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Socialize at 6:30, Business at 7:00, Featured Presentation at 8:00 

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Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago

Meeting Minutes 30 April 2014

(Meeting Minutes written by Beth Plotner)

General

  • Approximately 35 members and guests met at 6:30 pm. The meeting was held at the Chicago Maritime Museum located in the Bridgeport Arts Center, 35th at Racine, Chicago.

Board and Committee Reports

  • President – Rob Hughes welcomed everyone for Robert Rushman as he is on vacation.
  • Secretary – Beth Plotner reported on the minutes.
  • Treasurer – Julie Scheibe gave the balance of the treasury.

Old Business

  • NAS – 2014 NAS Field School July 12th – July 27th Forms and information were on the table for people who are interested. Robert Hughes and Julie Scheibe might become NAS instructors.
  • Illinois Department of Natural Resources there was nothing new to report.
  • ICSSD reported that the Jim Haigh Memorial dive would be on July 20th this year a week earlier than usual.
  • Chicago Scuba Meetup had nothing new to report other than Rob Hughes reminded the group of the Bonaire Trip the group is sponsoring
  • Survey Reports –
    • 12th street beach John Gerty reported working on map
    • Car Ferry John Bell nothing new
    • Silver Spray Jonathan Plotner reported he hasn’t been able to get out to see how the wreck weathered the winter.
    • Flora Hill Rob Hughes will be taking over from Michelangelo who has moved to Florida.
  • Web site update  - Jack Bolous will be updating the site soon. John Bell asked about our Facebook presence and Rob Hughes said that he would look into taking it over.
  • UASC Youth Version – Julie Scheibe updated the progress that she was making in putting this group together.
  • Next meeting is May 28th and the guest speaker is TBD

Other Business

None

Featured Speaker: Bob Grist

Bob will be speaking and presenting a film on his work of surveying and excavating the Kronan. The Kronan was the Swedish King’s flagship in the 1670s. The Kronan was sunk in battle with the Dutch on June 1st 1676. Bob will share stories, photos and video from his work surveying and excavating this wreck site.

Bob is a retired schoolteacher, trained pilot, long time scuba diver and volunteer at the Shedd Aquarium and the Reef Organization in Florida. Bob worked on the Kronan in 1988 and 1989. The ship was found in 90 feet of water. The artifacts aboard the ship were well preserved due to the fact of a lower salinity in the water.

While engaged in battle against the Dutch the ship heeled over due to its top-heavy design, fire broke out followed by an explosion. The Dutch the opened fire and the ship sunk in minutes.