Wednesday May 6 General Meeting at BROADWAY PIZZA

Our meeting location has changed! After more than a decade, the MN chapter of ALOA is returning to: 

Broadway Pizza, 2025 West River Rd N, Minneapolis, MN 55411

Social Hour from 5:30 pm until 7:00 pm
General Meeting from 7:00 pm - 7:40 pm (approximately - meetings run +/- 15 minutes depending on material that needs to be covered)

Education immediately following the meeting; our speaker will be Susan Biggers of Napco Security Technologies

Dinner will be available in the meeting rooms, terms tbd (I bet it will be pizza). 

Come early, come late, leave early - you do not have to be a member to attend up to 2 meetings a year.

March Meeting Education - Ricardo Ortizcazarin from Cazarin Interactive

March 2015 Meeting

Our next regular meeting is Wednesday, March 4 at Grumpy's Roseville, 2801 Snelling Avenue, 

Roseville, MN 55113, (651) 379-1180.

5:30 - 7:00 pm Dinner/social hour in the meeting room 

7:00 pm Education *before the meeting* Ricardo Ortizcazarin will give a presentation on websites and internet marketing including information on what you can expect to pay to have a website built, what ongoing hosting costs to expect, and how to find a reputable service provider who is a good match for your business needs. Ricardo is the founder of Cazarin Interactive, a Maple Grove based leader in Twin Cities web design and marketing since 1988.

General meeting immediately following eduction - will start no later than 8 pm

Iowa Chapter of ALOA Announces 2015 Class Schedule

2015 Classes presented by the Iowa Chapter of ALOA

Find all class details on web: www.iowachapteraloa.com/classes 

Saturday, February 21, 2015: CX5 High Security Locks 
Instructor: Mike Merritt www.mikesekeys4cars.com 
Location: 11 Commercial Park Rd, Mason City, IA 50401 
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm 
Cost: $15.00 

Saturday, May 9, 2015: Introduction to Safe Servicing (SV001) 
Instructor: Harry Sher, CML, CPS 
Location: Holiday Inn Airport 6111 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321 
Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm 
Cost: $150.00 (includes lunch) $125.00 Iowa Chapter Member (includes lunch)
Test: After class PRP Test (L-24), cost: $25.00 
Cancelled due to lack of registrants

Sunday, May 10, 2015: ALOA PRP Sitting - Testing 
Location: Holiday Inn Airport, 6111 Fleur Dr. Des Moines, IA 
Time: 8:00am -12:00pm 
Registration forms must be turned in to ALOA by April 24, 2015 
Cancelled due to lack of registrants

Saturday, August 1, 2015: Tips, Tricks, Transponders & Eeprom 
Instructor: Jim Hetchler, CAL www.keypro.com 
Location: Holiday Inn Airport 6111 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321 
Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm 
Cost: $75.00 (includes lunch) $50.00 Iowa Chapter Member (includes lunch) 

September 26 - 27, 2015: Safe Penetration Drilling *2-Day Class*
Instructor: Dave McOmie www.davemcomie.com 
Location: 11 Commercial Park Rd, Mason City, IA 50401 
Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm Saturday & Sunday 
Cost: $225.00 (includes lunch) $200.00 Iowa Chapter Member (includes lunch) Test: After class PRP Test (L-33) cost: $25.00 

Updated 4-17 - per email notice from Iowa chapter, they have had to cancel the May 9-10 events because there weren't enough attendees signed up.

Upcoming Allegion Lock Classes February 24-26

Wednesday, February 24, 8:30-4:30 Schlage ND-Series Cylindrical Lock Servicing (LK101)

Thursday, February 25, 8:30-4:30 Schlage L-Series Mortise Lock Servicing (LK102)

Friday, February 26, 8:30-4:30 Schlage Cylinder Servicing (CY101)

Instructor: Peter Yost

Continuing Education Credit:1 point toward maintaining your ALOA certified status (per class)

Contact: Margie Morgan

Email: margie.morgan@allegion.com

Phone: 952-674-4955

Location Details:

SSC North Central

6230 Bury Drive

Eden Prairie MN 55346 

May 2014 meeting summary

This was our second meeting at the new location, Grumpy's Roseville, and once again almost everyone showed up! Although we still haven't seen anyone from Davis, which is kind of a bummer because we totally moved here to be close to them*.

Minutes of the May 7, 2014 meeting

Following the meeting, which started and ended on time, Tom Modec of Kaba Access presented an overview of the E-Plex Wireless Access Control System.  

Summary and Tom's contact info below the break - click "Read More"

April Meeting Summary

Spring is struggling to convince us of its honorable intentions here in Minnesota but locksmiths continue to emerge from hibernation in growing numbers in spite of being disappointed time and time again.  We had an attendance of more than 20 regular members at the April meeting - our first in the new location at Grumpy's in Roseville.

The new meeting site is very nice - the room is agreeable and quiet, we have what amounts to private restrooms and bar right down the hall, and there is an elevator so even though we are in the basement, it's not much of a liability.  Plus, the fish & chips is out of this world.

Dinner is a flat $15 for anything (Juicy Lucy, Veggie Burger, Fish & Chips... there was something else, but I've forgotten it) - but there was a coupon on in the Locksmith Guild newsletter this month, so keep your eye out, they may do it again.

We were very pleased to welcome Gene and Maita Simon for the education portion of the evening.  Gene is the Hardware Specialist and represents Major Manufacturing, LAB, and JET Hardware - on this particular evening he presented the latest and greatest from Major Manufacturing.

Full education recap below the page break.

March Meeting Overview

What a great crowd we had at the March meeting!  Between the presence of daylight and the lack of freezing precipitation, the membership was out in force!

We had really nice recaps from Rosemarie on the banquet - which went fantastically well - and from Dana on the Education weekend, also a great success.  We also had elections - and here, I apologize, I don't know what came over me, but I wasn't taking notes.

So take the following with a grain of salt, but I believe it shook down thusly for the 2014-2015 terms (election results and more below the page break):

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?):

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!

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.

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.

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.