February Program Notes

The San Diego Chapter Program on February 17th will be of interest to all who love objects of beauty and decorative arts. While the subject of Fine Swords seems, at first glance, to be a “guy thing,” many of the skills, techniques and themes that were brought to bear in the manufacturing of ornate weapons, were also reflected in other decorative arts of the same period. Beyond that, however, attendees will develop an appreciation of why one cannot “judge the book by the cover” when it comes to antique swords and daggers. Don’t miss this “more than meets the eye” presentation!

Margy Ashby, our Executive Administrator, is well known to our San Diego ASA Chapter members, and well loved. She is the SUPERSTAR of EA’s! For the past 12 years, Margy put together our Newsletter, sent out the meeting announcement & reminder, took reservations, fielded calls to our Chapter telephones, and handled our membership records.

Margy Ashby

Many of us, especially me, have developed great respect and affection for Margy, and come to consider Margy a friend and part of not only the ASA ‘family’, but our personal family. I recall with special emotion the morning of 9/11/01, when Margy was the first to call and share the fear and anxiety for our Washington, DC, ASA Executive Director Ted Baker, who was in an airplane heading for our San Diego monthly meeting that night. It was Margy’s calm voice and quick action that helped formulate a plan to handle the meeting cancellation that terrible morning. Margy has touched many of us over the years and she will always hold a warm spot in our hearts.

A special report to San Diego Chapter by Pamela Bensoussan, ASA

An entire afternoon at the rustic El Alisal, The Lummis Home Museum where we enjoyed to an in-depth lecture on arts and crafts silver. For more information on Charles Lummis and his hand-built home (crafted over 12 years between 1898 and 1910), visit the Southern California Historical Society's website.

All in all this was a very informative seminar on a topic and geographical area that is so close to us in San Diego that we sometimes take it for granted. Thanks to Nancy Martin and the Los Angeles ASA Chapter for organizing this quality conference.

Please check out the ASA International Website's Job Bank in the Members Only area. (If you are a member and don't yet have a login ID or password, a button to register for one is available on the entry page.)

The 2004 edition of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice is now available for review, copying, pasting, etc. at The Appraisal Foundation web site:

http://www.appraisalfoundation.org/html/USPAP2004/toc.htm

Here's a great chance to load it into a Word file for future reference. Please let everyone in your office know. Many people haven't reviewed its changes yet, so be sure to have them look it over.