ILLIANA NEWS

JANUARY 2009                             

 

NO MEETING PLANNED FOR JANUARY:

President Tom Swanson has decided that there will not be a January meeting.  The next scheduled meeting will be February 16, 2009.  A reminder will be sent in the next newsletter.

 

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT:

Hello to everyone and Best Wishes for 2009!

Wow!  Dad was right, as always, he said; “Time goes fast as the older you get!”  Where did 2008 go?  A big “THANK YOU” goes to the Bodine family for their annual Christmas party.  If you didn’t attend, you missed a Jim Dandy Party.  The train guys out-did themselves as always.  Their display was superb and made you feel like a kid again.  And, the food and desserts was outstanding.  A lot of good visiting was had by all.  I have applied to the Warren County Community Foundation for grant money to build an addition on our pole building to display old farm items given to us by the Warren County Historical Society and others.  However, I won’t know if we will get it till probably mid summer.  Also, I have discussed at our last meeting, we have a pole building that has been given to us.  I will be setting work days in March or April, weather permitting, to dismantle this building and bring it to the club grounds.  I am not setting any numerical goals for 2009 show for tractors and engines, however, I have several goals for our club grounds before the July show.  We will not be having a January meeting......See you there in February.  Thank-you,

Tom Swanson

 

CHRISTMAS PARTY 2008:

Winter weather of ice and snow landed on the day of our scheduled Christmas Party at Don Bodine’s.   Luckily, many braved the icy roads and approximately eighty people attended.  Don’s “work bench” was turned into a feast of chicken, hams, salads, dips and of course tempting desserts.  The trains ran constantly (only stopping when it was time to eat) on a newly constructed layout.  A portable DVD player ran past Christmas parties.  Santa left some presents for the annual drawing and winners were: Mens - Tim Sering, Ladies - Penny Carrell, Boys - Chandler Rowe and Girls - Sarah LaFoe.  Congratulations to Alan Stutler who announced his engagement and plans for a June wedding.  As the evening came to an close; “holiday hugs” and wishes for a safe and happy season went to family and friends.  Thanks to all who made it possible!

 

SYMPATHY:

The end of 2008 brought sadness to some of our club members.  Passing away were: Steve Dye’s mother, Marion Klutzke’s brother - Joe and Paul LaFoe’s mother.  Our sympathy goes to all their families.

ROCKY FORGE BLACKSMITHS:

December 13, 2008 Meeting

The Rocky Forge group met a Ted’s shop for a day of fellowship and forging.  The weather was good enough that several worked outside on the forges and the  remainder inside on the coal forge and gas forges.   Our assignment for the day was to make twists on 5/8" square stock in as many ways as our creativity would allow.  Some interesting end products surfaced from this exercise.  Our hope is to continue creating these examples and mount them on a board as a “story board” of what can be done, then mount the board in our new building as educational tools.

Other things completed for the day was tig welding of someone’s favorite recliner.   Jim H.  and Shane S.  turned a sleeve on the lathe for Shane’s power hammer.   Greg S.  worked on an axe from a piece of wrought iron and Gene H.  made a good looking lizard.  Ted had a display of about 20 tools and other items made from railroad junk.  Everyone was pretty busy all day long.

Our next meeting will January 10th at Ted’s shop.  Coffee and doughnuts will start around 8:30 and the meeting sometime after 9:00.  The meeting will be with the Wabash Valley satellite group and the Rural Smiths of Mid America.  Anyone from the other groups are welcome to attend, we encourage your attendance.  For lunch, the meat, drinks and table service will be provided.  Bring a covered dish to share and iron-in-the-hat items.  Dellon Blanton will be the demonstrator for the day.  Dellon is known for making many of the items found in the book written about early American wrought iron.  Hopefully, he will have some on display that day.  Also, I will set up tables to display your work, so please bring some “show and tell” items for the group to see.  A good educational tool is learning from each other.

Now that gas if cheaper and the holidays are behind us, Carol and I look forward to seeing many of you at the next meeting.

Submitted by: Ted Stout

 

As John Carrell was looking through some family heirlooms, he came across a cup marked: Staffordshire - Adams England.  The cup was decorated with some lovely farm items along with the following poem that he’d like to share with club members:

 

Let the Wealthy & Great,

Roll in Splendor & State,

I envy them not I declare it:

I eat my own Lamb,

My Chickens and Ham,

I shear my own Fleece & I wear it.

I have Lawns, I have Bow’rs,

I have Fruits, I have Flow’rs,

The Lark is my morning alarmer:

So Jolly Boys now,

Here’s God speed the Plough,

Long Life &  Succefs to

the Farmer.

 

What a great poem dedicated to the farmer done in Old English wording and spelling!  Thanks John for sharing it with us.