Hello Chapter 21 members! As this unprecedented year continues to unfold, we offer our best wishes to each of you and your families that you remain healthy and safe. We are all feeling the effects of COVID-19 with the resulting social distancing, working and studying from home, and social isolation. More than ever, this is a good time to keep our mental and physical health a top priority. It’s a great time to go for a walk in the neighborhood, keeping safe distances of course. When we step outside, we hear the sounds, sights and smells of spring. Landscapes are seeing the first signs of green. Trees are beginning to bud. The sunshine is growing warmer as are the outside temperatures. It is truly a great help if you are able to get out for an hour’s walk every day (subject of course to those typical Colorado cold snaps!).
If you have a clock shop, it’s also a great time to catch up on that backlog. Who among us operating a clock shop doesn’t have a backlog! Or, if you are a hobbyist, it’s a great time to catch up on that reading or studying you’ve wanted to do, tinkering with that troublesome clock—all the things that you have wanted to do but couldn’t due to outside distractions. Whatever means you choose, a horological hobby-related activity is a great escape from all of this uncertainty and turbulence that is with us every day.
We missed you in March. April is equivalently uncertain, since we don’t know what the situation will be at the end of April and whether we will be able to hold our meeting. Every 2 weeks the data tells us of the effects of the previous 2 weeks. Since the extreme social distancing option (working from home, everything seemingly closed) hasn’t been going on long enough for the results to be evident, we’ll just have to wait and see. Governor Polis has not made any decisions beyond April 15, but there is some real likelihood that the stay-at-home order will be extended. Based on that, it is likely we will not be able to meet (physically) for our regular April meeting.
Regarding the May workshop: We expect (in all likelihood) to reschedule the May 2nd “Bring a Clock to Diagnose” workshop to a later date when we know more about the Emily Griffith facility schedules.
Regarding the Chapter 21 Regional: We ran an ad in the NAWCC Mart for the May/June issue, stating that full refunds for tables would be provided if it were cancelled. We are also advising interested folks to check our website for updates on status. We will probably follow the lead of the National; e.g., if the NAWCC holds the mid-June National, then we will likely hold our Regional. But it is unlikely that a final decision can be made before some time in May.
Don’t forget that there are a great number of ways for us to interact with each other if need be. Call a friend! Send an email. We could even consider an internet-level monthly meeting if this continues; it isn’t out of the question and anyone with a computer can easily participate.
Stay healthy and safe!
Ken Reindel, FNAWCC
President, Chapter 21