Inclement weather upon arrival didn’t dampen the “scalie spirit” as members from across the country, and as far away as England, Ireland and the Netherlands got together in Denver May 19th through May 23rd for the 33rd ISASC Convention. The skies quickly cleared and the mountains came into view allowing “mile high hospitality” to set the measure for the weekend. In this modern day Wild West city we shared our treasures of friendship, knowledge and the pleasure we take in collecting antique scales.

The convention got moving Thursday evening with a trip to the Forney Museum of Transportation. On display were over 500 exhibits of all types and sizes of vehicles from miniature motorcycles to antique automotives to large scale railroad locomotives. While there we feasted on barbeque from legendary Famous Dave’s. We were able to spread a bit of goodwill when member Bill Berning offered to fix the museum’s broken penny scale. The curator was extremely appreciative as he had no idea how to tackle this task. We all got a lesson in scale repair as Bill opened the back and made the necessary adjustments. Bill is also going to supply the broken parts to fully restore the scale. You never know where your knowledge of scales can be used!

On Friday we walked down memory lane at the Adams County Historical Museum. All the displays carried us back to a bygone era. For our group the special attraction was the scale collection of our hosts, Cliff and DeVee Lushbough. Along with the approximately 400 scales was a working tinker toy scale constructed by Cliff.

For nearly three hours we were free to explore on our own, and enjoy at our leisure the delicious continental brunch that was served.

Friday evening was the official opening of the convention at the Get-together and Album Sharing. It is where the first timers are introduced and the regular attendees get reacquainted. This year several items from the Library List were laid out for everyone to take free of charge as an extra thank you for attending the convention. These included copies of John Shannon’s book on assays balances, reproduced scale catalogs and paintings on papyrus paper of the Scale of Justice from ancient Egyptian mythology. These were all received with great enthusiasm. The camaraderie established at this get-together carries throughout the weekend.

In conjunction with our Denver location the Saturday morning programs centered around a mining theme. Former member John Shannon gave a brief historical overview of manufacturers of assay balances associated with the mining industry. Guest speaker Bill Rose led us through the very interesting and complex process of determining if it is economically feasible to launch a large scale open pit mining operation and how assay analysis weighs into this decision.

Saturday afternoon was taken up with the Silent Auction and Let’s make a Deal. We had several first time sellers and most agreed the quality and quantity of this year’s auction was quite impressive. Very few left empty-handed and several were seen taking their new acquisitions out by the box load. Completing the day was the evening banquet where Bill James thanked our hosts for all their efforts in making this such a delightful weekend. Bill presented Cliff with a postal scale with an inscription affirming the society’s appreciation of all his efforts.

Sunday morning started off with what Moderator Jerry Katz termed the “real deal” of the convention. Show and Tell is a favorite feature and this year was no exception. Steve Beare continued the saga from previous Show and Tells of his efforts to restore an analytical Sartorius Patent Balance, one of three known in the world. Starting with, as he puts it quite literally, “a heap of junk” he now has a beautifully restored balance after much research, hard work, and as he says faith that all the parts were in the heap. Kurt Beyreis shared his passion for unusual poises bringing three different scales to show, including an Avery postal scale with the unique feature of having two poises. Greg Hill brought a cane dated 1903 with a scale inside clearly marked “weights of infants” indicting it would have probably been used by an elderly midwife. Bill James and Ben Smith both brought scales falling under the heading of “What is it?”. Ed Konowitz showed several pocket knives with multiple attachments including scales. Greg Moss brought us up to update on new material he has found about his specialty of Stimpson scales. In keeping with the mining theme of the programs, Jack Young shared a Denver Equipment Scale stamped “For mining use only” made by Fairbanks Morse.

Sunday afternoon John Shannon graciously opened his home for those who wanted to see his extensive collection of assay balances. Some chose to use this time to see the mountains, the botanical gardens, the air museum or other sights of the city. Sunday evening found a large group meeting in the lobby to walk around the corner to enjoy another round of Famous Dave’s barbeque.

The Monday optional trip put the focus on the exceptional beauty of Colorado. We visited the Garden of the Gods to see the magnificent red rock formations that measure centuries of nature's sculpture carved from the earth and sands of the sea. At lunch there was a surprise treat when we were entertained by Wolf, a Native American, in full tribal regalia. Wolf told soft, spiritual stories of teachings from his tribal elders interspersed with melodies played on hand-carved flutes. Throughout the day as we road on the bus we were afforded marvelous scenes of Pikes Peak covered in snow and views of the Air Force Academy Chapel.

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the ISASC Collection the 2012 convention is being held in Pittsburgh, PA. Chairman Les Firth has put together an enthusiastic convention committee of his wife Elaine, Mary Anne Murphy, Kurt and Ann Beyreis, Larry Press and new member Brian Negrini. Plans are well underway and the highlight of the weekend will be the opportunity to visit five scale collections. President Bob Jibben, along with all the board members, offers you a personal invitation to join them for what should prove to be an unsurpassed convention in term of number of scales you will get to see. So mark your calendars for the dates of May 17th through May 21st and plan to go to Pittsburgh to join your fellow scalies in search of scales, fellowship and memorable times. See ya there!