Masonry Magazine April 1978 Page. 9
MCAA CONFERENCE REPORT
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He strongly advised everyone to become "more emotional, vocal and active" in government affairs to protect individual and collective interests. "You simply cannot afford not to get involved," he asserted.
The next speaker, John T. Joyce, Secretary of the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftsmen, Washington, D.C., discussed the ongoing cooperative efforts between labor and management in the masonry industry. The full text of his remarks will appear in Masonry.
The morning session was concluded with a brief presentation by John E. O'Neill, western regional manager of Modern America Corp., Dallas, Texas, who outlined MCAA's proposed Group Retirement Program.
Following O'Neill's remarks, the general sessions were adjourned for the day to allow time for Conferees to tour the Trade Show exhibits.
Members of the Canadian Masonry Contractors Association convened Monday afternoon for their Annual Meeting and Executive Board Meeting.
The entire morning of Tuesday, March 14, was devoted to the always popular International Masonry Showcase, with Material Handling Committee Chairman Gerald Dufour and Safety Committee Chairman William Deninger acting as co-moderators. The spectator stands in the Pavilion were filled to overflowing to see the live equipment demonstrations presented by 13 nationally known manufacturers. The equipment displayed ranged from power buggies and block carts to hi-lifts and an automatic mortar spreader.
The companies participating in the Showcase were: Ark-Seal Corp., Care Equipment Co./Canada, Champion Hoist Co., Koehring Construction Equipment Division, Loed Corp., Lull Engineering Co., Inc., Mayco Pump Corp., Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., Morgen Manufacturing Co., Pettibone Corp., The Prime-Mover Co., Signode Corp., and TCI Power Products, Inc.
The demonstrations were concluded at noon, and the rest of the day, the final one of the Trade Show, was devoted to visiting the various displays.
On Wednesday morning, March 15, six speakers addressed the MCAA Conferees in the closing general session. They were:
Oscar Person, MCAA Regional Vice President, Burlingame, Calif.; Leonard Thompson, director, Masonry Institute of America, Los Angeles, Calif.; Steve Lesko, director, Construction Management Division, GSA, San Francisco, Calif.; Russell H. Brown, Ph.D., associate professor of civil engineering, Clemson University, South Carolina; Ray Prossen, MCAA Milwaukee (Wis.) Chapter, and I. J. Chasen, president, Profit Research On Operating Factors, Richmond, Va.
Starting off with an impressive color sound film on reinforced masonry building design, Person and Thompson gave a presentation on "The Ups and Downs of Hi-Lift Grouting." Person, one of the pioneers in this field, along with Manley W. Sahlberg and Bob Harrington authored the 1959 report, Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Construction Using the Hi-Lift Grouting System. Leonard Thompson has been involved in the research, study and promotion of hi-lift grouting for many years.
The color film featured the work being carried on in hi-lift grouting by architect Allan Turner, AIA. It gave a step-by-step account of this method of construction, particularly on the West Coast.
The next speaker, Steve Lesko of the General Services Administration, explained that the Public Buildings Service (PBS) is the largest service of GSA, supervising the design, construction, operation, repair, maintenance and
Daniel Demonte (left) of the Ontario Provincial Conference and James F. Richardson, Vice President of the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftsmen, present a gold card signifying lifetime membership in the Bricklayers Union to MCAA's new President, Eugene George. The honor was in recognition of George's many years of dedicated service to the masonry industry at both the labor and management levels.
John W. Hart (far right), President of the Detroit Mason Contractors Association, presents a painted portrait of themselves to MCAA President and Mrs. Robert Ebeling as a token of esteem from the DMCA. The Ebelings reside in Romeo, Mich., a Detroit suburb.
physical protection of nearly 10,000 federal buildings across the country.
He pointed out that in the last three years, GSA's construction varied between $20 million and $30 million. He added, however, that GSA's lease acquisition activity has "greatly increased" during this period.
"We are now projecting a slight expansion of capital resources for acquiring government-owned property, and we are hoping that our program can be expanded to average about $100 million a year over the next five years."
Although the GSA expects to spend more money on new construction, Lesko said, "We are convinced that our older and our historical buildings are valuable resources which must be preserved as treasures of our national heritage. As with other valuable resources, we think the best plan is to recycle them. In the past, many old buildings and many historical buildings have been torn down just as thoughtlessly and needlessly as we waste energy and our other natural resources.
"We believe they can symbolize community growth and vitality as much as, if not more, than new buildings. It is simply more economical to renovate and restore than to
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