremony. A memorable quote for the day came from one of Joe Sargent's passengers. After landing the boy very excitedly told his parents, "That man let me fly!"

Laura announced our next event: May 10 in Washington, Missouri. As in the past we'll work with Janet, a third grade teacher who does a unit on aviation. We expect twenty to fifty from her class. On June 14 we'll be back at the ARC for International Young Eagles day. Bill Jagust will again run his education booths.

Also, by June, we intend to retire our old Windows 95 laptop and dot matrix printer in favor of newer hardware. A new version of certificate printing software is out that will not run on our current machine. A newer printer will also make the process easier: right now it takes a bit of practice to get a certificate to output correctly on our faithful, if rather temperamental, printer. George Stephenson moved that we decide in May on whether to buy a used laptop or a new one. Dave McGougan seconded.

In other Young Eagles news, Leo Lang has flown his 100th Young Eagle. Also, look for Chapter 32 in an article in the June EAA magazine.

Leo updated us on his water investigation. Bob Holmes recommended a plumbing company who, for approximately $7300, can do the entire job of hooking the ARC into the airport water system. This includes trenching. The alternative is the treatment system at $3900. Though more expensive the first system is "turn-key": the treatment system will require periodic changes of chemicals and other maintenance. Steve Morse volunteered to contact Holmes for documentation so that we can find out exactly what this would entail. Jim Bower noted that, when using the airport's water, the burden of responsibility is not on EAA32. Their water, the same used by Kilroy's, is periodically tested. Bob has said that most houses in the area have a water treatment system because of E. Coli. If we do use airport water Karsten has suggested we pay the airport a set amount each month as this will be a service they provide.

Steve Morse reminded us that we've gotten to this point before on the system and advised us to wait on voting on the expenditure until we hear from Gary on the outcome of the tax situation. Gary was away for the April meeting. Motion was made and seconded to wait until we know about the taxes.

Following up on last month's lock decision, Ron will put reflective film on the windows. The new lock is here and awaiting installation as of the April meeting.

Bud Cole addressed the group. He has a desktop blueprint machine that operates on ammonia and can be used to duplicate blueprints and similar drawings. He's willing to donate this to the chapter. He also has a five by seven foot back lit copy table, good for tracing and reproducing plans. The top is plastic, and it folds to about thirty inches deep. Both machines are 100 miles away in Brush Hill and will require transport. We voted, 12 for and 9 opposed, to take the drafting table and will discuss the details of moving same in the May meeting. We then discussed the blueprint machine. Ron Wright has some familiarity with such devices, noting that it the smell is not bad and, given the correct paper, we could reproduce some of the plans and drawings we have in our library. Steve suggests further investigation.

Bill Jagust noted that Gale's next day of work after the April meeting would be his last prior to retirement.

We adjourned the meeting, after which Jim Bower gave a presentation on electrical wiring.

Dave Deweese, Secretary

Sunday, March 30, 2008

March 30, 2008 Meeting Minutes

Meeting began with the pledge, Karsten Kessler presiding. Karsten announced that he will be away until August with the military.

With no takers on the call for visitors we got down to business. We have a new english wheel and planishing hammer, but need a stand for the hammer. Motion was made and we voted to spend $160 on a stand. Vince Meyer, Airport Advisory Board member, announced a board meeting on 3/31. Jim Bower brought copies of our newest roster.

Leo updated us on the water situation. Gary Kasten can run a trencher for the pipe that will carry water from the airport supply to the ARC. Holmes will hook this up, but as of the meeting date he was of town. Leo reports that he's due back April 2 and we can have a quote shortly thereafter.

The Mustang II is gone. Ron opened the building for our buyers who paid the asking price of $4500. They thought the plans we gave them might have been incomplete, Karsten asked if anyone in the chapter knows if anyone knows their location. Gale, who arrived later in the meeting, reports that the complete plans were included in the boxes that left with the project.

Tracy has announced an airport open house in late August, 8/23 and 8/24 time frame, and he'd like a big event for KSET. Per Vince, since our Young Eagles programs are a major attraction, he'd like us to host an event for the open house - check your calendars and be ready to volunteer. In addition there will be two food vendors in addition to Laurie, and possible fly-by's including experimental aircraft. Bill Jagust reminded us that local politicians will be present as they are considering KSET as the site for a future air show. While it's too late to arrange one for 2008, the 3/31 meeting and the August open house will be opportunities for considering the practicality of the airport for such an event. A suggestion was made to set a maximum number of Young Eagles flights. George Stephenson said that 300 might be possible if we could get all of our chapter pilots involved and include another chapter. Ramp space availability will be a consideration. Leo cautions that we should limit our involvement to running the Young Eagles event and not be involved in other aspects of the airport open house. Motion was made and we voted to run a Young Eagles event provided the KSET runs the actual open house.

In addition to the Young Eagles event in late August Laura reminded the chapter of others:

4/26 Will involve some scouts.
5/10 Washington, MO.
6/14 International Y.E. Day
9/16 Silver Swallows Event.

Laura announced that pilot packets are in the top of the Y.E. cabinet. They can be kept in an aircraft in the event you have the opportunity to fly some kids.

Dave McGougan and the Doherty's will work on an event to officially recognize our chapter's 50th anniversary.

6/29 is the unofficial date for the C-47 parachute jump. KSET will be closed for 45 minutes for the event. Our only involvement will be to provide space for such activities as parachute packing. Laurie will be feeding the jumpers.

We revisited the lock issue. Some discussion took place concerning internal misuse of the chapter versus external mischief, such as vandalism or theft - an important issue considering our many new tool acquisitions. Ron Wright suggested that we install reflective one-way mirror coating on our windows to discourage strangers who might look through for valuables. Heat and lights are internal misuse issues. George also mentioned the removal of labels from the kitchen cabinets as an argument in favor of a locking system that identifies who enters the building. Gary Kasten repeated his offer from last month to administer such a system.

Chris Seto made a PowerPoint presentation, presenting several options:

A biometric, fingerprint lock that would support approximately 300 people. The lock itself is approximately $600, the handheld programmer is another $300.

The Trilogy DL-2800 keypad. Each member gets a unique number. This supports 200 people and costs $600 for the entire system.

The B.S. key fob system which could also use a metal key. This also supports 200 people and costs $95 plus $7 per individual key fob.

The B.S. 200 is a keypad system that supports 299 users with a 4 - 11 digit code, cost is $150.

The UCA model, another key fob system. Supports 299 users at $300 and $4 per key fob.

Bill Doherty noted that the DL-2800 is recommended by locksmiths. Ernie observed that all the systems mentioned are battery-powered and that the battery is at the root of our last lock failure. Bill and Chris responded that these are all weather resistant locks designed for outdoor use versus internal keypads that might be found in an office. Dave moved to purchase the DL-2800, Leo seconded, and we voted on this $600 system. Bill will purchase this. Ron will install the one-way film.

Dave McGougan's company is discarding a 4 foot shear, only 5 years old, and asked if the chapter is interested. It is free.

Ron Burnett updated us on food coupons. He mentioned the possibility of a second account for the card program. Ron also updated us on the status of the Luscombe. He and son Mark went to the repair facility, Jerry and Mike Mays, aircraft restorers in Nebraska. He flew the plane back and reports it is better than before.

Gary and George mentioned hangar space that is currently available for around 6 planes, and might be used by Young Eagles pilots for temporary aircraft storage in case of bad weather. Gary also notes that the money for the Mustang II has gone into the chapter's account and suggested we might consider paying educational speakers.

Karsten read a letter the chapter received from the IRS. It confirmed that they have received our payment and apologizes for the late response: they are dealing with extra workload due to non-profit issues.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

February 24, 2008 Meeting Minutes

The February 2008 meeting began with the Pledge, VP Steve Morse presiding in Karsten's absence. The weather was not quite as cooperative as in January so we ate hamburgers grilled indoors. Nobody flew in, and no new visitors to recognize, though we welcomed a returning member.

Deliberations began with a discussion of a new door locking system. Proposed solutions ranged from door closers and automatic locking, an activated deadbolt for example, to a badge key RFID door lock system with each member having a unique key card. The latter system would allow tracking, though it would be computer-based and require administration. After lengthy discussion we decided that more research and alternatives are needed to make a decision.

Leo updated us on the water system. Our choices are a purification system or tying into the airport's water. The latter will require us to lay a pipe and connect it to the ARC and the airport respectively. The chapter voted to connect to KSET's water. We have the expertise within the chapter to run a ditch digger for the pipe. George suggested we involve a professional plumber to make the actual connections, Leo will speak with Holmes and find out how much this will cost.

We then reviewed upcoming events, including the fact that we have not yet formally recognized the 50th anniversary of the Chapter 32. Steve asked that the membership consider possible dates and make suggestions at the March meeting. Our Young Eagle / Open House event on June 14 may be a good time for this. Bill Jagust noted that, with the recent demise of the St. Louis County Fair and Air Show, civic leaders from surrounding counties are on the lookout for future airshow sites and some may well be present at KSET in June.

Dave McGougan is heading up a committee for the June 29 parachute event. Please contact him if you'd like to be involved.

Chrissi of Cozy Girrrl's fame will provide specialized welding training for 3 or 4 people. To be included you must be willing to, in turn, teach others. Training will take place during the week to minimize distractions, and students will pay for materials used. We are going to need a metal bench to weld on.

Our next-door neighbor Herman, at Skylink Aviation, took issue with an article in the February newsletter. Bill Jagust wrote the piece and will speak with Herman.

Gary addressed money matters and reported our checking and savings balances. To address the current issue with the IRS, our volunteer accountant, Gary, has written them a personal check in order to halt any additional charges. He then filed an appeal in an attempt to reduce our amount owed. Pending the results we'll pay Gary.

In another dollars and cents matter we have sold the Mustang II project. An interested party put a $500 deposit down on the $4500 asking price.

Finally we voted to buy an English wheel from Harbor Freight. This will reside in the ARC with our expanding collection of tools and gadgets.

Motion was made, and the meeting adjourned.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

January 27, 2008 Meeting Minutes

We had an unexpectedly warm day for the January 2008 meeting, inspiring Dave McGougan to roll out the grill and cook up some hotdogs and hamburgers. Added to the pot luck already scheduled we enjoyed quite a lunch.

Karsten was still on his way at 1400, so for old time's sake, I played substitute meeting starter.

The meeting began with the pledge, then new members and visitors. In juggling notes and presiding I neglected to note identities, though I did get some details: One fellow is a hop, a skip, and a check ride away from his Sport Pilot certificate. The other is a friend of Mr. Bill. Welcome both of you and forgive my not writing down names.

Speaking of Sport Pilot, Greg Issit has just achieved this rating. Congratulations, and thanks to John Teipen for the check ride.

Thanks also to Ernie and Joe who have installed the motor on our industial-strength lathe. As soon as we get the proper chuck it'll be ready to go.

George Stephenson was not at the meeting, however he was in a January issue of the Suburban Journals. The article detailed the eagle census process, particularly the flights up and down the river. A copy of this issue is in the ARC. (I happened upon the second page of this at home and was not sure that the George was our George Stephenson until I read a quote: "I'd rather fly than eat!" Who else could it be?)

Treasurer Gary handed out copies of the quarterly financial report. We discussed, at length, our 501C3 issues with the IRS. Several things contributed this, not the least of which is new legislation that increases scrutiny on non-profit organizations. Gale is working to reduce or eliminate the amount the government says that we owe. In the spirit of "an ounce of prevention" we are soliciting suggestions for an accountant that we would pay to take care of such paperwork.

As of the meeting we had a $3,200 bid for the Mustang II project. Ron suggested posting an ad in Barnstormers in hopes of getting closer to our original asking price of $4,500. Gale then reported that has was contacted by a firm in Canada. They were in contact with a fellow who has built the wings of his Mustang II and was interested in matching these up with our fuselage. The motion was made to wait until our Canadian friend has had a look, and if he's not interested then post the project in Barnstormers for 30 days. If it does not sell after that we'd sell to the buyer from Chicago.

Bob Dooley addressed the group with a proposition regarding an advertisement in the latest issue of Sport Pilot for a set of "Add A Rating" DVD's. He's looking for a group of interested members to divide the cost and purchase these.

Bill Jagust and John Teipen updated us with the latest news from Oshkosh regarding KidVenture and Young Eagles Flight Education. The EAA Museum is building a set of educational exhibits that will travel across the U.S. to such spots as the St. Louis Science Center. We'll be looking for volunteers in the coming months to start putting together some educational modules of our own with the hopes of having something ready for the Washington event in the spring. Sounds like this initiative is gaining momentum, with the FAA committed to an online youth program and NAFI donating to such courses.

Ron Wright reports that the Luscombe suffered a ground loop. Some research revealed that, in its sixty year history, this is the third time. The right gear took the brunt, and the plane is now in Nebraska for a refurb. Thanks to Ron for addressing the group on this and reminding us tail dragger lovers to be ever vigilant.

The St. Louis County Fair and Air Show has been discontinued, but there are plenty of other events coming up for EAA32. Washington, Missouri Young Eagles event will be in May, June 14 is International Young Eagles Day and Open House, and on June 29 there will be a reenactment
of a WWII parachute drop with 150 participants. We're looking for volunteers to help host this. 2008 is going to be fun.

- Dave Deweese