AFS Dixie Chapter Meeting Fast Paced

November 28 , 2007
Conference Center, University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN

Wells Shoemaker and Don Olds organized the one day November 28th AFS Fall Dixie Meeting as a Filter Clinic at the University of Tennessee Conference Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.  As you might guess, with Wells as an organizer, this wasn’t any ordinary Clinic…not by a long shot.  It moved quickly, speakers spoke faster than a politician 3 percent behind in the polls with 16 speakers allotted 15 minutes each to tell all they know about a topic in their designated timeframe.  Not an easy task, but we all were in store for surprises as this fast-track meeting progressed.  Imagine trying to cover the subject of filtration media, cartridges, hardware or water filtration in 15 minutes, but that was the purpose of the Clinic.  The idea was to educate newcomers to the industry with headline information and general industry concepts and methods…all for a bargain basement cost of a $10 admittance fee which included lunch.  Probably the best deal ever in all of filterdom.

Thanks to Don Olds’ tremendous promotional efforts the event drew 52 attendees, mostly from southeast States, including 8 from other regions.  Many were non-AFS members and University of Tennessee student, the target of this fall’s meeting.  Everyone expected a relatively traditional Chapter meeting.  However, Wells Shoemaker provided the unexpected.  As the first speaker reached the 15 minute time limit, we heard the faint peppy music of the University of Tennessee fight song.  After 5 seconds, the music became a bit louder.  The increasing volume continued for 20 seconds until the speaker was drowned out.  It was Shoe’s updated version of the “hook” and became a race for most speakers, who had an excessive number of slides anyway, against the clock to finish on what was already billed as tightly timed program.  With each speaker, the audience began to anticipate the Tennessee fight song as Wells used what seemed like the precision of an atomic clock as each speakers time approached their 15 minutes.  We have never heard our southern born speakers and friends talk in such rapid fire fashion as the time limit approached.  Some said they sounded like Yankees. 

Presenters included, both Wells Shoemaker and Don Olds, our organizers, plus Cecil Baty, Ernie Mayer, Susie Reynolds, Lew Osterhoudt, the 2008 National AFS Chairman, Dick Nixdorf, Don Dareing and Ed Gregor. 

Rarely has so much filtration information been offered in one day.  Everyone seemed pleased with evaluation forms providing much praise and many suggestions to repeat the format.  The fall Chapter meeting proved an audience can absorb considerable information and doesn’t need windbag speakers to grasp the jest of a topic…a process and day that generated plenty of fellowship and much fun to boot.