Join the
American Electroplaters Society (a plea for understanding
and support) by John E. Sterling, Supreme Secretary AES
The coming 8th convention of the AES at Rochester June 30 to
July 3 1920, offers a grand opportunity for the employers of
platers or their representatives to meet with the members of
the Society and find out the great benefit it is to the
employer as well as to the plater himself.
It is self evident that this society has been of great
benefit to the trade at large when we consider the limited
field its membership is drawn from practically one man in a
factory. Its wonderful growth from a mire handful of men
(about 15-20) in October 1909 in the City of New York to the
present membership of about 850, having branches in 19
different cities.
I wish to say here, that great credit is due to those men
who had the courage to start the "ball rolling". Just stop
and think you old timers; just imagine a lot of platers in
the old days getting together and exchanging opinions and
ideas, talking about the formulas an solutions they were
using and helping one another out of trouble. Contrast this
with the old conditions of secretiveness and jealousy. Which
the old timers indulged in without getting very far advanced
in their trade.
The AES was the agent that brought about this
hail-fellow-will-met condition of sociability. As knowledge
is power, come to our convention, see how knowledge is
gained, then get some of that power.
The Convention
Rochester, NY at the Seneca Hotel
300 delegates from 19 unit bodies representing 850 members
gathered and listened to tales of experience, practical
demonstrations of value and discussions that improve the
scope and importance of the electroplating industry.
The Supreme President Oscar E. Servis of Chicago called to
order the assemblage.
Dr. E Blum of the Bureau of Standards was the principal
speaker of the morning and stressed the necessity of
Electroplaters to delve more deeply into experimental work.
Others speakers included Charles Proctor & George Hogaboom.
Among the presented papers were:
"Anode Hook Connections & their Protection" - H.F. Speary
"Nickel Plating Sheet Zinc Articles" - H. Weisner
"Notes on Hydrofluoric Acid in Nickel Solutions" - Dr. Blum
"Sanitation in Polishing & Plating Rooms" - G.A. Wilson
"The Oxidation of Aluminum" - FJ Hanlon
Result of Baseball Game
: West beat the East the score 17 - 6
Controversial Motion
To allow assistant platers with at least 5 years experience
to become members of the AES. The motion was defeated.
Exhibits
Celluloid Zapon NYC Lacquered & Enameled Hardware Finisher
JB Ford Michigan Wyandotte Cleaning Products
Mass & Waldstein NYC Lacquer& Enamel
Oakley Chemical NYC Okite Cleaning Products
Smith Richardson Mass Tumbling Barrels
Scobell-Miller Rochester, NY Buffs, Polishing Material &
Plating Chemicals
EJ Woodison Detroit, Mi Buffs, Polishing Material & Plating
Chemicals
Entertainment
1. Cruise on Lake Ontario boat is for convention only
compliments of the Rochester Branch. Papers read on board.
Dancing & Entertainment
2.Auto sightseeing trip around Rochester.
3. Visit to Electroplating shops in Rochester
4. 2 Banquets at Hotel Seneca
Good Entertainment (Movette), speeches that will interest
you & dancing til 12.
5. Trip to Glen Haven, boat to Sea Breeze
6. Trip to Kodak Park
7. Visit the University Art Gallery
Controversial Motion
To allow assistant platers with at least 5 years experience
to become members of the AES. The motion was defeated.
Those in favor gave the following reasons:
1. To help the men who are working with them and who are to
follow.
2. It is narrow to bar men with 5 years plating experience.
3. The desire to train their assistants to keep up the
standard of the department and thus maintain their prestige.
4. The object of the AES was progress not personal benefit,
and the assistants would later help the society as
much as the society had helped them.
5.An auxiliary branch for assistant platers would simply
mean a divided house.
Those opposed advanced the following reasons:
1. The AES was founded for foremen and should remain such.
2. The society would lose its standing if it admitted men
who were not foremen.
3. It would be best to help the assistant foremen to
organize an auxiliary branch or to let them form a society
of their own.
An editorial in Metal Industry October 1920 (now Metal
Finishing) abhors the decision. "It is important for the
present members of the AES to realize that one of the
greatest danger to a society is in-breeding, or becoming too
exclusive."
