Next Meeting January 8, 2014

Regular meetings are generally held the first Wednesday of every month - but not if it's New Year's Day!

So mark your calendars - Wednesday, January 8 at O'Gara's in St Paul.

Our education presenter will be Brian Johnson, topic yet to be determined.

December 2013 Meeting Overview

Last night's meeting was a real treat for a select few!  It was great to see Brad, Denny, Kathy, Dana, Alan, Pat, Sandy, Bob from USA Central Station, special guest Nate from Allegion and ....drum roll ... what a suprise to be joined by Gene from Lab, Major & Jet!

Which - the latter takes the prize for long-distance haul seeing as he's in from Chicago.  Wow!

The meeting was conducted at even more blinding speed than usual due to the lack of attendance - which, just to be straight - if you didn't make it (and, statistically speaking, you did not) - no one is going to judge you poorly.  It was just brutal out there.  The folks who did make it were most certainly intrepid, committed, and skilled at winter vehicle navigation, hear, hear! But we also maybe suffered a touch of poor risk assessment.

More after the break - including the education summary from Nate Spitz with ALLEGION (what?):

Meeting tonight! That's right, even with the weather!

I'm leaving now - and I've heard one other person promise to attempt.

We're in the back room this time, so if you don't see the usual suspects in the usual spot, keep looking!

*Click here for location and details*

Nate Spitz is on the schedule to present updates from Ingersoll Rand Allegion for the education portion of the meeting.  

November meeting re-cap and minutes

The November meeting was modestly attended - in particular we missed our regular Sargent at Arms as well as our Hospitality Chair - our waitress, Deb, specifically inquired after the "cookie lady" so just so you know, Rosemarie, you are a little bit famous now.

The meeting was brief but effective and, in keeping with the previously noted trend, uncontentious. 

Matters of note:

Dana only has 2 people signed up for the Education weekend. There's going to be an introductory masterkey class and an in-depth safe certification prep class - but only if we get participants. The registration forms are on the website (click the tab above for the Learning Curve).

Mike Sullivan may organize another prison tour at Oak Park Heights. There's no date yet as interest is still being guaged so if you think you would like to attend let us know (for now you can drop a line to mnaloa(at)gmail).  This is a rare opportunity to see detention hardware in the field and learn about the job of a locksmith at a supermax prison facility.  In the past the tour has been conducted on a Saturday and pre-registration is required (you must supply your name, birthdate and drivers license number).

The education presentation was very good, as usual, with Mark Lundblad delivering quite a lot of information very efficiently - summarized below the break.

Reminder! Meeting this Wednesday, November 6, 6 pm, O'Gara's Bar & Grill, St Paul, MN

*Particulars*

Come to the meeting!  Stay for the education!  Mark Lundblad is doing a slide show presentation on antique lock tools (and will probably have a few actual items on hand).  It's going to be great!

Friday, November 1 Door Knob of the Day

The whole wide world awaits you.

There's that thing with door knobs that if you stare up at one long enough, it will open.  Dogs and cats know it - it's really their only recourse if there is no pet-flap - they must be furry little Yuri Gellars, willing the knob to turn, turn, turn until it does! Never mind there always seems to be a person attached to one side or the other when this happens - we should count our blessings that they leave the spoons alone.

There are no dogs or cats in this house - but there are 2 little boys.  They figured out door knobs as soon as they could reach them, but haven't got the keyed deadbolt yet - so this particular door knob is still the recipient of a certain daily dividend of longing gazes.

It's good to get down in front of a door knob now and then to recall that time in our lives when this was an obstacle that was nigh insurmountable*.

On the floor in front of a door knob is also a really great place to review - what's out there?

Grass, rocks, bugs, dirt, adventure, sun, sky, weather, traffic, swingsets, lawn mowers, sheep, lawn darts, danger, dog poop, bocce, holes, thorns, parties, skateboards, bonfires, rain, trees, lakes, Slow Construction Zones, steep hills, ragweed, flora, fauna, fowl, wind, wastewater treatment faclilities, bus stops, rainbows, shopping malls, oceans, airplanes, elephants, ducks, puddles, sidewalks, ditches, ball fields, fences, butterflies, florists, cemetaries, drug stores, potholes, potheads, train tracks, thickets, rabbits, valets, schools, hi-rises, underground bunkers, ice rinks, manhole covers, nematodes, sunsets, corn fields, waterfalls, speed traps, alpine slides, neonatal intensive care units, pigeons, sewers, stars, escalators, hot dog vendors, squirrels, strange smells, lightning, shrubberies, post boxes, curbs, herons, moss, bakeries, libraries, continents, antilock brakes, street lamps, manatees, rugby pitches, precipitous drops, roses, circuses, planets, geese, gravel, tulips, stop lights, happly little trees, cess pools, parking lots, operas, laundromats, toll booths, hammocks, mountains.

Sometimes, sitting on the floor looking up at the door knob is a really great place to be.



*Before we became locksmiths, hah!

Education update: Next week's meeting and next year's PLT CEUs

Our regularly scheduled first-Wednesday general meeting is coming up next week - November 6th - at O'Gara's Bar & Grill in St Paul, MN.

From 5:30 pm to 7 pm there's social hour(and-a-half) and dinner will be available in the meeting room from a limited menu (if I recall correctly, we've got the $10 $15 chicken sandwich, $15 cheeseburger and $20 steak - the former come with fries and the steak comes with potato and salad - and I think you can sub a fish fillet for the steak).



The meeting will start at 7 - nothing too controversial on the docket, it should go pretty quickly - and then we'll have the education presentation, which is why I'm actually posting this reminder, because the November education is going to be really, really cool.

Once a year Mark Lundblad does an education presentation and it is always a real treat.  In addition to being a professional locksmith, Mark is also a full-time afficianado - a collector of locks, lock tools, lock stories and most particularly the antique and/or esoteric.

Folks, if you come to Wendnesday's meeting, I guarantee you'll see [a slide of] something you've never seen before and you'll learn something.  It may not be the sort of thing that makes you dollars starting tomorrow, but it will enrich you overall as a human being and make you more interesting at parties.*

This year, the presentation is antique lock tools.  Antique lock tools, people!

I'm looking forward to quite a turnout.



In other news, we've just added a class to the calendar for Wednesday, October 15, 2014 for a PLT CEU class hosted by Tri-Ed distibuting.  It's a great opportunity to meet the continuing education requirements associated with the Minnesota Power Limited Technician license - 8 hours, convenient location, very reasonable price and now with unprecedented anvanced notice!

PLT services website wasn't updated when I checked last, but I'm sure you can register now via the contact listed on the static page - here's the link to that.



*Especially parties with a high proportion of locksmith attendees.

UPDATED 12-9-13:  The chicken sandwiches went up to $15.

Friday Doorknob of the Day, October 25

Hand forged insolent punctuation.

It's the last Friday in October so we are featuring this door knob dressed-up for Halloween.

What is this door knob supposed to be?

A happy little ghost?
A mustache-and-a-half (with a twist, on the side)?
A Who from Whoville?  Or two?

Question marks?

Wait - is it sticking it's tongue out at us?  Is it insolent punctuation?

Very clever!

Somebody give that door knob a Bit-O-Honey.

Power Limited Technician (PLT) Preparatory Classes

Dana Lee - of Education Chair Fame - has received a request to bring the PLT preparatory class around again.

This is a 4-day class that prepares individuals to take the licensing exam for the Minnesota Power Limited Technician license.  It does not qualify for CEUs (Continuing Education Units) for people who already have their PLT and need to maintain it.

In the past, we worked directly with Ed Lethert and a required 25 student minimum.  At this time, within our chapter and a couple of neighboring chapters - we're hard-pressed to come up with 25 individuals who are potential candidates for this class.  Without droves of likely participants committed (financially) in advance, a 4-day class is just more than we can float.

Lucky for us, PLT Services has these classes whether we ask them to or not and they have several sessions in Shoreview, MN coming up in the first quarter of 2014 with space available. Click Here for more information on their website (www.PLTServices.net).

Minnesota Neighboring Chapter Events

The West Central Chapter of ALOA is hosting an evening training "Advanced Diagnositcs" on Wednesday, November 6. 

The instructor is Tony from Advanced Diagnostics, and there may also be a side training with an Automotive Lock & Key Manufacturer.

It is looking like the time will be around 5:30 or 6:00 pm until 9:00 or 10:00 pm.  Cost will be around $125.00-$150.00.  This type of training usually is around $250.00-$300.00 to attend.  A registration form with more information is pending.

PLEASE RSVP TO JANELL (CONTACT BELOW) IF YOU ARE EVEN CONSIDERING COMING.
Location and cost will be finalized once there is some idea what the estimated class size will be.

Janell Briggs CRL - ALOA
cvlockandkey@hotmail.com
Chippewa Valley Lock & Key LLC
706 E Grand Ave
Chippewa Falls, WI  54729
715-726-0687 shop
715-579-1138 cell

The Iowa Chapter of ALOA will have their next meeting on Saturday, November 9th in Waterloo, IA. 

They have also announced several upcoming education events for 2014: a presentation from the Master Lock Company on February 8th and ACE Class E001 Basic Electricity (P-13) plus PRP on Saturday and Sunday, May 10th & 11th. Link to the deets.

Friday Door Knob of the Day, October 18, 2013

Ne c'est pas une porte*

In our latest portrait of a classic, photographer/locksmith Dana Lee has employed an off-kilter affect causing the viewer to establish an unusual relationship with the subject. Where normally we would have a vantage looking down upon the knob, in a position of control wherein that object is clearly utile and we the utilizer - in this instance we are placed at an intimate, conversational angle with the apparatus. Our traditional relationship with the door knob is challenged by this and by the knob's position and texture in this composition: it is situated at the edge of the frame and appears made of water, as if any attempt to grasp it would meet with naught but damp palms and frustration. Combine that with the prominent taunting promise of the keyhole - inviting access, unlike the vitreous knob but, alas, too small to fit through. 

I pronounce this a desperate meditation on the weakness of mortal flesh, ironically writ large via the endurance of a mortal-flesh-made object of lovely art deco proportions and likely adequate function.






*It's ajar.

Door Knob of the Day Friday, October 11

Photo credit Dana Lee

"Samuel Spade's jaw was long and bony, his chin a jutting v under the more flexible v of
his mouth. His nostrils curved back to make another, smaller, v. His yellow-grey eyes were
horizontal. The V motif was picked up again by thickish brows rising outward from twin creases above a hooked nose, and his pale brown hair grew down--from high flat temples--in a point on his forehead. He looked rather pleasantly like a blond Satan.”
-Dashiell Hammet, The Maltese Falcon

This is his door knob.

Door Knob of the Day

This door knob says, "Come in and  cozy up with a crocheted afghan and a nice big glass of gin to warm you up and listen to Cowboy Western dramas with lots of shooting and galloping-horse sound effects on the radio while the rain beats the window."

October Meeting

With pouring rain and thunder and lightning it was hardly a fit night for man nor beast but quite a few hardy souls made it to the monthly meeting at O'Gara's last night.

The meeting was very efficient owing mainly to a lack of new business and our successful cultivation of uncontentious agendas.  Link to October 2013 Minutes

Dana and Phil are knocking it out of the park again with the annual Learning Curve education weekend, for which we will return to the Best Western Kelly Inn, Plymouth, MN, February 21-23, 2014.

The Learning Curve will welcome back Bill Lynk, CML, CPS, CJIL, M.Ed. who will conduct a 2-day Masterkeying 1 class and Harry Sher, CML, CPS who will teach a 2-day Certified Professional Safe Tech Preparation class.  Seriously - this is going to be awesome!

The classes will be Friday and Saturday with a PRP sitting on Sunday morning.  Link to Learning Curve Brochure & Link to PRP Registration.  You must be a member of ALOA at the national level in order to participate in the PRP sitting, here's a Link to the ALOA Membership Application if you need it.

In conjunction with the the Learning Curve weekend, we will also have our annual Chapter Banquet on the evening of Saturday, February 22.  The banquet is organized by our amazing Hospitality Chair, Rosemarie, who has a real gift for throwing a party and it's always a blast - there's Barbeque dinner, great prizes (sometimes including Rosemaries out-of-this-world baked goods) and a high stakes poker match (understanding that by "high stakes" we mean a chance to win some really nice donated prizes from our manufacturer sponsors).

Alan Morgan with Speedy Keys (also our Chapter President) filled in for the education last night with a Transponder overview.  Alan is a walking encyclopedia of blanks, programmers, decoders, resources, imports, exports, that which is sold in Canada, which years the keys didn't work, all the weird things they did when Transponder technology was being introduced in the 90s and more blinking lights than you can shake a stick at.

If I could remember a fifth of that hour I'd be twice as smart as I ever was - thanks for another great presentation, Alan!

It was great to see everyone at the meeting last night - reminder that there is a PLT class October 23rd, details in the entry below from last month - and our next meeting will be November, 7 - and the particulars for that are under the meeting tab at the top of the page.

See you then!

MN Chapter of ALOA at the Doyle Show

The Minnesota chapter of ALOA had a booth at September's Doyle Security education weekend and trade show.

The event was well attended, the food was good and it was a great opportunity to connect with locksmiths from throughout the region with attendees from at least 4 states.

Alan and Pat man the chapter booth - speaking of which, that back-drop is courtesy of the clever Mr. Moseng and we're looking forward to seeing more of it at future shows.

And a suprise appearance from the Miracle on Ice gold medal from the 1980 Winter Olympics escorted by Herb Brook's son (who attended the Games with the team - he was 12 at the time  - what an experience!)

Thanks to Doyle Security for hosting a great event and we are already looking forward to next year.

September meeting presenters

It was great to see so many people at the meeting last night - and welcome to several new attendees, we hope to see you again!

A couple of news bites from the general meeting:

• There wasn't enough interest to put together a Swap Meet for 2013, but there is talk of doing something in conjunction with the education weekend in February.  
• The February Education Weekend is totally on - start your engines and get ready to Commit-Well-In-Advance to taking a few classes.  Additional information will no doubt be forthcoming - for now, you can count on it being held once again at the Kelly Inn in Plymouth around the third weekend in February or so.
• The Annual Banquet will be included in that weekend with the same format as the past few years (it's been such a blast - kudos to Rosemarie for keeping a good thing going!).

Following the meeting we had a product update presentation from Assa-Abloy Reps Paul Davis and Dean Paulsrud;  as usual, they did not disappoint.  They covered a great deal of material clearly and efficiently bringing us updates on:

Online education resources (fantastic!) at Assa Abloy Americas University 
New Patented, Security and High Security cylinder families from Corbin and Sargent
Aperio wireless electronic access control
Arrow product line update including exciting developments in locks, closers and standalone EAC

A big Thank You to Paul and Dean who brought a ton of product and stayed after the presentation to answer questions - you are a great resource to our industry!

 Assa-Abloy Reps Paul Davis and Dean Paulsrud flank Education Chair 

Dana Lee before the meeting, September 4, 2013 at O'Gara's in St. Paul.

Low Voltage CEU Class, October 23rd

The MN chapter of ALOA and Tri-Ed distribution are offering a state CE certified class for Power limited Technicians which will be held October 23 at the offices of Tri-Ed at 1325 Eagandale Court., Suite 100
Eagan, MN 55121.

The class is for ALL Power Limited Technicians (membership not required).
$135 ALOA/MNALOA Members in Good Standing - $175 non-Members.
Instructor: Dick Johnson - PLT Services.
Coffee, donuts and lunch will be provided.
Pre-registration is required, class will be limited to 14 participants.
Registration form must be received by 10-20-2013.  Open registration form.

The Pre-registration is a requirement of Minnesota's state certification for PLT Continuing Education - their rules, not ours - if you are not registered by October 20th, we cannot get you into the class.

Next meeting September 4, 2013

The summer break is winding up and we'll be convening our monthly meetings again starting September 4.

The location is still O'Gara's Bar & Grill in St Paul where we have use of their side room.

Social/dinner hour is from 6 pm - 7 pm during which time you may order dinner from a limited menu in the meeting room.

The general meeting starts at 7 pm until about 7:30/7:45 pm and then we will have Paul Davis from the local Door Security Solutions office to discuss everything new and fantastic from ASSA Abloy.

Hope to see you there!

MN ALOA at E.L. Reinhardt's event under the tent

The chapter had a booth at EL Reinhardt's annual customer appreciation and trade show event yesterday.

The weather was perfect, the show was well attended and the food was fantastic as always - Ken Stemig throws a great party and we're lucky to be invited.

Below, Phil, Pat and Henry at the show.

No meetings in July or August

Last night's meeting was unusually well-attended for June - probably owing to the very un-June like weather. Attendance was about 20 members. 

Thanks to Bill Wood of Nob Hill for giving a thorough - yet still concise - introduction to the Salto product offering. He covered tiers of distribution, their current integrated access solutions and some really exciting upcoming innovations in wireless, web based access solutions. 

Be sure to check the manufacturer website linked above and contact Bill Wood at Nob Hill for information about local sales opportunities. 

It's our annual summer hiatus at the Minnesota Chapter and we will not have meetings in July or August. Check the calendar for locksmith events during that time - especially the EL Reinhardt annual Event Under The Tent on Thursday, August 15th.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, September 4 - see you then!