Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago
Meeting Minutes
18 November 2009

General

•  Approximately 25 members and guests met at 6:30 on the 8th floor of the Helix Building, 310 S. Racine at Jackson.
• Tonight's meeting was run by Joan Forsberg, with food provided by Joan Forsberg and Cris Kohl.

Board and Committee Reports

• Secretary - John Bell provided copies of the minutes from the last meeting, which were approved.
  • Members e-mail list has been updated to remove unpaid members.
• Membership – Rosters were unavailable this evening because Scott couln't make the meeting.. Non-paid members have been removed.
• Treasury –  Bob Gadbois reported on the state of UASC finances.
  • Very little recent activity.
  • Contact Bob for further information.
• ICSSD – Claire Gadbois reported on the Illinois Council of Skin and Scuba Divers:
  • President's Night Banquet and Raffle
    • About 35 people attended, including about 15 from UASC.
    • A good time was had by all, and many people won great raffle prizes.
    • Humanitarian of the Year - UASC Mmeber Patrick Hammer
    • Diver of the Year - UASC Member Michael Angelo Gagliardi
    • Club of the Year - Tritons.
• Newsletter – Cris Kohl
  • July/August and September/October newsletters sent electronically IN COLOR to all members.
    • Also posted on the web site.
    • Hard copies still available upon request.
  • Cris thanks all who contribute to the newsletter, past and future.
• Dive Coordinator - Michael Angelo Gagliardi
  1. Michael e-mails his reports to members@uaschicago.org, as he cannot make meetings.
• Other:

Old Business

1. ICSSD Presidents Night -- Nov. 14, 2009
• Congratulations to UASC members Michael Angelo Gagliardi (Diver of the Year Award) and Patrick Hammer (Humanitarian of the Year Award)
2. Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) Courses completion:
   • Joan Forsberg, John Gerty, Cris Kohl, and Ruth Magnus passed the course and are now certified underwater archaeologists.
   • The course instructor, Mark Holly, will be invited to Chicago to repeat the course for additional UASC members.
   • Great course, exellent instructors, very full days, and very exciting.

New Business

1. Election of UASC Officers for 2010.
• President - Joan Forsberg
• Vice President - Dean Nolan
• Treasurer - Bob Gadbois
• Secretary - John Bell
2. Introduction of Committee Heads
• Michael Angelo Gagliardi - Dive Coordinator
• Cris Kohl - Newsletter
• Dan Kasberger - Refreshments
• Scott Reimer - Membership
• Ruth Magnus - Dive Coordinator II
• John Gerty - Survey Coordinator
• Gene Hasiak - DiveHeart Liason
3. The Buccaneer Project - Joan Forsberg reported in Bob Rushman's absence
   • Getting pumped out again this weekend.
   • Scott Mummary will steam clean the engine again.
   • Oil Dri has been employed.
   • No inspection is officially scheduled, but it is expected.
   • We need to winter over the ship, and put it down as early in the spring as possible.
4. Dive Planning for next year
• Dive Coordinators will be planning charters starting in January / February.
• Please get your ideas and requests in soon.
5. UASC’s new Chicago shipwrecks DVD -- Buy some for Holiday gifts!
   • $15 for the public, $12 for members
   • 40% discount available to anyone who buys 10 or more. ( $9 each. )
6. UASC polo shirts -- Chet Childs
• Chet is working with Jim Jarecki to get the shirts ready in time for the Dec 5th Christmas party if possible, or else in time for OWU.
7. Holiday Parties:
• LOUP/UASC Christmas Party, Sat., Dec. 5, 2010, Burnham Harbor Yacht Club, $35
• Contact Scott Reimer or Bob Gadbois to order tickets
• Full details available on the LOUP ( League of Underwater Photopraphers ) web site.
• New Year's Eve Party TBD - Watch Members e-mail for details.
8. UASC Website - John Bell
• Old Wreck Checkers being archived. Please contact John if you have electronic or paper copies of any that are not already on the web site.
• UASC has a Google calendar posted on our web site. Add it to your personal Google calendar.
9. SURVEY PROJECTS 2010: - See below.
10. Upcoming Shows: - Three shows on three successive weekends
    • Our World--Underwater (Feb. 19-21, 2010),
    • Chicago Maritime Festival (Feb. 27, 2010),
    • Ghost Ships Festival (March 5-6, 2010)
11. DiveHeart Liasion Report - Gene Hasiak:
• The Diveheart handicapped buddy program at great lakes has one more session to complete to finish the training for it's first group of enlisted and commisioned trainees. At the last session , Veterans Day, Gene gave each person a DVD as a gift from UASC,which were warmly accepted, along with a few UASC news letters that they found interesting also.
• Gene sent an invitation to the great lakes group and Diveheart to join us on Dec 5th. It would be great to have them,if they can get away.
• Gene made contact with a civil war museum who are interested in working with UASC - more to follow.They aslo got a UASC DVD.
• The Diveheart LUAU was fun - Diane Gulczynski, Eileen Gustufson and Gene enjoyed the event.
• Diveheart did a Discover SCUBA at Downners Grove South High School. This Sunday there will be another at Oaklawn High School, with a childrens group in the morning and vets from hine's VA at noon.
12. OTHER: Miscellaneous new business items should be brought up--briefly--now
• UASC now has several DAN O2 kits thanks to Chet Childs and Jim Jarecki
• Gene - Diveheart is real close to getting their next group of handicap diver buddies certified. The DiveHeart Luau was a great event.
• Bob Gadbois gave a presentation on the Lady Elgin to the Niles Historical Society.
• Cris Kohl suggested we put together some brochures similar to what the Grand Traverse Bay Divers have done, describing all the local dive wreck sites and offering membership in UASC.
• Don Doherty - encore presentation on the tool crib. Other presentation opportunities also.
13. Presentation of The UASC Award 2009 for many years of dedicated support of UASC.
• Bob Gadbois, for ALL he does - Treasurer, A/V, and everything else.
14. THANKS to Joan Forsberg and Cris Kohl for tonight’s refreshments!
• NEXT UASC MEETING: 6:30 PM, Wednesday, January 26, 2010. Happy New Year!
  • Bob and Claire Gadbois will be providing refreshments.

Shipwreck Survey Projects

• Buccaneer - To be scuttled in 2009 in ??’ - Clean-up Leader: Bob Rushman.
  • Claire Yashar has completed her drawings.
• Material Service - Sank on July 29, 1936 in 38’ - Project Leader: Jim J./John L./Tony K./Cris K.
  • Contact Cris or Joan if you have any relevant materials - Report to be generated soon.
• Barge No. 2 - Sank on Sept. 29, 1906 in 40’ - Project Leader: John Loftus
  • Project may be nearing completion.
• The Rotarian - Scuttled on September 28, 1931 in 80' - Project Leader: Tony Kiefer
• The Straits of Mackinac - Scuttled on April 10, 2003 in 78’ - Project Leader:Needed

Guest Speaker -- Dave Truitt

Dave Truitt is an attorney, a Past Flotilla Commander of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and a Past Commodore of the Jackson Park Yacht Club. He had a love affair with three “Charlotte Anns” -- one of which was an 87-foot-long schooner which, for about ten years, was Chicago’s “Tall Ship.” This vessel was used as an adventure charter ship, and entertained celebrities such as Lily Tomlin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the late John Belushi. Most notably for our group, Dave was the driving force in the creation of the Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago twenty years ago.

Other Business

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:00, after which a number of members retired to Ricobene's for further discussions and socializing.