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ASM
CHAPTER BEST PRACTICES
Volume 1
Issue 4
JUNE 2006
The best of what ASM Chapters are doing!
ASM Chapters want to know about you!
Welcome to the final issue of the Best Practices & Success chapter newsletter for the 2005–2006 chapter year! We have received GREAT articles from numerous chapters showcasing many of the exciting events and programs they have hosted throughout their history as well as this chapter year.
The release schedule for Best Practices & Success in the 2006–2007 chapter year is as follows:
August 31, 2006—Leadership Days Session Highlights
November 30, 2006
February 28, 2006
May 30, 2006
We encourage all chapters to submit their plans for the 2006–2007 chapter year, to be included in our August issue. This is just another way to gear up for another great chapter year!
If you have any additional questions, require further assistance, or to submit your chapters Best Practices and Successes, please contact Candace Cunningham, Chapter Relations Administrator at Chapters@asminternational.org.
(Please have submission to Candace by the 15th of the release month)
In this issue:
(Please click on the chapter specific logo to read the article)
Peoria: “CSI: Peoria”
Rocky Mountain: “Crown Jewel of the Rockies”
2004–2005 Chapter of Excellence Winners
See what these chapters did to win in 2004–2005!
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“CSI: Peoria”
The Peoria Illinois Chapter put a new and exciting spin on one of their monthly technical meetings by holding the first “CSI: Peoria.” The guest speaker for the evening—Sergeant Michael Oyer—caught each member’s attention by sharing his expertise as Sergeant of the Illinois Crime Scene Service. The chapter members learned about the techniques and equipment used in today’s crime scene investigation. Sergeant Oyer’s presentation brought a new and interesting topic to the monthly Peoria Chapter meeting.
Members of the Peoria Illinois Chapter join Sergeant Michael Oyer at the first ever “CSI: Peoria.”
Peoria Chapter Goes Back to Basics!
The Peoria ASM Chapter conducted three hands-on workshops for 30 students on the fundamentals of blacksmithing. The workshops were sponsored by the Peoria ASM Chapter Student Outreach Committee and the Educational Committee. They were taught by a 40-year member of the Peoria ASM Chapter at his blacksmith shop. Each workshop accommodated 10 students for a one day session. The sessions emphasized safe working practices within a blacksmith shop while allowing students to learn the fundamentals and experience first hand forging steel with a hammer, anvil and other basic tools. The effects of forging temperature, hot and cold metal ductility, work hardening, carburizing and decarburizing atmosphere on “open hammer forging” were all encountered while producing elementary projects. Each of the students made and took home with them an “S” hook, a crucifix, and a heart hook along with a tired arm and a better understanding of forging steel.
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Crown Jewel of the Rockies
The Rocky Mountain Chapter of ASM International has a long history of active contribution to the local and national materials-related activities. Because of the dedication of the officers and the collaborative spirit of the members, the Chapter was named a Five Star Chapter for 2004–2005.
Attentive to changes in the local industries and the demographic changes in the Chapter membership, the Chapter has made a number of changes through the last few years to promote better attendance in the technical meetings and more active membership involvement in other chapter activities. First, members are strongly encouraged to bring interested friends and co-workers to meetings and events. Second, the Membership Chair sends out personalized welcoming letters to every new or transferring member into the chapter, inviting them to come to the meetings and to participate in other chapter-promoted activities. Third, the Chapter has an outstanding monthly newsletter, distributed in both printed and electronic format. Current ongoing communication-related initiatives include revamping its website and publication of a yearbook.
The most recent and significant change was to establish a broader technical program that included a diverse number of interesting materials topics for the 2005–2006 year. The year program was prepared well in advance of the meeting dates and generally announced prior to the September meeting. In addition, the Chapter promoted themed nights such as Bring a Friend Night, Spouse & Significant Other Night, and Past Chairman Night. Each past chairman (seven were present at this year’s event) was given the opportunity to give a coffee talk for five minutes on things that most impressed them during their tenure as Chair. For closer interaction with other professionals in related fields, and in the spirit of promoting the science, engineering and application of materials, the Rocky Mountains Chapter continued the tradition of holding joint meetings with other professional societies. This year the chapter met with the Colorado Microbeam Society and Mountain States Society of Electron Microscopists. To raise awareness and promote interest among high school students towards the field of materials, the Chapter supported a Materials Camp for Teachers with a donation of $2000 in the 2004–2005 year. Another Materials Camp for Teachers is in the works for the summer of 2006.
The Rocky Mountain Chapter maintains a very strong interaction with undergraduate and graduate students by providing support, encouragement and advice to the Materials Advantage Program and Materials Science and Engineering Club (MSEC) at the Colorado School of Mines. The advisor of MSEC is a member of the executive committee. This year, the Chapter provided $1200 student scholarship money to outstanding undergraduate students. The awards were presented to the students during Student Night.
One of the most outstanding achievements of the Rocky Mountain Chapter was the establishment of the Charles Barrett Award in the 1980s to honor Dr. Charles Barrett, an outstanding scientist and former member of the Chapter. This year’s Barrett Awardee was Dr. Neil Paton, Chief Technology Advisor of Liquidmetals Technologies. While the attendance of typical monthly meetings runs between 30 and 40 participants, over 100 professional members and students came to the Barrett Award Night. To foster greater participation of students in this event, the Section was able to obtain some financial support from the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department of the Colorado School of Mines, partially offsetting meal costs for the students. For Science Teacher Night, the Chapter invited high school teachers who participated in the Materials Camp for Teachers as guests. Several of the teachers joined ASM International as members. To further support high school activities, the Rocky Mountain Chapter also provided judges to the Colorado Science Fair as well as cash prizes totaling $125 to the two top projects.
The Chapter hosted an excellent visit from Dr. Chris Berndt, an ASM Board Trustee during the Barrett Award week. It was a great opportunity for the Chapter Officers to exchange ideas and receive feedback from a Board member.
The finance of the Chapter is sound! However, to maintain the financial strength of the Rocky Mountain Chapter, the officers are planning a mini-industrial show as the leading fundraising event for the 2006–2007 year. Initial preparatory activities have already started and the officers will work through the summer to put together this show for October 2007.
It is through an excellent group of officers, dynamic executive committee members and at-large members that the Rocky Mountain Chapter is excelling!
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©2006 ASM International®. All Rights Reserved.
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